Lucky or Wronged?

January 27, 2009 / 10:34 am • By Dr. Melissa Clouthier

plane-hudson

Some people who survived the Hudson River plane landing feel that $5000 is not enough money to compensate them for their near-death experience. Emphasis on NEAR, because had the pilot been less skillful the people would most certainly BE dead.

What is fair in this case? A birds hit the engines and the engines died making the air plane into a monster glider. It was a freak occurrence that certainly couldn’t be blamed on air traffic controllers, the pilot or the mechanics of the plane. It is one of those circumstances where “sh*t happens”.

Well, at least I see it that way. Sure, it’s traumatic and distressing. I’m not confident I’d get on a plane again after that, but $5000 should be more than enough to get the counseling a normal person needs to recover, or not:

Joe Hart, a salesman from Charlotte who suffered a bloody nose and bruises, says he “would like to be made whole for the incident.”

It’s too soon after the accident to determine what emotional distress he has suffered, he says.

Wouldn’t we all like to be “made whole” from the traumas we experience? Wouldn’t it be great if a dollar amount could guarantee that wholeness? I think $5000 seems reasonable and fair. What do you think?


$5000 is…
Not enough
Adequate
More than generous
People are entitled, greedy lummoxes who should thank their lucky stars they’re alive

  
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Cross-posted at RightWingNews

Posted in America • Corrupted Culture
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  • Naqamel

    Those whiny little babies should take the $5000 payout and send it straight to the Pilot that saved all their lives.

    Or, alternatively, buy a shotgun and some bird shot, and go Geese hunting. That’s what I’d do – I’d get back at those Geese by eating one of their cousins for Dinner.

  • http://www.spiritualthingsmatter.com Viola Jaynes

    I agree with Naqamal. They should be thankful they had such a skillful pilot. It could have been so much worse. $5000 is a lot of money. Why not be thankful for it.

  • Jen

    I can understand they be compensated for their lost belongings but any more than that is silly in my opinion.

    If anyone else was flying that plane, I dare say, no one would be there to collect or complain!

  • http://saltypundit.wordpress.com/ saltypundit

    My first reaction was – whiner! He should be grateful that he’s still alive.

  • Pingback: Take the $5,000, Whiner! « The Salty Pundit

  • Chalmers

    $5,000 on top of replacing lost or destroyed items would seem fair to me.

  • Trish

    I’d have been kissing the ground as soon as I hit dry land, and wouldn’t have considered suing anybody.

  • Anna

    I second trish. I was in a plane that went topsy turvy during a storm. It was a DC-10. Scary as hell. Of course, not as traumatic as Hudson River rescue.

    Amazing some people never satisfied. Not matter what. I would say lope off his nose and then give the five thousand to sew it back on. He can than feel whole again.