Automakers Skip Recalls When Lawsuit Payouts Undercut Repair Costs

Fight Club - The Recall Coordinator's Formula — Montag Beeblebrox

Montag Beeblebrox

Automobile manufacturers refuse to recall fatally defective vehicles whenever projected out-of-court settlement payouts are lower than the cost of a fleet-wide fix.

AI-assisted summary of Fight Club - The Recall Coordinator's Formula — original source. Check the original for full context.

Source published:

Key ideas

  • The Narrator operates as an automobile recall coordinator, deciding vehicle safety actions purely through an actuarial cost-benefit calculation rather than safety concerns. (0:00)
  • Automotive recalls are governed by the equation A × B × C = X, comparing total potential out-of-court settlement payouts against the aggregate cost of issuing a recall. (0:00)
  • Corporate policy dictates that if the total estimated lawsuit settlement cost (X) is less than the financial cost of repairing defective vehicles, no recall is initiated. (0:00)
  • Suffering from severe detachment and exhaustion, the Narrator openly hopes for a fatal plane crash on business trips, incentivized by corporate life insurance paying triple. (0:00)

Detailed notes

## Background Published on YouTube by Montag Beeblebrox on December 29, 2009, this video is a clip from the film Fight Club. The page description highlights the famous quote that 'survival rate for everyone drops to zero' on a long timeline and transcribes the Narrator's explanation of the cold mathematical formula used to determine automobile recalls.

## TL;DR The Narrator details his job as a recall coordinator for a major car manufacturer, where vehicle safety decisions are driven solely by financial liability rather than human lives. He outlines the corporate formula multiplying field vehicles, failure probability, and settlement amounts to determine whether settling lawsuits is cheaper than issuing a recall. Reflecting on gruesome accident scenes with detached, dark humor, he explains the equation to an alarmed fellow airline passenger. Numbed by his work and corporate life, he reveals that he routinely prays for fatal plane crashes during flight turbulence, comforted by the triple payout of his business travel life insurance.

## Atmosphere & style The scene carries a chillingly detached, cynical, and nihilistic tone, juxtaposing horrific crash-scene imagery with dry corporate arithmetic. The Narrator's calm, deadpan delivery and dark quips contrast sharply with the bewildered horror of his seatmate. Watching the clip feels unsettling and darkly satirical, evoking a pervasive sense of modern alienation and exhausted indifference toward mortality.

## Bulletin - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) The Narrator operates as an automobile recall coordinator, deciding vehicle safety actions purely through an actuarial cost-benefit calculation rather than safety concerns. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) Automotive recalls are governed by the equation A × B × C = X, comparing total potential out-of-court settlement payouts against the aggregate cost of issuing a recall. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) Corporate policy dictates that if the total estimated lawsuit settlement cost (X) is less than the financial cost of repairing defective vehicles, no recall is initiated. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) Suffering from severe detachment and exhaustion, the Narrator openly hopes for a fatal plane crash on business trips, incentivized by corporate life insurance paying triple.

## Key takeaways - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) Mortality is viewed with absolute fatalism, summarized by the premise that everyone's survival rate inevitably drops to zero on a long enough timeline. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) The Narrator's role as a recall coordinator requires investigating fatal car accidents with clinical, morbid detachment. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) Horrific crash site evidence—such as melted body fat or braces stuck in an ashtray—is dehumanized into dark humor or detached observations. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) A hypothetical scenario involving a locked rear differential at 60 mph illustrates how catastrophic defects trap and burn passengers. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) Variable A in the corporate formula represents the total volume of affected vehicles currently in the field. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) Variable B represents the statistical likelihood or probable rate of mechanical failure. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) Variable C reflects the average financial cost of settling wrongful death or injury claims out of court. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) Product X (A × B × C) represents the total expected financial liability facing the automaker. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) The company withholds vehicle recalls whenever projected settlement liability remains cheaper than repairing the defect. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) The Narrator confirms to a passenger that fatal failures occur with shocking frequency while withholding his employer's exact identity. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) Deep professional numbness drives the Narrator to actively pray for mid-air collisions during turbulent flights. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) Corporate life insurance provides a triple payout in the event of an employee dying during official business travel.

