I couldn't help but picture a hypothetical passenger boarding their long flight from Syndey to somewhere in SE Asia, settling in, pulling out their Furby, and then one of the flight attendants walking by, shaking their head, and then pointing at the in-flight safety manual. So fucking funny. So fucking funny, in fact, that I slipped that safety manual directly into my backpack.

And so began my collection of in-flight safety manuals.

They are such an interesting exercise in design, primarily because they don't usually contain many words. They have to convey all of the important safety information using only pictures! Each one has its own little charm and character, but there are similarities across the board.

For example, from now on you'll probably start noticing that in all the sections about inflattable rafts, there's always a circle-with-a-line-through-it around a high-heeled shoe, because, you know, they could pop the raft and then everyone dies. You'll also notice how strange the children always look, like tiny old people:

That arrow and strap through the legs feels weird to me. And that hands-on-the-shoulders longing stare deep into his mother's eyes? How are they so calm?! The plane is about to or has already crashed!

That little guy reminds me of me when I was his age. So dapper.