Social Question

partyparty's avatar

How has the Icelandic volcano eruption affected you?

Asked by partyparty (9167points) April 19th, 2010

Has the Icelandic volcano eruption affected you in any way?
Has it affected you flying somewhere?
Have you had your holiday ruined?
Has it affected your health?

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62 Answers

Sophief's avatar

It hasn’t affected me in any way.

wilma's avatar

So far I haven’t been affected in any way that I know of.

JeffVader's avatar

As far as I can tell it’s helped make the roads quieter…. which is great!!!

partyparty's avatar

@JeffVader And the skies quieter have you noticed?

Sophief's avatar

Not many screaming kids around, they are all stuck at the airport.

JeffVader's avatar

@partyparty Yes, now that you mention it. I dont live too far (well in aviation terms) from London Luton Airport, so there are always planes criss-crossing the sky….. but none lately.

partyparty's avatar

@JeffVader Yes I don’t think we realised just how busy the skies were, until it has suddenly gone quiet. I suppose we are used to all the noise, so it is a pleasant change, although not good for travellers.

JeffVader's avatar

@partyparty Heh, yeh, must be abit of a bind by now!

iphigeneia's avatar

It’s made me very nervous. I have put a lot of effort into planning a trip to Europe, with a flight booked to leave at the end of May. I’m optimistic, but all it takes is another eruption in the week before I leave, and basically I’m screwed. I know of a couple of people, letters and parcels who are stranded though, but at least they’re stranded IN Europe, which is surely more of an adventure than being stranded at home.

Oh, and I learned a new word! Aye-ya-fyah-dla-jow-kudl.

partyparty's avatar

@iphigeneia Oh that must be so very distressing for you. Have the airlines stated you can have a refund if the flights are still cancelled? Fingers cross everything will be OK for you.

bhec10's avatar

I’m on holidays in my home country and I was supposed to take a flight to London on Saturday after lunch because my lectures start today (Monday).

So far, I haven’t been able to book anything. Ferries and trains are all overbooked and by car it’s a 2000kms long trip. That wouldn’t be a problem but then we’d have to cross the Channel Tunnel, but we don’t have tickets for that either. I just hope this is over very soon before it starts affecting my studies.

jonsblond's avatar

@iphigeneia Our family is slightly nervous too. My son leaves for Germany June 5th for a student exchange trip. My son had to take 4 years of German in high school to be eligible for this trip. It is a dream trip that he has worked very hard for. I would hate to see him miss it. :/ I hope you get to go on your trip!

Fyrius's avatar

My father has been stuck in Ukraine after a business trip, and is now on a train back to the Netherlands. Normally he would have been back last Saturday.

And there’s a fellow student of mine stuck in London, but she doesn’t seem to mind.

partyparty's avatar

@bvdshec17 Yes I hope it is over soon, for your sake. You would think extra trains and ferries would be made available wouldn’t you? Good luck with your studies

partyparty's avatar

@Fyrius So are the airports closed in the Netherlands?

bhec10's avatar

@partyparty I heard Eurostar is adding as much extra trains as they can already, but they’re all booked until at least Friday :(

Fyrius's avatar

@iphigeneia
The end of May?
They’re telling us here that the skies will probably be safe again later this week. I wouldn’t worry too much.

I don’t know what the chances are of another eruption. I’d suggest looking up what the experts have to say about it, surely there must be plenty of articles available about that right now.

@partyparty
They’re closed in most of Europe, including the Netherlands, yes.

Fyrius's avatar

@partyparty
“You would think extra trains and ferries would be made available wouldn’t you?”
They’re all chock full already. Trains, buses, everything. There are so many people stranded who need them that there isn’t enough room for everyone.

Bluefreedom's avatar

It has helped me to understand that if there is sufficient volcanic ash in the atmosphere, it can affect air travel in the European theatre of the globe and severely upset not only passengers but many European air carriers also. Source

Has it affected you flying somewhere? Not yet
Have you had your holiday ruined? No
Has it affected your health? Not that I know of

bhec10's avatar

I read on today’s newspaper that the cloud is spreading towards Canada and South Korea.

