Why is the plane treadmill problem so confusing? Point of view...
Let me give this example. Say youÂ’re at the airport and thereÂ’s one of those slidewalk things, like a flat escalator for people who donÂ’t like to walk. It moves at a constant speed of 5 mph
A lady is waiting next to one with her hyperactive 10 yr old. ItÂ’s not crowded so he gets on the thing going the wrong way. He has to be able to run 5 mph to stay next to his mother who is just standing on the carpet waiting for hubby.
She looks at him and relative to her his speed is zero, she can reach out and smack him. She looks at the conveyor and it is moving to the left and away from her at 5mph.
So she does reach out and smack him, now he speeds up. She looks at him and he is moving to the right and away from her at 5mph, She looks at the conveyor as it is moving to the left (opposite direction of her son) at 5 mph.
She now remembers that irritating problem on the internet and realizes the plane can take off! So, from her point of view, should she chase after her son and smack him again, or wait for her husband the beat the crap out of him?