Who shall you save?

[Rook]

You, your friend, and your significant other
(wife, boyfriend etc.) are on a small plane, heading for a tropical island.
There are six other passengers with the three of you.
There is a prominent politician, a scientist, and an oil-tycoon.
There is also a priest with his mother and his seven-year old son.

Suddenly, the elderly pilot's heart gives out.
There is no co-pilot.
The plane will crash, and all on board will die.
You are in possesion of the only parachute.
As the passengers realise the gravity of the situation, you are left with the decision of what to do.

The politician states that she is running for president, and is looking to implement important reforms that may save thousands of lives through improved medical care and retraction of millitary personnel.

The oil-tycoon states that if you choose to save him, each of your living family members will receive ten million dollars.

The scientist pleads that she must survive, as she is on the brink of fully integrating gravity with quantum mechanics.

The priest, almost in tears, begs that you save his son.

The grandmother, trembling with shock, says nothing.

The boy, gripped with fear, clings to his father's leg.

Your friend tells you to save your wife/husband/gilfriend/boyfriend.

Your significant other tells you to save yourself, and to love her/him always .



Who will you save?

 

[deadpixel]

Man this poll isnt going well for you :/

 

[Jennywocky]

What do I save them with?
"I flap my angelic wings and carry the plane aloft."

Sigh. I think we're going down.

I find a private bathroom and have some fun with my SO before we hit the water.

EDIT: Yay, the test is fixed! We have parachutes now!
Can I have a flare gun too?


EDIT2: Note that there's a good chance that, if someone can hold onto the boy, he and another passenger can survive albeit damaged when they hit water.


EDIT3: WTF is the oil tycoon spending so much money on the parachute? He should be saying, "If someone can fly/fix this plane, I'll give EVERYONE who survives $10 million." And you think with that amount of money, he could have taken some !@#!&@#^ flying lessons.

 

[doncarlzone]

I would like to change my vote. Hell I don't even have a girlfriend/wife.

 

[doncarlzone]

I find a private bathroom and have some fun with my SO before we hit the water.

While the little boy is clinging to his father's leg out of fear? You heartless bastard!

 

[Hawkeye]

Kobayashi Maru

I don't believe in a no-win scenario

 

[redbaron]

Well my girlfriend is a scientist, so it ticks more than one box and is kind of a no-brainer.

EDIT: Didn't read the last part about them telling me to live. Well that complicates things.

 

[Lacplesis]

Well, planes do have radio communications, and there is nothing wrong with the plane itself, in your scenario. I also assume that smaller planes are easier to fly compared to big jet planes. Given these considerations, I would first attempt to establish a radio communication with whoever responds. Jumping out with a parachute does not sound tempting to me, so I would give my parachute to the one who looks like the fittest swimmer, because it is almost inevitable that the one who jumps, lands in water and thus likely dies drowning. In the meantime I would ask for guidance on practical flying to whoever I can reach on the radio, be it another pilot or airport. If for whatever reason this proves to be impossible, I would report the situation, so that search and rescue teams are alerted.

 

[Deleted member 1424]

I have some flight experience with twin/single engine planes and could probably crash-land the thing without killing absolutely everyone. I'd attempt to land the aircraft and let the others decide among themselves.

Who here really expects an oil tycoon to be good on his word?

 

[Rook]

In this scenario, only the person who jumps from the plane with the parachute survives.
There is no alternative.

 

[Lacplesis]

There is no alternative.

There are always alternatives, as my life has shown me. If however you insist that all shall die, but one, and I should be the one who decides, I would save my girlfriend of course. Biologically, instinctively, it makes sense. But then of course there is a problem of not having a girlfriend, so my second bet would be to quickly jump out while I still have some chance of survival.

 

[kris]

Probably the scientist or the boy. The politician cannot act unilaterally at this stage, so her policy will likely sink or swim based on the current level of political support it holds. There's no way she's the only person who knows about it.

The oil-tycoon can kiss my ass. I may just kill him on the spot just to be sure he doesn't make it.

The old lady isn't really a consideration. I might consider her if there were special circumstances, but generally I favour preserving the lives of those who have had the least opportunity to enjoy them...

... which leads me to the boy. The event may be traumatic, but I feel he gets short-changed the most in having his life end there.

The priest is a bit suspicious. Why doesn't he believe his boy is going to Heaven? I don't expect believers to rush to their deaths, but a priest should be able to cope... unless he knows the boy is an awful sinner. Maybe I should reconsider saving the little devil. I'll be that fear act is just a ploy to play on my sympathies.

My "friend" doesn't even seem to know the gender or relationship status of my partner in this scenario. What kind of friend is that?

If my significant other pulls the "Can't live without you" card, it's probably reciprocal, plush I have the perfect NoFX song for the occasion. I mean, what are the odds I'd have that chance, right?