Fyrius's avatar

@bvdshec17
I think it’ll be dispersed too thinly to cause any trouble by the time it gets all the way there.
The problem is apparently that the dust can clog up jet turbines and cause them to stop working.

anamae's avatar

I’m in America and the volcano logically shouldn’t be affecting me, BUT. I work as a nanny for a military family, and the father is deployed to Afghanistan now and should be coming home within the next month, and he may not be able to come back until the ash clears..

partyparty's avatar

@jonsblond I don’t want to put a downer on your sons flight to Germany, but just heard on the UK news that the ash will hit the East Coast USA at about 6pm UK time. I wish you well, it must be so very distressing for you.

erichw1504's avatar

I’ve been affected by all the media coverage on it. Kind of annoying, but I guess it is kind of important.

Seek's avatar

Hm…

Well, it made for a rather funny episode of “Guy Noir” on A Prairie Home Companion yesterday…

iphigeneia's avatar

@Fyrius Apparently it’s anyone’s guess what the volcanoes will do over the next three months or so. Like I said, I’m optimistic, because I have a good amount of time, but who knows what Mother Nature has in store?

@jonsblond Thanks, I hope your son’s trip is not disrupted either! @partyparty Thank you :) We bought our flights with a combination of frequent flyer points and money, so in the event that the flight is cancelled, I highly doubt they’ll refund the points but if they don’t refund the money we won’t be too far out of pocket there.

DarkScribe's avatar

Yes my health. I am feeling tired. I am sure that the volcano caused it. If not, maybe it was a lack of sleep. I am sure that it was one of the two.

rebbel's avatar

@bvdshec17
You could consider taking a cab, like John Cleese did.

Mat74UK's avatar

Not one vapour trail all weekend, usually we can count at least nine aircraft at anyone time and long lines of vapour where they’ve been.
On Saturday there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and it was just one unspoilt vastness of blue!

A few people I know are stuck abroad, some on holiday and some on business.
More than a few I know have had holidays cancelled and are not happy (but what can you do).

jonsblond's avatar

@erichw1504 Don’t you just love the media.~ One of the news channels just played It’s The End Of The World As We Know It- by R.E.M..

Your_Majesty's avatar

It’s getting hot here. No,it won’t affect most of my life since I live far far away from that place. I think many volcanic mountains have erupted from years to years,people just take it easy the next couple of days.

a0k's avatar

it delayed so much air traffic in europe—some of which impacted my domestic flight on saturday. but airport chaos aside, it’s brought me awareness of some geology basics i had forgotten.

bhec10's avatar

@rebbel I would if I had the money.

erichw1504's avatar

@jonsblond Yup, the news people are the only ones that look forward to the next devastating earthquake, hurricane, volcano, etc…

Val123's avatar

Sittin’ in Kansas, waiting for the awesome Sunsets, like we started getting four days after St. Helens blew!

stranger_in_a_strange_land's avatar

My new wind turbine is sitting in a freight terminal in England, awaiting resumption of cargo flights.

CMaz's avatar

Makes me want to have a Hot Fudge Sunday.

nailpolishfanatic's avatar

It hasn´t affected me in any way, but I live near the biggest airport in Iceland it’s much quiter now, I don’t get waken up by the Russian and USA armies!!!!
But the airport is opened now to some other countries, but not to Heathrow:(

partyparty's avatar

@ChazMaz Go for it… and enjoy LOL

OpryLeigh's avatar

Apart from the fact that my step-sister is coming over for tea tonight because she is lonely since her boyfriend is stranded in China, it hasn’t.

partyparty's avatar

@Leanne1986 I am sure you will make her very welcome and make her a great meal. Hope things resolve themselves for your step-sister soon.

Mat74UK's avatar

@Leanne1986 – Has he been in China as part of the Grand Prix?

