women and children first

[bednobs]

do you think this still applies today? I was watching some news coverage and someone was outraged that men got into the cruise ships lifeboats before women and children, and it got me thinking, is it outrageous today? Why are women and children more precious?

[B00]

I always think children are.

[NOX]

No, it's in my opinion only right, given that most children would be unable to look after themselves in such an emergency, and women are generally the physically weaker sex with less stamina- therefore men as long as they are youngish and ablkebodied are the most likely to survive a disaster. Elderly people, the disabled, kids and most women should have been evacuated first imho.

[EvianBaby]

The way I see it it should be the elderly, disabled and children get priority, possibly including a parent responsible for the child. Aside from that women alone should not take priority over men.

[China Doll]

Personally I think help kids, the elderly and the disabled first but then it's every man or woman for themselves, I don't really see why a man who is a total stranger to me should be put in the position of letting me go first because a) I'm a damn good swimmer, better than a lot of men (a fact I applicable in this situation only) and b) he might be a father, I'm not a mother, so why is my life more important than his? Makes no sense to me.

[China Doll]

I should probably add that if my other half didn't let me go first though I'd brick him ;0)

[Eve]

Definitely children first. I was reading the news at lunchtime and there was an account of a couple who were on board, then man gave his lifejacket to his wife so she could be saved and he himself lost his life, heartbreaking.

[janzman]

On a related theme ..is it a maritime rule or law that dictates that the captain is the last to leave his ship or is this the its always been

[starone]

Children are the future. Women are able to bear children. Men are not always necessary. Cold fact.

[smurfchops]

It probably goes back to the days when men had manners ...

[B00]

"I should probably add that if my other half didn't let me go first though I'd brick him ;0) "

Now see- this is the reason why I love CD....lol

[daffy654]

They aren't more precious, just less likely to survive in the water.

[missprim]

Lol china doll

[EvianBaby]

Starby, men are usually fairly useful in the conception of a child. And I don't ant this to sound crass but the future of the planet does not rely on all the women on board one boat to produce more offspring.

[daffy654]

It has nothing to do with chivalry (either now or in the past), it is purely to do with physical strength differences between the genders.

[boxtops]

The full stories is told here http://www.historic-u...nandChildrenFirst.htm

[gingejbee]

Apparently now it's "Captain first".

[paddywak]

As Steve says the Tradition dates back to the Wreck of the Birkenhead in the 1850's The Birkenhead was a troop ship heading for Africa when it was wrecked as was the custom in those days many of the soldiers had their families with them and when the captain, a Scot if I remember rightly, realized that there were not enough lifeboats go around he issued the order women and children first and if there was any room left they would start with the youngest till the boats were full. The army officers stood the men, many of them raw recruits, at attention on deck as the ship sank beneath them and ordered them not to swim to the boats when they went into the water for fear of overloading them and the soldiers obeyed to a man, luckily some were saved when the women in the boats virtually forced the crews to return for their men folk. An example of courage in a dangerous situation which set the standard of behaviour in many a similar situation

[Nibble]

Thi will be commemorate the sinking later in the year, see here http://www.birkenhead.za.net/

[starone]

Well, I know that evian, but I thought that was the thinking behind the 'order'. Everyone wants their genes to go on don't they.