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314 points cjr | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0s | source
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comrade1234 ◴[] No.44537976[source]
Why can the pilot shut off the fuel during takeoff?
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baseballdork ◴[] No.44538072[source]
Fire, probably. But also, how complicated would you make the system if you needed to prevent certain switches from working during certain times of flight? At some point... we're all just in the hands of the people in the cockpit.
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dboreham ◴[] No.44538393[source]
I can't put my car into reverse gear while driving down the freeway.
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sgentle ◴[] No.44538674[source]
Sure, but you can open the door, pull the handbrake, or turn the wheel so hard you lose control of the vehicle. These are all similarly preventable, but maybe not worth the risk of being unable to open the door, brake or steer if the safety mechanism fails closed, or if your situation is outside the foresight of its designer.

Also, you don't need multiple certifications and 1500 hours of experience to drive a car.

replies(1): >>44539569 #
emmelaich ◴[] No.44539569[source]
On a Tesla (and presumably other cars) opening the door engages Park.

There's no handbrake to pull, and turning the wheel so hard to lose control is next to impossible. Maybe on an oily wet or loose surface.

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1. ExoticPearTree ◴[] No.44539858{3}[source]
There are very few failure scenarios that are life threatening in a car.