The Clap

in life •  8 years ago 

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The plane touched down after descending through seeming miles of dank cloud. The wheels screeched and it started to brake. The previously noisy cabin became eerily silent. We slowed to a halt. Then...

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A gigantic round of applause rolling around the cabin!! It was like a night at the proms if that means anything to anyone.

Amongst the enthusiastic clapping was even the odd cheer! We did it, we are alive! The sentiment seemed to be.

Daddy why are you not clapping?

Asked my daughter, genuinely puzzled by it all.

Because I am not a dick. I thought. Of course, that is not really a daddy answer. So instead, I settled with.

People are a bit silly lass, aren't they?

I said this loudly enough for the chattering monkeys screeching and clapping nearby to hear. But of course, they didn't.

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They were too enthused that the gift of life had not been denied them by the plane exploding on the runway and carried on hooting and swinging from the overhead luggage compartments.

Is this a Brit thing? Does it happen in other countries? Please tell me. I would love to know that it is universal and not just limited to the daft British folk and their superstitious fear of being carried through the air in a metallic sky wagon.

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I mean if it was a universal thing to do, why did the folk manning Passport Control look so pissed off when I encouraged my daughter to clap and cheer after we made it through their rigorous screening.

Stern faced man -

Back from holiday?

Yes.

Stern faced man peered over the counter at my daughter who was looking as sweetly un-terrorist'y as possible

Your daughter?

Yes.

On you go.

Phew, that was terse.

I mean, when the bus stops near my work in the morning. I dont stand and encourage everyone into a resounding cheer for the driver. Do you?

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Although that does remind me of the time I was on a coach trip on a holiday and someone passed around the drivers hat at the end of it and it was full of fivers. I was like, fuck me, this trip cost 3 of us 150 quid and now I have to give the driver a Pam Shriver?

I should have just started a round of applause instead.

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I remember it being the norm to clap for a good landing but now it seems to be a rare thing. My wife attempted to bring it back into vogue on our recent trip to Ireland but her initiative was met with blank stares and indifference!

Those Irish eh! A good landing should indeed be congratulated :0) It seems like all Scottish ones are now heartily applauded!

oh thank god! Why clapping. I though the romanian folks were the only inclined to such primitiv practice. For god's sake is more likely to be killed by riding almost anything but a plan ( save for the elevator, the safest public transportation vehicle ever) and I don't hear people clapping maniachally everywhere:

  • imagine clapping for ever uber, every ride, every bus stop, ever tram stop, ever bike ride, everything.
    We'd have calluses everywhere!!

Never heard of this. I fly a lot between the US and Europe/Asia.

Just wait till you are in a flight and it happens. It's surreal. Probably have to have a lot of Brits on it! Once it starts it's infectious!

It would be a hoot and a half to do that at a pedestrian crossing every time someone gets to the other side, alive and well. A lot of people here in Nederland can relate to that.

And then when they got to the otherside give them flowers and such, a medal maybe, for shown bravery.

Think it is a wee bit over the top to do that when a plane touches down though.

Tis very over the top!

I can totally get the successful crossing thing though in the Netherlands. Every time I try I nearly get rattled by a bike!!

Medals and flowers should be mandatory!

Make it so! ;-)

I wonder if in the depths of the ship away from the bridge the red shirts are all clapping like mad when they come out of warp drive :0D

Hahaha, now would that not get boring after one episode already.
"And... we're out off warp, hip hip hurray, three cheers for the captn!" =D

I can see it though! A little victory dance every time. Captain thinks its some kind of mutiny!

Oh man, that would make some great parody like episode. LOL

It would! I read a good pardoy esque sci fi novel Redshirts which was great once. Well it lost it a bit at the ending but it was still good. You read it?

  ·  8 years ago (edited)

Haha a good one indeed @meesterboom , thanks goodness you made it alive hiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
The same happened during my Uni years when ever I fly to London with Ryanair ..the claps after landing sounds like lottery hiyaa`s if you know what I mean , maybe due to being grateful that all made it alive or the joy to leave the uncomfortable airline.