Jeruba's avatar

My friend was in Europe visiting her daughter during the daughter’s semester abroad, and now my friend can’t get home to California.

I haven’t been affected so far, except that I do feel concern for people whose plans and lives have been upset by this event. The event itself is natural and nothing to be angry about.

partyparty's avatar

@Jeruba Yes I agree with you about how people have been affected. I think it is better the planes are grounded than perhaps not making it to their destination, don’t you think?

CyanoticWasp's avatar

I’m answering a lot more volcano-related Qs on Fluther. That’s pretty much the extent of it so far.

Let’s see if that changes next week when the ash cloud has circled around over New England.

whitenoise's avatar

My job application process with an American company is delayed, since the other person on the short list cannot fly in from Europe. (I was there recently.)

Not happy, Jen

faye's avatar

My daughter is to fly to Greece may 5. She is concerned!

loser's avatar

It’s only affected me indirectly. Several people who left there dogs at the kennel where I work aren’t able to come get them and they’re staying with us longer than planned. We’ve been giving them a lot of extra love and care. We’ve also had to scramble to get special food and medicine for them. We’re doing our best but I’m sure they miss their people.

OpryLeigh's avatar

@partyparty I feel really sorry for her because I know how I’d feell if my man was stranded on the other side of the world without me.

@Mat74UK No, he’s there for work commitments.

nailpolishfanatic's avatar

During easter, my parents and I took grandma to see the first erruption. We got on top of the mountain just to have a clear view. Same day the Iceland’s financial investigation report was submitted to parliament it stopped – but unbelievably, the next glacier mountain to the 1st started speeling its ashes all around europe – now I feel sad coz my granny cannot travel. It really sucks and getting sunny out here!!!

stranger_in_a_strange_land's avatar

Hopefully this volcanic ash business will be over before I have to travel to Germany this autumn. I need to spend several months at the Deutsche Naval Archiv.

Sandydog's avatar

We’re looking after some friends hamsters who have been stranded in Malta since Saturday. The earliest they can get home is Thursday, but that depends on the volcano quieting down. Just heard though its started to throw out more ash again.
Our friends have 5 young children with them and they are finding it difficult – and the kids are now asking about their pets !! They also have 2 dogs in kennels. Que sera sera !!

partyparty's avatar

@whitenoise Good luck with the job application. Hope things improve for you soon

partyparty's avatar

@loser Aw I never thought of people leaving their dogs in kennels when they are out of the country. It must be a dreadful predicament for the owners and the dogs, but I am sure you are doing your best for them. Give them all a doggy biscuit from me LOL

wittsa's avatar

well i am in calgary, canada at the moment. My flight connecting to frankfurt has been cancelled several times. and by the way im doing my gcse’s very soon so to be honest im getting struck pretty hard by the volanic eruption. And to make things worse, im here visiting my dad who flies back on friday, which would have been a week after me, and the airline company wont allow my dad to swap the name on the ticket so i can get back home and back to school so i dont end up missing 2 weeks of school. My flight is also scheduled to leave on May the 2nd, so i literally despise volcanoes now.

Discrumt's avatar

Yes. I did not have to travel but it has effected my job. I wholesale products all over the EU.
So, with no flights going out of Paris for a few days I had a ton of people without there orders.

partyparty's avatar

@wittsa Hope things improve soon

partyparty's avatar

@Discrumt Oh never thought about freight. Hopefully things will be back to normal soon.

Jill_E's avatar

It affected a friend who is raised British deeply. Her flight was cancelled last monday, she had to miss a funeral of a dear friend in today’s funeral. This morning, local friends and I supported at her church’s mass to pay respects for the friend. And went out to a local British pub.

mattbrowne's avatar

It has affected our IT department and some of our projects.

Discrumt's avatar

@partyparty thing are startting to get back to normal but we are still about 2 days out…I think after the weekend things are good. To add insult to the whole mess sncf (one of the major train companys in France) desided it was a good time to go on strike. Leaving alot more people stuck.

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