# Why didn't the Titanic lifeboats simply place passengers on the iceberg? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 9, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanic-lifeboats-simply-place-passengers-on-the-iceberg/153805 "2003-02-09T01:59:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hermann\_Cheruscan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b782af/32.png) [@Hermann\_Cheruscan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermann_Cheruscan)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanic-lifeboats-simply-place-passengers-on-the-iceberg/153805/1 "2003-02-09T01:59:47Z")
Not really an earthshaking question(but what do you expect after a 6 pack of MGD. Why didn’t the people in charge of the lifeboats on the Titanic simply drop off their passengers on the safety of the iceberg and then go back and get more passengers? It would seem to me that since they knew the Titanic was going down, that they would have at least taken a chance on saving as many people as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanic-lifeboats-simply-place-passengers-on-the-iceberg/153805/2 "2003-02-09T02:01:59Z")
[It’s been discussed recently](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=155026&highlight=titanic+lifeboats) ---
**Author:** ![heywalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ee7513/32.png) [@heywalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heywalt)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanic-lifeboats-simply-place-passengers-on-the-iceberg/153805/3 "2003-02-09T03:34:37Z")
In addition to the numerous answers on the previous thread, it should not be ignored that some of the passengers are going to have to be left on the icebergs (if there were any convenient, close ones). I hardly think anyone is going to convince me to hop off of the liferaft and onto an iceberg to save some other person. Times of a disaster might be different, but if I thought I was fairly safe already, you’re not going to convince many people to take their chances on the iceberg. ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanic-lifeboats-simply-place-passengers-on-the-iceberg/153805/4 "2003-02-09T04:56:29Z")
Nobody in that previous thread mentioned one critical factor–there was no moon, and it was very dark. When you’re trying to see people in the sea, starlight don’t help. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanic-lifeboats-simply-place-passengers-on-the-iceberg/153805/5 "2003-02-09T08:23:29Z")
Since this has been discussed so recently I’ll close this thread and direct further comment to the earlier thread, linked to above. bibliophage moderator GQ