Will that's a good way to look at it actually. If it was the relief of getting off the plane it would totally make sense!!

I made it through the journey alive!! Hurrah! ;0)

Great, we need you here healthy and jolly. More success to you and greetings to your family.

@meesterboom , next time preform this dance for the driver instead!:

I think I could master that! It's on!!

these gifs are longer and longer..soon there will be gifmovies

I first noticed the same thing on a flight from New York to Liberia, with a stopover in Nigeria. When we landed in Nigeria, everyone began clapping. I thought it was a Nigerian thing, but others on the plane said they've seen it when landing in other airports also.

During my unappreciated work and family life, I've often wanted to go back to the standards when I was a baby. Eating, burping and pooping would all elicit massive amounts of praise and accolades.

I've always told myself those days are gone forever, but apparently not. I just need to change careers and become an airline pilot. It's a lot easier than becoming a brain surgeon, and the praise is higher.

Wouldn't that be a fine thing. I kind of wish for that too. Just finishing a good poop and a horde of people start clapping, singing and congratulating you. That would be fab.

I too have quite the unappreciated job. It would be smashing to have a clap and a cheer now and then lol!!!

I have been on several planes where people clapped at the end. You and I have quite a bit in common. I just roll my eyes.

One time I got on a bus with the same people from the plane and we took it to the terminal. When we stopped, I clapped for the bus driver. He didn't kill us either!

My wife was not amused... but I sure was!

I would have cackled madly at that and joined in with the clapping for example bus driver!

I am an eye rolling master at such stuff these days lol!!

lol - Germans are the same, when plane touch down there is a round of applause like Metallica is opening a show - silly people and i always try to explain everyone that is interested or not that this is nuts lol

It looks like you were there and managed to snap this pic!! Lol. It is nuts!

next time i really will do a video about the clapping

Clapping happens in Africa as well, I experienced it a couple of times on Borwa airlines from the Democratic Republic of Congo, but in this instance it is deserving as I think about 50% of the flights do not complete the voyage!😂😂😂

Hehe, in those circumstances I would probably clap myself!!!

Yes it is a universal thing, wont say i have been traveling so much but with the few i have been on it's the same story.
kind of thinking of clapping on my nest TRAIN trip though. wish me luck.

Oh I wish you the very best of luck. It will catch on and then we will all have to do it lol!

IKR, wouldn't that be a blast. Have a great evening or at least it is here. keep it 100.

I sure will and you too!

I was on a plane from Cairo to Casablanca once and it was one of my first ever flights. The same thing you described happened - I always thought it was a Middle Eastern thing :-)

So even Brits cheer for life after a flight

They absolutely do, as if someone had just turned a rabbit into a chicken whilst wearing a long black cape!

As a fellow who had just alighted from a plane 24 hours ago, I couldn't remember ever hearing clapping when a turbulent plane lands. People are too busy getting their overhead luggage to be bothered by such trivialities, I guess. Personally, I wouldn't mind being stuck in the middle of clapping haha I once started a wave of clapping because of, well ... nothing. I just slow clapped, then clapped vigorously, and then people clapped along without knowing why hahaha! Suffice to say, I couldn't stop laughing after that ordeal. And, the people still didn't know why a common looking fellow was laughing hysterically haha

Hhahah, well now. Clapping as part of some fine jape or to poke fun at the spawn is absolutely acceptable!! :O)

I have seen people clap and cheer in the United States when there was a lot of turbulence during the landing but the pilot was fighting it and we ended up having a pretty good landing. Everyone was relieved!

I think in that situation I would probably clap too out of sheer relief!! The first time I was on a flight and everyone clapped I thought I had missed out on some turbulence event or something!

In a lot of ways it sort of makes sense if we all did clap for everything in our lives. Like when our phones turn on and pretty much do everything! It is like magic for sure!

It is like magic. I wonder how long it would be before the men in white coats came for me if I started doing it hehe

It would be an interesting experiment!

Hahaha, I might give it a miss :OD

LOL WHAT A NARRATIVE. Brits may be more religious or dont you think so?

