The Costa Concordia

Rescuers on power rafts are seen next to the Costa Concordia cruise ship that ran aground off the west coast of Italy, at Giglio island (Reuters)

Planning for pleasure versus exposure to death's grim welcome. Who might have imagined? Famously, there are people who fear flight, and who do anything to avoid getting on an airplane to fly anywhere for any purpose whatever. They distrust the mechanics that ensure planes will remain airborne. They visualize themselves in flight and encountering a sudden problem with which they cannot cope, miles into the air, and far from the firm grip of the soil beneath their feet.

Flight - in the sense of our hereditary disposition to flee danger - is not possible in flight.

And then there is the far more ancient travel by sea. Once seafarers feared coming too close to the edge of the Earth, and the vessel in which they might otherwise feel safe, falling, falling, falling - over the edge, of course, into a great vacuum, a nothing, a grave void. Alternately, a seafaring vessel might stray off course and venture into waters hitherto unknown, other than to possibly contain ... dragons.

Modern vessels changed much of that uncertainty. From sail to steam to the generation of electrical and nuclear power, travel by sea became commonplace enough. And the utility of travel became, eventually, the luxury of travel, where entertainment, and service, and fine food and wines and luxe accommodations, plus leisure activities were all geared toward the monied traveler.

Travel for leisure and pleasure have become exceedingly commonplace. Touring the great oceans of the world and stopping at various ports of call famous for their hospitality, geology, history and beauty, however remote, all possible and even affordable through mass tourism. Imagine, a luxury liner holding over four thousand people.

Anything that large, with the plenitude of staterooms, and dining areas and entertaining areas; tennis courts, theatres, casinos, swimming pools, with one crew member to every three or four 'guests', is easily the equivalent of a small town. Most people feel confident that such huge enterprises as those that own and operate hundred-thousand tonne ships employ only the most professional sailors and crew.

They are safe, because all safety measures are in place, with the huge crew well trained in the fine science of safety procedures, and the technicalities of calmly and precisely lowering lifeboats, handing out life jackets, and looking to the welfare of passengers above all. That passengers' needs are well tended to. There are industry reputations to maintain, after all.

But such large vessels can, and occasionally do run aground, smash into an undersea protrusion, and confidence is shaken when it suddenly dawns that something is dreadfully awry. It must be, if the ship it listing badly. If the crew cannot properly lower lifeboats without their becoming swamped. If there are insufficient lifeboats to ensure that all passengers can be accommodated safely.

If there are not enough life jackets to go around, and the crew begins handing out child-sized flotation devices to mature adults. If the elderly and the infirm and the handicapped passengers are not calmly and professionally looked after. Above all, if the captain of the vessel is not really in command, and has in fact, abandoned his command.

Arrested, charged with multiple instances of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck, abandoning ship...?