Ask the Pilot: Why don't planes carry parachutes for passengers?

Maybe this will sound like a crazy question, but why don't commercial planes carry parachutes for each passenger? Life jackets are pointless, but wouldn't parachutes occasionally save the day?

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After reading this article I searched (in vain) for the archives of Ask the Pilot. They are quite difficult to find, when linked directly to an article. There was no way that I could find to get to the "home" page of his blog. Just some "previous articles" listed on the side, but by no means a comprehensive list.

Well I had a couple of questions of my own for the good Capitan about cell phones on planes. So I shot him an email. Within a few hours, Patrick Smith, author, pilot, columnist, and world traveler, had written me back, with a quick answer to my spefic question, and a direct link to a detailed article on cell phones that he had done a few years back. Plus, I was able to get to the front page of his column via a link in his email.

Thanks Capitan! Hope it's not too choppy as you fly.