The scientist seems like an okay choice provided I don't think the boy is evil, will be traumatized for life, or will just die anyway, stranded in the middle of nowhere without adequate mental fortitude to cope and survive.

I find a private bathroom and have some fun with my SO before we hit the water.

While the little boy is clinging to his father's leg out of fear? You heartless bastard!

You'd rather they do it in plain site while the boy watches? Weird. Well, the kid's going to end up dead or traumatized regardless, so I guess it doesn't matter much one way or the other.

 

[Jennywocky]

Kobayashi Maru

Nice.

But yeah, let's see if you're still quoting Star Trek when the mofo plane hits the water.

"OMFG PLEASE - BEEEAAAM ME UP SCOT-"

Well my girlfriend is a scientist, so it ticks more than one box and is kind of a no-brainer.

EDIT: Didn't read the last part about them telling me to live. Well that complicates things.

It would be interesting if my BFF and my SO got into it instead of being so nice.

"That bitch has been smack-talking you all the time and trying to get me to hook up with her, you gotta believe me, baby!"

"No, Jenny, he's LYING, he's been schtupping five different girls on the side! I have footage back home on my laptop! Dump him!"

Well, at least that would narrow my choices down to five (+ me).

There are always alternatives, as my life has shown me. If however you insist that all shall die, but one, and I should be the one who decides, I would save my girlfriend of course. Biologically, instinctively, it makes sense. But then of course there is a problem of not having a girlfriend, so my second bet would be to quickly jump out while I still have some chance of survival.

If the plane can at least be steered to come in rather level, there's a small chance you could leap out and skip like a stone across the water (if you hold yourself rigid enough) and not take the impact like a brick wall.

I mean, no one has to be a PILOT to steer the plane. The only issue is if it goes into a stall. We're not expecting to salvage the plane for another attempt, it just has to break everyone's fall and not plunge straight in.

 

[pernoctator]

In this scenario, only the person who jumps from the plane with the parachute survives.
There is no alternative.

But decisions will still be made based on hope even when that's true. Most likely I would be hopeful, and try to double up on the parachute, fly the plane, etc.

As for choosing someone, realistically it would be the girlfriend.

But if I could manage to be detached, I would consider likelihood of success. Parachutes are hard. The scientist, priest, grandmother, and child all seem hysterical. I can't trust that they could take care of themselves after exiting the plane. The politician's and tycoon's claims are unverifiable, so will not be brought into consideration.

 

[Base groove]

I would just jump right before the plane crashed.

 

[Absurdity]

Throw the parachute out of the plane.

 

[TimeAsylums]

I would just jump right before the plane crashed.

...but...inertia?

 

[pernoctator]

But yeah, let's see if you're still quoting Star Trek when the mofo plane hits the water.

naturally,

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWoPdZ986oo

 

[Jennywocky]

...but...inertia?

No, no, let's not muddy this moral dilemma with the constraints of Science.

 

[TimeAsylums]

Throw the parachute out of the plane.

/Fe died this day

 

[TimeAsylums]

Who will you save?

I believe the better question is

who will save you?

Who Will Save Your Soul?​

Who will save your soul when it comes to the flower?
Who will save your soul after all the lies that you told, boy?
Who will save your soul if you won't save your own?​

 

[deadpixel]

No beating around the bush here, I just voted to save myself, the world wouldn't be the same without me around.

 

[Helvete]

I would save the priest; just to piss absolutely everybody on the plane off.

 

[Hawkeye]

Screw the parachute; I'd ride the grandmother like Major Kong rode the Nuke in Dr. Strangelove.

 

[Spirit]

A Priest has a son?


...

 

[Jennywocky]

A Priest has a son?
...

That lying bastard!
I push him out of the plane.
And the kid too, he was in on it.

Three left + me. Soon I'll have this all figured out.

 

[Spirit]

That lying bastard!
I push him out of the plane.
And the kid too, he was in on it.

Three left + me. Soon I'll have this all figured out.

They do not know I was the one sent to assassinate the pilot.


All parties are somehow responsible for misery.


Collateral damage is acceptable.

 

[Jennywocky]

waitaminute....

*jennysense tingling*

 

[deadpixel]

A Priest has a son?


...

Great observation

 

[kris]

A Priest has a son?


...

Could be Anglican.
Could be illicit.
Could be a cover and that's not really his son.

 

[deadpixel]

Could be a cover and that's not really his son.

Perhaps an alter boy? ouch.

 

[Anktark]

So many plot holes in this scenario: 6 passengers, but 9 people; plane is hardwired for that pilot only; parachute can't be used by two people simultaneously? Fine, I will suspense my disbelief.

If I am absolutely sure everyone, but the person with parachute dies, then there is no need to kill the tycoon and the politician. Though if I have time, opportunities like that don't come around very often.
Priest and his/her family can go to heaven.

