Hi Franz,
In your zeal and enthusiasm, your proofreading failed you. Please fix:
Why do we trust in technology whe it comes to navigational risks but do not trust in technology for fire prevention and protection?
*****
That said, we know they are using safety because safety grabs attention and saying something is unsafe is the way to stop something. But safety is not the issue and never has been. It is about economics.
Truly, if the American Queen is filled with passengers, Majestic America Line wants and needs another boat to compete with herself. The DQ is perfect for that even though the other exemption that is a big deal in the USA is the handicapped disabilities act and the DQ cannot meet that requirement. Her hallways and corriders are wider than the AQ but the DQ has stairs and lacks bathrooms that can accomodate a wheelchair.
So, we know it is not safety.
It is also about jobs however and not just marketing. In the USA, Unions were responsible for things like the 8 hour day as standard and child labor laws. Unions did work on creating an even playing field but in the past 10 years (and perhaps longer), unions have no longer had the power that they once had. In the airline industry (that I am now part of but not union), the unions (and there is 4 of them that my airline works with) have been successful in some things like overtime rules, breaks, lunches, and time off. But the unions have been less successful fixing the pension problems that were lost in the bankruptcy, dealing with cross training or cross function jobs, and other details in the workplace. The airline is trying its own version of forcing out unions by changing many job descriptions.
There have been degrees of dishonesty on both employer and employee whether there were unions or not regarding sick time, disability, or the family medical leave act. This is partly because labor practises in the USA are different than Europe. My observations in Europe was that even though you have more vacation time, your typical work day is frequently longer than 8 hours and not filled with as many breaks or time off. The people I stayed with in Germany lived less than 15 minutes drive from where they worked but were generally gone from 7 to 7 each working day. That was also true years ago with the friends I visited in Belgium.
So, in my opinion, the issues at stake are union power and sales and marketing. Safety has always been a distant third or fourth priority.
Political games are not my favorite thing but every political candidate who calls me for surveys, the question I put to them is the Delta Queen issue. If they don't know what I am talking about, I insist they find out and give me an answer before I will listen to their spiel (had to throw the German word in there).
I do hope we can win the exemption and am doing what I can although what would really help was if I could again convince everyone I know to book trips even if that meant book trips aboard the AQ. I am no longer quite as successful on that score because I can no longer afford to book any trips myself. As it turns out, I picked my vacation week for the same time in August that your family will be on the AQ and have been tempted to just put everything on the credit card but I can't. Today's economy is killing me.
And that economy is another reason we are having difficulties in this fight. The aspect of trying to save American jobs might help us more as emphasis. Some of those American jobs are the people who have to do all those inspections about safety and file all those reports if there are violations. Funny enough, the DQ never had violations or incidents or accidents because as we know she is probably safer to ride than most people are when riding in their automobiles. She is safer than most people's homes too.
Plus- as for drowning- well when my family lived in Michigan (1985-1988), the community forced the kids in fourth grade to have drown proofing classes. I intentionally delayed our move so both my kids got the lessons. While I am sure it is not common practise, I know very few people who do not know how to swim.
When I taught sailing and canoeing (1982-1985 Washington) and would do the required 5 minute float test and teach the use of PFDs or life jackets, many students would tell me what great swimmers they were and ask for an exemption. I had to say no. I worked for the city. There were no exemptions from the test or drill just as they do in the fire drill on every voyage that leaves port on the boats.
So for safety from drowning- no bigger a risk than someone getting drunk and falling overboard which is again a bigger concern for large cruise ships in the ocean than a little steamboat.
Well, I do need to get busier with trying to submit some articles or letters to the editors.
But I want to finish this with another thank you to you for taking a hobby and producing this web site. It is fantastic! I use it as my home site. I have been doing work with children and the elderly and I use pieces of the site in my lessons sometimes.
You and Carmen made a huge contribution to saving the boats in 2001 and continue to provide a wonderful forum. THANK YOU!
Elaine
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