The new in-flight entertainment systems are all digital. The recently installed model on Air Canada remembers the volume that the person before you used. Which means that mine was set for 11.

Several agonizing seconds later, I was able to rip off the headphones.

Design often needs to be remarkable. But it also needs to be smart.

[Rick writes in the next day:

I’m in the maple leaf lounge at the Toronto Airport. Sitting with two of the execs who worked on this project for Air Canada.  I showed em your post and said “well?”

[cue depressing music]

They are still having a debate on this (45 minutes later), deciding if they should put this into the update/rev plan.  One guy actually said, "who puts on a headset without check volume first?"

Somethings you just can’t make up.]