Over the past two weeks I've been on several flights within Brazil and between Brazil and Central America.  For reasons that remain unclear to me, airline personnel seem to think that speaking English as rapidly as possible is somehow related to speaking English well.  It simply isn't true.  The typical message given in airline English cannot be understood, even by native speakers.  I had no problem with "Welcome" and "Thank you".  It was the mumbling between "Welcome" and "Thank you" that I did not understand.  Most of the information appears "canned" (prepared, memorized).  Possibly they are bored with repeating the same things over and over, and they no longer take an interest in communicating.  I noticed that when someone gave information that was not prepared, there were some vocabulary problems but the pronunciation was better.  They had to think, and their ability to communicate improved.  Do TAM, GOL, Avianca, VARIG, etc. realize how bad things are?  Do they care?

We can learn from their mistakes.  Unless the building is on fire and you are looking for the exit, a truck has parked on your foot, you want the police to stop shooting at you, you are asking Julia Roberts for her autograph as she is leaving the night club with Brad Pitt, etc., let's make an effort to slow down and speak clearly.  Conversation is not a race.  Conversation is communication.  Where is the fire?