Ladies first?, not anymore.

Looking at an old film about the Titanic when a thought crossed my mind. In these times of equality and opportunities for all sexes, does the old law of the sea ‘Women and children first’ still stand today? or is it ‘Children first and equal chances for everyone else’?
I googled around a bit and found this, seems the age of chivalry is gone, at least when you’re on the ocean waves.


- The code "women and children first" went down with the Titanic 100 years ago, says a new study.
- Women and children die to a much larger extent than men in maritime disasters.
- Women fared worse in shipwrecks involving Union Jack ships.
The chivalrous code "women and children first" appears to have sunk with the Titanic 100 years ago.
Long believed to be the golden standard of conduct in a shipwreck, the noble edict is in fact "a myth that has been nourished by the Titanic disaster," economist Mikael Elinder of Uppsala University, Sweden, told Discovery News.

Re: Ladies first?, not anymore.

Personally I would operate by the code children first and who has best chance of survival second so they can look after the children. I don't swim so no point chucking me in to help them but my husband can swim well so save him and he can save others.

Re: Ladies first?, not anymore.

Remind me not to go on any cruises then, Jem - or even a boating lake come to that!

Re: Ladies first?, not anymore.

Should now be Some Women and Children first, I gather some females want parity with the front line fighters in the Ifantry on the battlefield, such ladies would probably feel they were being treated in a condescending manner if given preferential treatment. IMO.

Re: Ladies first?, not anymore.

Children first, always. Men and women are equal these days, so women take the same chances as men and either like it or lump it.

Re: Ladies first?, not anymore.

Definitely children first. Imagine putting yourself before a child?! Then it would be male and female strong swimmers.

Re: Ladies first?, not anymore.

Good idea, keep the Life Boats for the none swimmers.

Re: Ladies first?, not anymore.

Children and the oldies first ........
No good if a child is left parentless is it ........

Re: Ladies first?, not anymore.

I think the reason why it was women and children first was in those days they had the stiff upper lip attitude didn't they. Men were Men and women were weak. Also I would imagine not many women could swim in those days so they would go on to the lifeboats first.
Nowadays I would put the kids on the lifeboats if I was there. The kids
are the future.

Re: Ladies first?, not anymore.

I think I would rather see them parentless and still alive than save an older person who has lived a long life already.