Q. I thoroughly enjoyed your article titled “What they don't tell you in the plane safety demo.” However, there was one question I have always wondered, but wasn’t covered in your article. Why do you have to put up the shades on the windows for take-off and landing?

A. It's so that you can quickly scan the outside of the plane in an emergency...is there a fire? Is it safe to deplane? Every second counts, even those used to think about opening the shades.

For those who may have missed it, you'll find more on the mysteries of airline safety revealed here.

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