These were the easy ones.

The scientist probably documented his/her research, just in case, I ask where it is and/if it's encrypted. His/her work won't be lost.

My friend, very hard decision- good friends are very hard to find.
Significant other, likewise.
Time to detach and leave emotions out.

If I were looking at this situation form outside, I would say the guy with the parachute should live, since he either thought of it first or maybe even brought it on the plane.

I jump out and save the cold-hearted bastard.

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

Could be Anglican.
Could be illicit.
Could be a cover and that's not really his son.

even Catholic and other priests can have children.
One can become a priest after his wife dies, having mature and self-sufficient children, or children that someone takes care of, or children he knows nothing of .

After my SO tells me I should live, I would save my friend, or a child, because I would at the time be emotionally and otherwise commited to my love. (heavy idealism, but I don't deny it is possible to love)

 

[Rook]

The priest devoted himself to god after his wife was murdered, wishing to lead others into the kingdom of Christ.

 

[BigApplePi]

Here is what I would do.

The first thing would be to ask if anyone had a pocket knife. Upon receiving one I would slice the parachute to shreds.* Then I would get on the radio with a reprimand to the FAA** for allowing my plane to be flown without a copilot. After having thusly cleared my conscience, I would ask if anyone present is a speed reader. Having found one I would ask them to get on their cell-phone and google the manual for flying small planes. Following that I would administer an MBTI test to identify any ISTP present. The ISTP would fly the plane.

If there are any flaws in this plan I would urge you to present them as I have to fly this coming Thursday. Anyway you have supplied me with such a wide variety of passengers I'm confident in my plan.

*This serves a dual purpose:
1. A fight is prevented
2. Anyone using it would drown in the ocean which most tropical islands are surrounded by.

**Federal Aviation Agency

 

[Base groove]

Your plan fails because the FAA does not allow pocket knives on airplanes. Simulation over, crash landing, mass casualties.

Reprimand not received because the radio was off the whole time. Parachute miraculously survives the crash intact.

 

[BigApplePi]

Damn. My plan had a flaw. Oh well. I forgot my suntan lotion. No fun on tropical islands with a sunburn. Wouldn't have enjoyed the vacation anyway.

 

[pernoctator]

If there are any flaws in this plan I would urge you to present them as I have to fly this coming Thursday. Anyway you have supplied me with such a wide variety of passengers I'm confident in my plan.

Poor time management. You need to delegate knife, radio, and phone duty while administering the test on the other 5.

 

[The Void]

The parachute.
I will throw away the parachute and laugh.

 

[TimeAsylums]

The parachute.
I will throw away the parachute and laugh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmoY2_VuQH4


"Fuck Fe"

 

[Jennywocky]

The priest devoted himself to god after his wife was murdered, wishing to lead others into the kingdom of Christ.

That's fine, he very soon will have the opportunity to lead six other people by hand into Christ's kingdom.

 

[Cognisant]

"Okay people here's the plan, I'm going to throw the parachute out the door, count to five, then everybody else jumps out afterwards, whoever retrieves it first gets to use it however they see fit, y'know why is it my place to decide everyone's fate?"

The priest approves because he thinks god will decide the outcome.

The scientist approves because her chances of survival just increased to 1/8.

The oil tycoon and the politician size each other up being the ruthless bastards they are.

My family & friends respect my impartiality.

Nobody cares what the old lady thinks.

So I throw it out the door and before I can even start counting the tycoon and politician are after it, being a good sport I step back and get everyone else through ASAP, now it's just me and the old lady, she just stands there watching me, waiting.

I extract the contents of the parachute bag from whatever nook I stuffed them in, the old lady isn't the least bit surprised, I smile at her, she smiles back, a few minutes later I leave the plane battered and bruised all over, those old hags can put up a hell of a fight.

 

[kris]

The scientist approves because her chances of survival just increased to 1/8.

Doesn't sound like a very good scientist.

 

[Spirit]

Here is what I would do.

The first thing would be to ask if anyone had a pocket knife. Upon receiving one I would slice the parachute to shreds.* Then I would get on the radio with a reprimand to the FAA** for allowing my plane to be flown without a copilot. After having thusly cleared my conscience, I would ask if anyone present is a speed reader. Having found one I would ask them to get on their cell-phone and google the manual for flying small planes. Following that I would administer an MBTI test to identify any ISTP present. The ISTP would fly the plane.

If there are any flaws in this plan I would urge you to present them as I have to fly this coming Thursday. Anyway you have supplied me with such a wide variety of passengers I'm confident in my plan.

*This serves a dual purpose:
1. A fight is prevented
2. Anyone using it would drown in the ocean which most tropical islands are surrounded by.

**Federal Aviation Agency

I actually know how to fly a plane. So I laughed at this point in your plan because of my thread about ISTP.