Out on a limb

I was sitting in the window seat on the exit row for my flight from Vancouver to Calgary, which delighted me. The extra room felt like luxury. Mid-flight, I recalled the flight attendant's instructions as I looked out over the wing. Suddenly I doubt very much that I have whatever skill it is that might be essential in the event of a real in-flight emergency. Alas, it's a little late for that thought to occur. And so far in my life, I've never been on a flight that involved a crash landing, so I decided to assume this flight would continue that unbroken streak.

My eyes traveled up to the handle I am to pull down on to free the door/window in that unlikely event, and it made me wonder why it is that no one ever opens the emergency window mid-flight. I know it would mean certain death but there are all kinds of people out there, willing to do some really, um, interesting things. But you never hear. 

I hadn't given it much thought before, but it requires a certain amount of faith in our fellow humans just to leave the house most days.