The Titantic Tourist Submarine: One Of The Dumbest Ideas 'Smart' People Have Had

I know I'm not alone here when I say, "What were they thinking?"

It's honestly giving, "neighborhood children built a roller coaster with parts found in the yard" vibes.

A couple minutes of scrolling on TikTok and my FYP is filled with people talking about the Titan submersible (when did we stop calling them submarines?) Anyway, not one single opinion that's dislike mine could be found. No one said, "Oh, I want to do this," or "Sounds like a great way to spend a day, crammed into a tiny vessel with strangers, one little window, a bucket to go to the bathroom, and lots of faith that all will go well."

And let's not forget, they are traveling to depths of the ocean, that we as humans, really should not be attempting, and to see something that has such a tragic story. Superstitious or not, it just screams BAD VIBES.

So let's unpack just why this was one of the dumbest ideas "smart" people have come up with.

This submersible (while I just want to call it a submarine, I'll play along and use the term everyone else is using), isn't approved by a regulatory agency for safety from what I've read. (Maybe that's not accurate, but that's the general consensus here.)

Here you have five extremely wealthy people just throwing $250,000 at the opportunity to be smushed into a vessel that uses parts from Camping World to hold it together, and an off-brand PlayStation controller to steer. And did you hear that it is bolted from the outside? So even if they are located bobbing on the ocean's surface, they can't escape until someone with the proper equipment comes along to unbolt them from what's now become their worst nightmare.

I'll tell you what world it doesn't - mine! And the average person who doesn't like risking their lives to see something out of a tiny window or on a screen in the depths of the ocean where there is zero light and in a vessel that is held together by parts found at Camping World.

Everyone is aware that there is a movie readily available on DVD that will show you the SAME EXACT THING, right? As well as multiple documentaries, YouTube videos, museum exhibits, and so on.

In my quest to learn more about this submarine of nightmares, I came across a video on YouTube by the company who sends the Titan to the Titanic wreckage for science and for fun. A recruiting video!

"OceanGate Expeditions offers you the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a specially trained crew member safely diving to the Titanic wreckage site," the video begins. "A 12,500 foot journey to the bottom of the sea. It's the OceanGate Titanic Experience."

The video goes on to explain this "opportunity," and let me just point out, you don't need to be a scientist, mechanic, or even have a 1200 SAT score to do this, which is a red flag waving in the wind as far as I'm concerned.

The video also explains that it's an 8-day one-of-a-kind experience. "You will be trained as a mission specialist and record valuable findings," the video went on to explain. And then someone in the video called the people who sign up for this, "citizen scientists."

These "citizen scientists" are said to do important work to help the scientists, "not just busy work." One person said, "this is a very complex vehicle." So, tell me where the pool noodle comes into play, because I've seen quite a few videos that shows there's a pool noodle holding some parts together on this now missing vessel.

I think one thing that blows everyone away is the use of an off-brand PlayStation controller to steer the sub. Some were calling it a PS4 controller. When my son saw it, he laughed and said, "That's not even a PS4 controller," insinuating that it's a cheaper, older kind of controller.

I saw one video where it's explained that they have three or four controllers in the sub just in case. Have you ever played a video game and the controller just didn't work as it should or the battery just suddenly dies? Yeah, my thoughts exactly.

Now let me say this, I hope they are able to find the missing vessel and the people in it are still alive and well. I also hope that this expedition is stopped after this because while life is meant to be lived, taking risks like this is just ridiculous.

And when are humans going to leave well enough alone? I understand science and the obsession with the Titanic, but maybe it's time we just left it alone and studied it from James Cameron's perspective in the movie.

Bethenny Frankel, well known for her strong opinions, has one about this situation that I couldn't agree with more.

"You wanna be adventurous? Drink four margaritas and see what happens. Try a bathing suit on without your underwear," she said in her Tiktok video. "Go to Burning Man dressed as a parakeet. I don't know, but going on a submarine."

Another TikTok video shared by youknownat, gives some of that information that makes you shake your head.

One follower wrote in the comments, "Imagine being stuck on the ocean floor with the view of the titanic." Another said, "So a group of billionaires had enough money to get an actual submarine. But opted to go in a construction paper submarine. ??‍♀️"

Another person pointed out, "I keep hearing people say implosion would be worst case scenario... idunno suffocating to death at the bottom of the ocean sounds pretty bad."

"When you pay for the Titanic experience and get the full experience," another person wrote.

And another viewer of the video added, "That just seems like an awful way to die. A game controller as their steering should have been their first clue not to go."

What are your thoughts on this expedition? Have something to share? Email me!