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) The Recall Coordinator's Formula and Morbid Calculations

Reflecting on mortality with clinical detachment, the Narrator observes the inevitability of death: “On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.” Working as a recall coordinator for a major automobile manufacturer, his primary responsibility is not vehicle safety, but the cold application of corporate risk calculation. He investigates catastrophic crash scenes with an unsettling, cynical gaze, observing horrific physical details as mere data points or dark ironies. Examining burned wreckage, he takes note of an infant thrown through a windshield, a teenager whose dental braces were left wrapped around the backseat ashtray—quipping that it “might make a good anti-smoking ad”—and the silhouette of a massive father whose melted body fat scorched an imprint into the polyester seat, remarking dismissively that it resembles “very modern art.”

To explain whether his employer fixes defective models, he lays out a hypothetical failure where a newly manufactured car travels at 60 miles per hour, suffers a locked rear differential, crashes, and burns with the passengers trapped inside. Determining corporate action comes down strictly to an arithmetic cost-benefit equation: take the total count of cars on the road ($A$), multiply by the statistical likelihood of mechanical failure ($B$), and multiply that product by the projected financial cost of settling the resulting lawsuits out of court ($C$). As the Narrator explains the bottom line to his seatmate on an airplane: “If X is less than the cost of a recall, we don't do one.” When the horrified woman asks if these types of lethal accidents happen frequently, he replies, “You wouldn't believe,” and evades identifying his employer directly by stating only that he works for “a major one.” His exhaustion and numbness extend to his own life, confessing that whenever his flight hits turbulence on takeoff or landing, he actively wishes for disaster: “Every time the plane banged too sharply on takeoff or landing, I prayed for a crash or a mid-air collision.” He finds grim solace in the corporate perks of his demise, noting that “life insurance pays off triple if you die on a business trip.”

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Automobile Recall Formula accDescr: Flowchart illustrating the corporate calculation used to decide whether to issue a vehicle safety recall based on potential liability versus recall costs.

subgraph Calculation ["Liability Cost Formula"] A["A: Number of vehicles in the field"] B["B: Probable rate of failure"] C["C: Average out-of-court settlement"] A --> Mult["A × B × C"] B --> Mult C --> Mult Mult --> X["X: Total liability cost"] end

subgraph Decision ["Corporate Action"] X --> Comp{"Is X less than cost of recall?"} Comp -->|"Yes"| NoRecall["Do not initiate recall"] Comp -->|"No"| Recall["Initiate recall"] end ```

- **Variables of the Recall Formula:** - $A$: Number of vehicles currently in the field. - $B$: Probable rate of vehicle mechanical failure. - $C$: Average dollar amount of an out-of-court settlement. - $X$: Total estimated settlement payout ($A \times B \times C$). - **Corporate Policy:** If $X < \text{Cost of Recall}$, the manufacturer does not issue a recall. - **Flight Risk Benefit:** Company-provided life insurance pays triple the standard payout if an employee dies while traveling on official business.

## Notable quotes > [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero. — The Narrator

## Mentioned Fight Club, The Narrator, Montag Beeblebrox

## Video description Clip from the movie Fight Club.

"On a long enough time line, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.

"I was a recall coordinator. My job was to apply the formula. ... A new car built by my company leaves somewhere travelling at mph. The rear differential locks up. ... The car crashes and burns with everyone trapped inside. Now, should we initiate a recall? ... Take the number of vehicles in the field, A. Multiply it by the probable rate of failure, B. Multiply the result by the average out-of-court settlement, C. A x B x C equals X. If X is less than the cost of a recall, we don't do one."

[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE)

中文简报

诉讼赔偿低于维修成本时,汽车制造商放弃召回 汽车制造商只要预估庭外和解赔付低于全车队维修成本,就会拒绝召回存在致命缺陷的车辆。 叙述者详细讲述了他作为一家大型汽车制造商召回协调员的工作,在该职位上,车辆安全决策完全由财务责任而非人命主导。他概述了一项企业公式:将市场流通车辆数、故障概率以及和解金额相乘,以判定解决诉讼是否比发起召回更为廉价。他以超脱而冷酷的幽默回想可怖的事故现场,并向一名惊恐的同机乘客解释了这一等式。由于工作和企业生活的麻木,他透露自己在飞行遭遇颠簸时常祈祷发生致命空难,并从出差人寿保险的三倍赔偿中获得慰藉。 叙述者担任汽车召回协调员,纯粹依据精算层面的成本效益计算而非安全考量来决定车辆安全措施。 (0:00) 汽车召回遵循公式 A × B × C = X,以此将潜在的庭外和解总赔付额与发起召回的总体成本进行对比。 (0:00) 企业政策规定,若预估诉讼和解总额(X)低于修复缺陷车辆的财务成本,则不启动召回。 (0:00) 在严重的麻木感与精疲力竭中,叙述者在出差时公开寄望发生致命空难,并受到公司三倍赔偿人寿保险的诱惑。 (0:00)