I think in general its the opposite, in Britain the church is on quite the decline. Its all pensioners that go.

Uh oh, hope I am not about to be onslaughted by lots of young british religious folkd telling me I am wrong!

I think you are right. I guess alot of people love their lives more so there is always a reason to celebrate it in any way available.

It could be that they are drunk. There is a lot of drinking on a mainly Brit flight!

Aberdeen turned all their good churches into pubs circa 2000. As such, the numbers of people going to churches went up considerably.

Hahahahhahahhahha, oh thats very good!!

You may be right lol.

Only had this happen once, but there was apparently something wrong with the plane. We circled the airport for an extra hour burning fuel and you could see the firetrucks and emergency vehicles following us as we came down the runway. I don't think there was a high risk of problems, but we thought the crew deserved a little applause.

They did in that case!! They would deserve being carried around the tarmac on the passengers shoulders!

Ok, I admit it, you got me with that title @meesterboom, I was expecting this post to involve rashes and burning sensations lol.

That coach driver must have had a nice bonus though, getting a deep sea diver of off everyone onboard...

Hahaha, I thought the title might grab the eye!

Yeah, that driver that time must have thought he had hit the jackpot!

Back to the cement jungle dear friend @ meesterboom, you will end the holidays, that is the only bad thing about the vacation, when it ends. I soreprendio much this post, here in my country are not accustomed anything of these things the Argentines are more boring in that aspect, thank you dear friend for sharing this experience
have a nice week

I hope you have a nice week to mate!

If you ever experience it you shall be amazed at what is happening!

I've been on several of those flights, super high winds tossing the plane all over, bouncing as the pilot slammed it to the tarmac, always a round of clapping. when we realized we get to live another day :-)
Life is Good

If the winds were throwing the plane about like a plastic bag I would be clapping at the end up too. The ones I have been on where the clapping happens have all been as smooth as silk!

Reminds me of a over shoot at Victoria International,coming back from Hawaii.
Co pilot started speaking then full on brakes, everyone tossed forward and bouncing back. Mic opens up again and he continues like nothing happened. The whole plane broke out laughing LOL

Laughing would be awesome! Although that sounds horrifying!

It all happens so fast, just like if things went South....
You Pays your Money , You takes your chances LOL

very well written. I just love the coverpicture. do you take to produce your unique pics?

Cheers!! I just faff about with photos on different android apps. I often start with a of myself and remove the background before putting it on a new one. This time I didn't though!

Was it Ryanair, by any chance? I think that people are just relived that the flight landed in the right country ;-)

It was Thomas cook, a shite airline that tries to sell you stuff from the moment you sit on the plane!!

Sounds exactly like a Ryanair flight, the are even specially branded Ryanair lottery tickets that can only be purchased onboard the plane!

I've seen people clapping on planes in the US.

On a related note, I flew from Panama to LAX recently and some old lady next to me in the window seat had her rosary beads out and prayed pretty much the whole 6 hours. It was like she didn't believe in aero technology and thought that pilots still fly planes.

Oh lord that must have been a trial. I do think that older people sometimes have such a distrust of flying. Like it truly is against the law of physics!

I am glad it happens elsewhere :O)

Flying's way safer now that people aren't in charge anymore. That's why I can't wait for autonomous cars. Get all these dickheads off the road.

You know, I can't wait for them either. I am quite confident in my driving but sometimes the nearest I come to having an accident is when other people drive in a mental way!

Lol! You should have...the slow clap that gains momentum and speed ;)

Actually, I would prefer everything about that flight over boarding a plane in the U.S. these days. A few years back my parents got stopped by a man who left terse in the dust and went straight to complete Dickhead asshole- scolding my mom for the nailpolish in her purse as he confiscated it and performing a search on my DAD who is in a WHEECHAIR. Excellent job homeland security, you have likely stopped the plane from being hijacked!

Sorry, your post brought back that memory which makes me mad everytime I think about it Lol!

