Prudie - //Andy I don't think you have any concept of the millions of people who are nervous of flying and need a drink to get on a plane. There is no comparison with catching a coach or a train. //
If people are nervous flyers, there are prescription medications available to deal with that issue.
But you and I know that the vast majority of people who drink before and during a flight are not doing so to calm nerves, they are doing so because culturally, we have come to accept drinking and flying as part of the 'holiday experience'.
//There's a vast difference between having a couple of drinks and being drunk and dangerous. These events are very rare when you consider how many flights are in the air at any given time. //
Absolutely.
And relatively speaking, the number of vehicular fatalities when measured against the millions of miles driven safely every year is a small number, but we still have speed limits on roads.
The issue is not about being a killjoy, or wanting people to be 'punished' - it is about the catastrophic incidents that can occur mid-flight which, at best, frighten innocent passengers, and at worst, cause violence and mayhem.
It is about keeping people safe, and making flying a pleasant experience for everyone.
Drinking alcohol is not an essential ingredient of flying - but a culture has grown up where people believe that it is. I think that is unfortunate, but I completely accept that I am in the minority, and it will never alter.
That does not mean I am against people enjoying themselves, in fact, quite the opposite, I would like to sit on a plane and not be next to someone who is getting steadily more inebriated, I don't think that is unreasonable.