Reading summary

Working as a recall coordinator for an unnamed major automobile manufacturer, the Narrator reveals that vehicle safety interventions are governed strictly by a financial cost-benefit equation rather than consumer safety. The Corporate Arithmetic of Product Recalls (0:00) Corporate action regarding defective vehicles is determined entirely by an arithmetic liability formula. Using a hypothetical scenario in which a car traveling at 60 miles per hour suffers a locked rear differential and catches fire with passengers trapped inside, the Narrator explains that the manufacturer evaluates whether to fix the defect by multiplying the number of vehicles in the field (A) by the probable failure rate (B) and the projected cost of an average out-of-court settlement (C). If the resulting total liability cost (X) is less than the financial cost of initiating a recall, the manufacturer declines to issue one. When asked by an airplane passenger if fatal incidents of this nature occur frequently, the Narrator indicates that they happen with surprising regularity, declining to name his employer beyond identifying it as a major car company. Clinical Detachment and Personal Fatalism (0:00) The clinical math of corporate liability reflects the Narrator's broader emotional numbness toward death and suffering. When investigating catastrophic crash sites, he observes graphic wreckage with detached cynicism, characterizing a teenager's braces melted onto an ashtray as an anti-smoking advertisement and the imprint of a father's burned body fat on a polyester seat as modern art. Operating under the premise that everyone's survival rate drops to zero over a long enough timeline, the Narrator projects this fatalism onto himself. Exhausted by his role, he routinely prays for plane crashes or mid-air collisions during turbulent takeoffs and landings, taking comfort in the company policy that provides triple the standard life insurance payout if an employee dies while traveling on business. The Narrator evades naming his specific employer, leaving the systematic subordination of human life to legal settlement costs framed as a standard operating procedure across major automotive corporations.

精炼阅读摘要

讲述者指出,大型汽车制造商在评估车辆缺陷召回时,完全由冷酷的财务成本效益公式主导,仅当预估的诉讼和解总额超过召回开支时才会发起召回,而非出于对行车安全的道德考量。 缺陷召回的算术公式与经济权衡 (0:00) 讲述者作为大型汽车制造商的召回协调员,说明了企业决定是否修复缺陷车型的核心逻辑:将流通中的车辆总数(A)、机械故障的统计概率(B)以及庭外和解诉讼的预期财务成本(C)相乘,计算出总赔偿支出(X)。根据公司的决策政策,只要预估赔偿总额 X 小于实施召回的总成本,企业便不会启动召回。以一辆以每小时60英里行驶、因后差速器锁死而起火并导致乘客困死车内的假想故障为例,企业采取行动与否完全取决于这一算术公式。 事故现场调查中的冷酷与生命异化 (0:00) 在调查严重车祸现场时,讲述者表现出极端的冷漠与疏离,将惨烈的人身伤亡细节仅视作数据点或讽刺笑料。在检查烧毁的残骸时,他冷眼记录被甩出挡风玻璃的婴儿,将缠绕在后座烟灰缸上的青少年牙套戏谑地称作“绝佳的禁烟广告”,并把一名体型庞大的父亲融化的脂肪在聚酯纤维座椅上烧出的痕迹轻蔑地形容为“非常现代的艺术”。当飞机上的同行乘客对致命事故的发生频率感到震惊时,讲述者表示其频繁程度“令人难以置信”,同时仅透露自己受雇于某家“大型汽车制造商”,回避透露具体雇主名称。 虚无主义哲学与对自我毁灭的渴望 (0:00) 长期的职业麻木严重侵蚀了讲述者的心理状态,使其形成了极度虚无的人生观。他以近乎病态的冷漠断言:“在足够长的时间线上,所有人的存活率都会归零。”这种疲惫与脱敏延伸至他对自身存在的厌弃;他承认每当出差航班在起飞或降落遭遇剧烈颠簸时,自己都会暗自祈祷发生坠机或空中相撞。与此同时,他从冷酷的企业福利中寻找黑色安慰,指出根据公司制度,若员工在公务出差期间丧生,人寿保险将获得三倍的标准赔付。 讲述者的自白通过内部视角揭示了企业将人命风险完全货币化的计算逻辑,以及该体制对个人精神造成的异化;该内容基于叙述者的个人见闻与主观审视,未点明特定汽车制造商的具体身份。

