Originally Posted by ssullivan
A couple of weeks I sat next to a guy in an exit row that would have been a problem in an emergency. I'm sure he could have opened the thing, but there's no way he would have fit through it. The opening would have needed to be at least twice as large as it is to accomodate this guy's gut. I was kind of surprised that he was allowed to sit there, since this was on DL and they tend to be rather anal about the exit row, with their whole little question and answer session a flight attendant always gives you if you're seated in that row.
FAR 135.129 regulates exit row seating, and it can be found at
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text....11.41&idno=14. The gist is (with applicable sections for this case bolded):
(b) No certificate holder may seat a person in a seat affected by this section if the certificate holder determines that it is likely that the person would be unable to perform one or more of the applicable functions listed in paragraph (d) of this section because—
(1) The person lacks sufficient mobility, strength, or dexterity in both arms and hands, and both legs:
(i)
To reach upward, sideways, and downward to the location of emergency exit and exit-slide operating mechanisms; (ii) To grasp and push, pull, turn, or otherwise manipulate those mechanisms;
(iii) To push, shove, pull, or otherwise open emergency exits;
(iv) To lift out, hold, deposit on nearby seats, or maneuver over the seatbacks to the next row objects the size and weight of over-wing window exit doors;
(v) To remove obstructions of size and weight similar over-wing exit doors;
(vi)
To reach the emergency exit expeditiously;
(vii) To maintain balance while removing obstructions;
(viii)
To exit expeditiously;
(ix) To stabilize an escape slide after deployment; or
(x) To assist others in getting off an escape slide;2) The person is less than 15 years of age or lacks the capacity to perform one or more of the applicable functions listed in paragraph (d) of this section without the assistance of an adult companion, parent, or other relative;
Clearly a customer of size could not perform these tasks, and thus is ineligible to sit in the exit row. Good luck getting it enforced, even when brought to the crew's attention they rarely care about who is sitting in the exit row. That is my experience anyway. I've seen the elderly, families, non-English speakers, children, and customers of size all sitting in the exit row. Only once when I brought it to the crew's attention did they move a group of non-English speaking children out of the exit row, but that was a pretty eggregious violation, violating two points.
P.S. I'd be quite happy to go through an exit row training program. But what are the odds vs. the cost? It would probably be cost prohibitive for the airline to do it unless they could get some kind of insurance break. I'd certainly do it, I know the Navy has an underwater crash simulator at Groton, CT, but that's the only one I know of.