cover of episode 797: What I Was Thinking As We Were Sinking

797: What I Was Thinking As We Were Sinking

2024/6/23
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This American Life

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A group of friends, including the narrator, bought a used boat and christened it the Marjorie. During a subsequent outing with several friends, the boat began to sink. Amidst panic and confusion, one of the passengers, Kath, took charge, distributing life jackets and signaling for help.
  • The friends bought a used boat with little boating experience.
  • The boat began sinking rapidly after a passenger re-entered.
  • The captain, Max, initially downplayed the severity of the situation.
  • A passenger named Kath took charge, organized life jackets, and signaled for help.
  • A nearby rescue boat towed them to safety.
  • Years later, it was revealed that Max had called for help early on, but hadn't communicated it to the others.

Shownotes Transcript

It's funny the things that go through your head during a disaster.

  • Prologue: Host Ira Glass has fallen off his bike a number of times at this point. He reflects on what goes through his head as he’s going down. (2 minutes)
  • Act One: Producer Ike Sriskandarajah revisits a maritime disaster that left an impact on a group of friends from his youth. What he learns forever changes their impressions of that day. (23 minutes)
  • Act Two: When to leave Twitter is a question lots of executives faced when Elon Musk took over the company — those who weren't immediately fired, anyway. We hear an insider’s account from the man who ran Trust & Safety at the company, until he couldn’t stand it anymore. (28 minutes)

Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org)