Detailed notes — zh

## Background 该视频由 YouTube 频道 Montag Beeblebrox 于 2009 年 12 月 29 日发布。页面描述指出该片段截取自电影《搏击俱乐部》(Fight Club),引用了片中关于每个人生存率最终降为零的独白,以及召回协调员根据数学公式决定是否召回故障车辆的核心对白。 ## TL;DR 片段中,汽车公司的召回协调员向飞机上的邻座乘客阐述了他冷血的工作本质:在面对后桥差速器锁死导致乘员烧死等严重车祸时,车企并不会出于人道主义直接召回。他们通过市场保有量、故障概率与平均庭外和解金相乘计算出潜在赔偿总额,只要该数额低于召回成本就绝不采取行动。长年目睹血腥残骸与体制无情,让叙述者陷入极度厌世,甚至在飞机剧烈颠簸时暗自祈求空难发生,以换取公差出行的三倍人寿保险赔偿。 ## Atmosphere & style 全片弥漫着极度冰冷、虚无且带着黑色幽默的压抑氛围。叙述者用麻木而毫无波澜的语调,将血肉模糊的人间惨剧与冷冰冰的商业算计并置,形成令人不寒而栗的反差。伴随着昏暗的光影与飞机舱内的单调噪音,观众能深切感受到一种被现代企业机器异化后的窒息感,以及对死亡近乎病态的渴望与彻底的绝望。 ## Bulletin - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) 车企召回决策完全基于冷酷的精算公式 A × B × C = X:仅当预计和解总额 X 大于召回成本时,企业才会启动缺陷车辆召回。 - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) 事故现场细节极其惨烈,包括以 60 mph 行驶时后桥差速器锁死起火、婴儿穿透挡风玻璃及遇难者遗体融化在聚酯纤维座椅上。 - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) 机械化的出差与冷血调查彻底抽干了调查员的求生意志,因公差身故可获三倍人寿保险赔偿,促使其在飞机颠簸时默默祈祷坠机。 ## Key takeaways - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) 终极虚无的生存观:在足够长的时间线上,所有人的生存率最终都会归零。 - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) 召回协调员的本职工作是在惨烈的交通事故现场套用冷酷的商业数学公式。 - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) 事故现场还原:新车以 60 mph 行驶时后桥差速器突然锁死,导致起火并困死全车乘员。 - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) 惨烈的人体创伤被极度冷酷地视察:卡在烟灰缸上的牙套被戏谑为戒烟广告,融化的身体脂肪被调侃为前卫现代艺术。 - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) 召回公式定义:车辆保有量 (A) 乘以故障概率 (B) 再乘以平均庭外和解金 (C) 等于预计赔偿成本 (X)。 - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) 资本逐利准则:若预计庭外和解总成本 (X) 低于整体召回成本,车企绝不会发起主动召回。 - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) 此类致命汽车缺陷与安全事故在业内发生的频率极其频繁,远超普通大众的认知。 - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) 叙述者长期奔波于灾难现场产生病态厌世情绪,甚至在飞行颠簸时祈祷发生空难相撞。 - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) 公差身故政策下的经济账:若员工在商务出差途中遇难,人寿保险将提供三倍赔偿。 ## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) 召回协调员的冷血公式与公差出行的厌世幻想 叙述者以极其冷静而虚无的口吻揭示了人生的终极定局,叙述者直言:“在足够长的时间线上,每个人的生存率都会降为零。”(“On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.”)作为一名汽车公司的召回协调员(Recall Coordinator),他的本职工作就是在各类惨烈的交通事故现场去套用一套极其冷血的商业公式。他脑海中闪回着一幕幕可怖的事故残骸细节:婴儿穿透了挡风玻璃;一辆由他公司生产的新车以每小时 60 英里的速度行驶在路上,后桥差速器突然锁死;青少年的牙套被撞得死死缠在后排烟灰缸上,他甚至讽刺地调侃这或许能做成绝佳的戒烟广告;车辆猛烈起火燃烧,车内所有人被活活困死在其中。他在残骸中观察着遇难父亲留在聚酯纤维座椅上被烧焦融化的身体脂肪痕迹,冷酷地评价其如同“非常前卫的现代艺术”。面对这些惨剧,车企真正关心的却只有一个核心问题:我们究竟该不该发起召回? 紧接着,叙述者向邻座的女乘客拆解了车企决定是否启动召回的数学逻辑。这个冷酷无情的公式完全建立在金钱与概率的精算之上:首先统计市场上投放该车型的总保有量,将其定为变量 A;接着乘以系统预估的故障概率,即变量 B;最后再乘以单起事故的平均庭外和解赔偿金额,记为变量 C。三者相乘得出总预计赔偿成本 X(即 $A \times B \times C = X$)。叙述者道出了企业最赤裸的盈利准则:“如果 X 小于召回的总成本,我们就绝不发起召回。”(“If X is less than the cost of a recall, we don't do one.”)女乘客听后感到毛骨悚然,不安地追问这种事故是否经常发生,叙述者意味深长地回答“多到你无法相信”;而当对方进一步打听他在哪家汽车制造巨头就职时,他只轻描淡写地回应了一句“一家大公司”。 这段对话结束后,叙述者流露出极度疲惫与病态的厌世情绪。长期辗转于各个空难与车祸现场的机械出差生活,彻底抽干了他对生存的留恋。每当他乘坐的飞机在起飞或降落过程中剧烈颠簸颤动时,他非但不害怕,反而会在心底默默祈祷飞机能够直接坠毁,哪怕是空中相撞也好。这种一心求死的阴暗渴望背后,甚至还挂钩着另一条精明而残酷的经济账:在公差期间意外身故,公司所投的人寿保险将给予三倍赔付。