Flying and Moaning (again)

We are flying again. Great news, and thousands of people can now see the time when they will get home, when previously all they saw were delays. The watchword all through this ash cloud problem was, safety. We heard it from the top brass of the military, the chiefs of the civilian air industry, but most of all from the travelling public. Especially the travelling public. After all these are the holiday families who would be taking the risk. In spite of the delays and expenses incurred, they all agreed that 'safety must come first'.


So far so good. That was until the flight ban was lifted today. Now, did you hear the shuffling noises as these same 'experts' came out to complain that the UK was being 'too safe'. Too Safe? That's a bit like saying you are too dead! You can't be too safe, and you can't be too dead! You are either safe/dead or not. As the meerkat in the TV ad says, 'simple'. There is no substitute for safety in the air, and again the travelling public are the ones who would agree with that statement fully. Why not listen to them? They have most to lose.


But there is another shuffling sound coming from the insurance companies. Have you listened to their statements recently? They are all scared stiff that they will have to pay out a lot of money to families who needed food, accommodation, and alternate routes home. Oh diddums! The insurance companies might have to pay something out, instead of raking it in! All air passengers take out insurance reluctantly, but deep down they know it might be needed in serious cases like the Iceland Volcano eruption. Why else bother if all the company will do is take your money with a smile, but disappear when you need them?  


The result of this is that we now treat 'experts' in the same trust category as 'insurance companies'. They join other untrustworthy groups like, lawyers, journalists, estate agents, and politicians. A worthy group of celebrities indeed!  

Bankers, Volcanic Ash, and Promises!

We are just starting to emerge from the biggest banking problem ever encountered, and are now suffering the effects of a volcanic eruption in Iceland which has grounded more planes, and cost more money than the devastation of 9/11 in New York.


Doesn't it make you think of the impact of these two very different disasters, and how they have affected us. We all probably know someone presently stuck somewhere, away from home, but desperate to get back, and just can't get a flight. Meantime, all taxpayers will be paying off the banker's debt for some years to come!


A General Election is coming up on the 6 May, less than three weeks away. Have you listened to all their promises? Have you watched them as they make pledge after pledge, blaming all other candidates for not telling the truth, as if they alone hold the keys of honesty? 


There is a link to the two disasters mentioned. No one saw them coming. Not the wise and clever, and not the great and good. No one! These earth shattering problems came upon us right out of the blue, and without warning. They were high speed disasters. One man made, and one natural, but both show clearly the inability of our wise men (and women) to foresee them, and therefore stop them. The biblical term, "like a thief in the night" is very apt, and cannot be ignored, even if we don't like the thought of being out of control.


Maybe we should be looking behind the words and policies of our politicians as they all jockey for our vote. Maybe we should be looking at their core beliefs. You know, the way they would react to the moral and ethical, and dare I say religious issues, instead of the pounds and pence of their balance sheets and manifestos. I for one, am more interested in what kind of person will end up in number 10, rather than the one who makes most promises, or seems to be the toughest on those things we can all see. That part is easy. What about when the unseen and unexpected happens? Now that takes a strong person with moral backbone and conviction. We need someone with good character and integrity, but the big question is, "do any of them stack up to that challenge"?


I am still watching and waiting........