Originally Posted by floridastorm

In my estimation, from traveling quite a bit both domestically and internationally, most people sitting in exit row seats are far from qualified to do what is necessary in the event of an emergency. If the selection was done realistically you would eliminate overweight people, people under 18 and over 55, and all women. You would also not allow any alcoholic drinks to be served to anyone in an exit row seat. In a real emergency you need people who are strong enough and alert enough to actually do what is necessary to make that row clear quickly and to assist passengers with exiting the plane. Unfortunately, airlines use these seats as a premium and give them away to people who have frequent flyer status and those who pay extra for the seat, with little to no oversight by the crew.