----------------------------- The captain of the Costa Concordia, which crashed into rocks off the Italian coast and capsized, has been criticised for allegedly leaving the ship while passengers were still on board. Is a ship's captain legally required to be the last one off?
In the popular tradition of the sea, a ship's captain is expected to stay until all the passengers have been safely evacuated.
Fixed in the public imagination is Captain Edward Smith of the Titanic, who was last seen on or near the bridge of the ship as it went down.
In contrast, Captain Francesco Schettino is said to have left the Costa Concordia while many passengers were still struggling to reach safety. He was later said to have taken a taxi to a hotel, asking the driver where he could buy socks. -------------------------------
There was a great comment from reader feedback on one of the Internet news sites. A guy observed ... "Italians and panic never go well together!".
Hahahahaha ! Well at least this captain knew enough to keep his toes warm after the crisis.
Does anyone know where the nautical tradition that "the captain must always be the last person to leave the ship" actually came from? It seems to be a well-respected custom, but who exactly came up with it??
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