Thoughts at 45,000 feet

During a 15hr flight, one tends to go to the bathroom once or twice.

While in there, there was a little turbulence, and a thought struck me. I don't know why these thoughts come at odd times, but I guess you can't always control it.

Here's my thought. What if you are sitting on the toilet when there is an explosion? I wonder if these thoughts are based on the noise made by the flushing function. It sounds as though the contents are being sucked into the atmosphere. Explosive decompression. What if it took the toilet cubicle with it?

When I hear an aircraft toilet flush, I am always reminded of a story I heard on the Sunday morning request session on the radio when I was a kid.
It was about travelling on NZ rail. It talks about how the NZRail cups are unbreakable. It also talks about how the onboard toilet is so busy, there is always a queue. When you at last get to the toilet, the train stops at a station. The humour here is that because the railway toilets used to open directly onto the tracks, they could not be used while the train is stationary.

When I am boarding a flight at home, woe betide somebody who asks if they can use the onboard toilet. With a straight face I would tell them "yes, but you can't flush till after takeoff". Some odd looks.

Anyway, what if you are sitting on the toilet when there is an explosion. You come sailing out of the aircraft, with your trousers around your ankles.

Forget the fact that you won't survive the fall. What about the embarrassment of being found like that?

Isn't it odd what people think about, at the oddest places.