Why didn't the people on the Titanic build rafts?

[skjpm]

This has always bugged me. There was a lot of time, and a lot of wood on board. They could have used chair cushions as floats. I mean, I think that rather than one more verse of Nearer My God To Thee, I'd be tying boards together.

[Maple]

1. There wasn't time

and there wasn't material for rafts.

Remember what year it was as well. Floating chair cushions weren't an option.

[Lizzie Borden]

10. the ship sunk in 30 min. unlike the movie...

which took and hour and a half to sink.

[louis-t]

2. Most didn't believe that the ship

would actually sink until it was too late. Even when the ship broke in half and the stern momentarily righted itself, it is said that some still believed there was some sort of device in place that would keep the aft section afloat. What has always bothered me was the reluctance of the first lifeboats launched to go back and pick up survivors fearing they would be swamped. If they'd thought about it for a moment, the people in the water would have been nearly unconscious and too cold to struggle and capsize a boat.

[Maple]

3. There weren't enough lifeboats

The belief was 'not even God could sink her' so there wasn't enough of anything on board for emergencies.

Most lifeboats were sent out with only women and children aboard...which in those days meant no one with any knowledge or sailing ability. Many of the lifeboats sank with 'all hands'

[JohnnyRingo]

9. Don't forget...The lifeboats were full of Dick Cheney types.

And "The right crowd without crowding" was their mantra.

Greed and self importance probably ran rampant at the end.

[proud patriot]

4. Most of them were locked out of the deck

I have a lot of emotions about the class Bias
that was shown people .

[eleny]

5. No trees?

[Skittles]

6. I have wondered this too

there WAS time - plenty of material, and the water was dead calm. You'd think they'd have tried SOMETHING.

[Maple]

8. There was neither time nor materials

Please check the year this happened.

[Skittles]

13. that ship was bigger than a football field and was filled with stuff

I agree with the other posters: they just did not think it would sink

[CanuckAmok]

12. There were people who used deck chairs, etc...

But the major cause of death for anyone who managed to get free of the sinking ship wasn't drowning, it was hypothermia. Peple who were half-buoyant (ie semi-floating on a makeshift ramp) were still too imersed in the sub zero water to survive for more than a few minutes.

[Kurt Remarque]

7. for the same reason that the professor on gilligan's island didn't

[elperromagico]

11. LOL

For Christ's sake! The boat only had a hole in it!

They built a radio out of coconuts! The boat only had a hole in it!!!

[nini]

15. Snort..

hahahahahah

good one

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

14. Holy shit we're sinking - hand me that matress and some twine and a sheet

and - OH FUCK WE'RE IN STEERAGE!!!!!!