Ethic Soup

NTSB Calls for National Ban on Cell Phones and Text Massaging While Driving

Today, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended a full ban on the use of cellphones and text messaging devices while driving because it's simply too dangerous. Hallelujah! It's about time!

In the last 10 years, the NTSB has sought to limit the use of portable electronic devices while driving, including bans for beginning drivers, commercial truckers and school bus drivers.

SAFETY-CRITICAL EVENTS

In a study of commercial drivers, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found a "safety-critical event" is 163 times more likely if a driver is texting, e-mailing or accessing the Internet, reports CNN.

But, the newest recommendation would ban non-emergency phone calls and texting by drivers of every vehicle on the nation's roads and highways -- disallowing both hands-free as well as hand-held devices.

United Airlines Bags Most Bucks for Fees: $1.9 Billion Last Year

Airlines around the world are grabbing cash from ancillary revenue like baggage fees. Oh yeah, it's a whole hell-of-a-lot of money. Altogether, carriers worldwide collected $13.5 billion in fees last year, a jump 43 percent higher than the previous year.

UNITED'S ANCILLARY REVENUES ARE HIGHEST

At the top of the heap was United Airlines. Still the third-largest carrier in the U.S. behind Delta and American, United made a total of $1.9 billion in ancillary revenue -- $400 million coming from fees for checked bags alone, according to a new study.

Overseas, the airline with the largest revenue from fees was Quantas. For comparison to United's $1.9 billion, the Australian airline took in around $963 million last year, about half of what United racked up.

Today, flying is like going to the movies. You gotta pay to get in, but the theater-owners make more money from selling popcorn and candy.

Caffeine Gender Effect: Caffeine More Addictive For Boys Than Girls

CAFFEINE & TEENAGERS -- Caffeine is the world's most popular drug. Being "addicted" to caffeine is not abnormal. And, it's different for boys than for girls.

Today teenagers are consuming ever greater amounts of caffeine -- which is in everything, as reported in Ethic Soup's "Caffeine Is In Everything: How Much Is In You?"

However, there has not been much research on how caffeine specifically affects adolescents.

Is the strong appeal for caffeine the same for teenagers as for adults? How does high consumption, over the long term, affect teens' blood pressure, heart rate and hand tremor? Does consuming caffeine while a teen contribute to later use of legal or illicit drugs?

SHOULD CAFFEINE BE ILLEGAL FOR TEENS?

Whoa! If scientific research proves that caffeine damages the health of adolescents, and that teen caffeine consumption directly causes use of more drugs after adolescence, sounds like caffeine could become illegal for teen-use, like alcohol. If that happens, drink-makers of sodas and energy beverages could lose billions of dollars. It is the teenagers who are their major consumers and who are the targets to whom they market their heavily-caffeinated products.

The federal government, through the National Institutes of Health, is funding an $800,000 study, over four years, to answer the above questions.  Neurobiologist Jennifer L. Temple, assistant professor at the University at Buffalo and director of its Nutrition and Health Research Laboratory is leading the study.

Airport Ethics & Tarmac Turtles: Grounds Crews Got 'em

 

IT'S A TRUE TARMAC TURTLE TALE, an ethics story at JFK International Airport in New York.  This story doesn't involve the usual airport personnel who not infrequently seem to show an absence of ethical consideration for passengers.

Maybe it's the difference between indoor airport people and the outdoor guys. The suits versus the overalls.  Maybe it's the florescent lights inside the terminal, or the fatigued and fussy passengers  --also under those florescent lights. Grounds crews work outside. The tarmac can be hotter than hell, but at least they get real sunshine.

ANIMAL ETHICS

We're talking animal ethics. No, pilots can't help it if bird's in flight get sucked into plane engines. Neither can the birds, for that matter.

This particular story is about turtles.

A few weeks ago, a runway at John F. Kennedy Intl. Airport was shut down one morning, when at least 78  Diamondback turtles climbed out of a nearby Jamaica Bay (which surrounds the airport) and crawled onto the tarmac.

Although the reptiles are shielded by shells (developed from their ribs), it's doubtful that they could withstand the weight of your average passenger jet. A Boeing 767-300, with PW-4050s engines, has a maximum takeoff weight of 351,000 lbs. OUCH!

Tourist Beat to Death by Waiters for Being 'Arrogant'

  It happened in Calangute,India, a beautiful tourist town synonymous with partying and beach holidays. John Kelly, a 65-year-old Australian on holiday, was bashed to death by Indian restaurant waiters. Why? Witnesses and police are quoted as saying he was "arrogant" to the waiters, according to an article in The Times of India. 

The alleged murder happened two days ago, on the south west coast of the Indian state Goa, where the stunning white-sand beaches are crowded year round. Along with souvenir shops and iced beer stands, the heavily-developed coastline is studded with accommodations, from five-star hotels to palm-leaf shacks. 

A VACATION BREAKFAST BEER

It was around 8 a.m., time for breakfast. Kelly arrived at Club City Restaurant and ordered beer for himself and also for some Indian tourists already drinking at the restaurant.