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 汽车召回决策流程图 accDescr: 展示召回协调员根据故障赔偿总额与召回成本对比决定是否发起召回的逻辑 subgraph Calculation["风险成本计算"] A["车辆市场保有量 (A)"] --> Multi["相乘计算"] B["预估故障发生率 (B)"] --> Multi C["平均庭外和解赔偿金 (C)"] --> Multi Multi --> Result["预计事故和解总成本 (X = A × B × C)"] end subgraph Decision["决策判定"] Result --> Check{"X < 召回总成本?"} Check -->|"是"| NoRecall["不发起召回"] Check -->|"否"| Recall["启动汽车召回"] end ``` - **事故模拟参数与现场细节**:公司新车以 60 mph(约 96.5 km/h)行驶,事故原因为后桥差速器锁死(rear differential locks up),导致整车起火且乘员全员被困。现场残留着婴儿穿透车窗的痕迹、卡在烟灰缸上的青少年牙套,以及父亲融化在聚酯纤维座椅上的脂肪印记。 - **召回数学公式**:$A \times B \times C = X$。其中 A 为市场现有车辆总数(vehicles in the field),B 为故障概率(probable rate of failure),C 为庭外和解平均金额(average out-of-court settlement)。若算出的和解总金额 $X$ 低于召回整改的成本,车企便会选择任由风险发生而不采取召回。 - **公差身故赔偿政策**:如果在商务出差(business trip)途中发生意外身亡,员工的人寿保险将获得原保额的三倍赔偿(pays off triple)。 ## Notable quotes > [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE&t=0s) 在足够长的时间线上,每个人的生存率都会降为零。 — 叙述者 ## Mentioned Fight Club, 叙述者 ## Video description Clip from the movie Fight Club. "On a long enough time line, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero. "I was a recall coordinator. My job was to apply the formula. ... A new car built by my company leaves somewhere travelling at mph. The rear differential locks up. ... The car crashes and burns with everyone trapped inside. Now, should we initiate a recall? ... Take the number of vehicles in the field, A. Multiply it by the probable rate of failure, B. Multiply the result by the average out-of-court settlement, C. A x B x C equals X. If X is less than the cost of a recall, we don't do one." [Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB8GVMNJkE)

Source quotes

[0:00] 叙述者: 在足够长的时间线上,每个人的生存率都会降为零。

Source quotes

[0:00] The Narrator: On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.

Original transcript

[0:00] On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero. I was a recall coordinator. My job was to apply the formula. Tears of the infant went through the windshield. Three points. A new car built by my company leaves somewhere traveling at 60 miles per hour. the rear differential locks up. The teenager's braces are wrapped around the backseat ashtray. Might make a good anti-smoking ad. The car crashes and burns with everyone trapped inside. Now. Should we initiate a recall? The father must have been huge. You see where the fats burned in the seat of the Pagliotta shirt? very modern art. Take the number of vehicles in the field A. Multiply it by the probable rate of failure, B. Then multiply the result by the average out-of-court settlement, C. times B times c equals x if x is less than the cost of a recall we don't do one Are there a lot of these kinds of accidents? You wouldn't believe. Which car company do you work for? a major one Thank you. Every time the plane banged too sharply on takeoff or landing, I prayed for a crash or a mid-air collision. Anything. Life insurance pays off triple if you die on a business trip.