The security is a bit nuts these days. On the way out the guy gave us into trouble for our Daughter not looking like her passport pic. In Britain the kids passport does them till they are five. Si given that we got hers when she was a baby she is bound to look a bit different now!

Thats madness though. You think they would apply some common sense to it all

Aw gawd the landing clap, hate that caper, aye very good, you did your job and we didnt all dies in a fiery fireball, here's a round of applause and a bunch of flowers. Feck off.

Exactly mate. Well done pilot, you stayed awake and touched some controls during the journey!

Well be getting em thankyou cards before we know it...'sake...

And flowers, maybe we will be chipping in for a fine bottle of whisky for them!

Aye but make sure its good, they deserve it for all that hard landing they have to do!

And such starchy uniforms too, they deserve a clap for that!

Prolly got we badges for how loud the clap is at each landing!

Never thought of that, a clapometer attached to every black box!

Very funny - I do not know about clapping hands when the plain lands, but I know we South Africans can be quite happy people and friendly and will speak to random people and help them (or maybe it is this the group I move in , but I like to think that we are not stern faced)

I like people who speak to others, that would be fine! I hope you never have to be a part of the clapping mob!!

Hahahaha if you knew me you would know that I would most probably be the one instigating it :)

Aaaarghg!!! ;O)

You are soooo funny

I really try, haha!

Some people do not have to try, they just are

Thats very nice of you to say!

Not heard much whole-cabin clapping, though I did almost ring the bell once right at takeoff, when a huge piece of cardboard blew up and onto the flaps, promising to wedge itself into the works and send us all to an early grave. Luckily it blew off right as we departed. I hear abandoning a takeoff is muy $$$$$. I clapped to myself, a lot after that.

in those circumstances I would clap like a seal thats been thrown ten fish!!

I'd see your fish and raise you a crab or two for safety.
Another theory that just bubbled up: I suppose everyone could be confused, and think the dimmed cabin lights are on 'the clapper', and they are trying to turn them on faster, as they are all in a hurry to de-plane...and may be light headed from the descent.

An interesting theory. I must give that some thought! hehe There is definitely some light headedness going on but I blame the duty free spirits!

Gotta love the cheap spirits and mass consumption in the loo of the International hubs. Isn't that the only way to legally quaff the stuff in transit? Or sitting on the blue lagoon flusher in the mini-closet up in the air, while folks bang on the door to enter.

It's the only way that is acceptable these days!! Any old loo quaffing will do!

Lovely content.like it

Thank you very much!

Ok how about clapping during or at the end of film, that is worse. Like the director is going to hear it and feel touched by everyone's appreciation of the movie.

I think it is a group thing, if you pack everyone in a confined space for extended periods of time, they start acting really weird.

Hello dear friend, you are looking for
@haji

Have I found it?

You are a fool

Magnificent!

that's awesome mate

Cheers dude!

Nice story! LOL Thanks for sharing.

It is a pleasure to share it!

Buena historia

It's been ages since I've flown. We actually did applaud the pilot and stewardesses. Come to think of it, the last time I flew I was on the way to Texas for a conference and it was 3 days after 9/11. I might call that extenuating circumstances. I think them Brits are probably a little nuts. LOL

I like your way of looking at things.

You should see the way I look at myself in the mirror :0D

What a blog I also waant to write content like yours...:)

You could steal my soul!

This happens here in Brazil too.

This post received a 3.0% upvote from @randowhale thanks to @meesterboom! For more information, click here!

Imagine if people do this on buses too LOL

I have seen this happen! I just don't recall where on when. But it used to happen more often, and now much less.

good content and great ability to write...keep it up bro..

Cheers man!

I go through the same thought process when I experience this. Though I don't think its that common in the UK. I haven't experienced it that often coming home (unless its ryanair -everyone always seems surprised that the plane didn't implode on landing).
The germans are really bad for it. especially on charter flights.

With Ryanair it is probably the sheer joy of getting off and hearing them stop trying to sell you shit!

Yes, that's probably exactly what it is.. i especially hate how they have an ad announcement over the speakers every ten minutes of the flight. utterly horrendous!