Originally Posted by
Deckard
As I say he doesn't "require" a wheel chair - he simply finds it convenient. At work he turns up in a car and walks to his office apparently - albeit with the use of a cane from a disabled parking spot. So he'd have no issues operating the exit and leaving the aircraft - it's just any sustained walking.
At the end of the day BA has to enforce the requirements that passengers in an emergency exit row are physically able to
move quickly and
open the exit if required to do so. Every second counts in an emergency. Also, the overwing exits are not the lightest of things to manhandle.
Everything you have said indicates that this passenger has a disability (he needs a stick to walk, can only walk short distances, parks in a disabled bay, etc). Also, bear in mind that in an emergency he will probably not have access to his stick (it should be in the overhead locker and there will not be time to retrieve it in an emergency), so would likely then be reliant on the assistance of others.
BA cabin crew are not going to try to assess his physical capabilities, but if he arrives in a wheelchair or walks with a stick they will simply (and rightly) not permit him to sit in an exit row. End of story.