Guys, let's learn how to get into and out of your seat in economy
Apr 28, 2015, 8:50 am
#46
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Ok, anyone watching me must think I am batty (up down, up down in front of my office wall!), but when I stand, my upper body does not move any further in front than where my knees already are. I understand those with knee issues (I have back issues) having problems unaided, but the arm rests either side of you strike me as being just as practical - why is it more difficult?
Apr 28, 2015, 9:06 am
#47
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I have bad knees. To get my center of gravity over my knees, it is a lot less effort to grab something in higher and in front and pull rather lower and somewhat behind the center of gravity to push off. My physics classes were a very long time ago, but my guess is that it requires about 3x as much effort to push off a coach armrest as it does to grab the headrest in front. (Or maybe my biceps are a lot stronger than my triceps.) Most people do the easiest thing, especially if they are not especially bothered when someone grabs their headrest to stand.
I just stood from sitting on my couch. I need to lean forward so the top of my head is about a foot and a half in front of my knees, or use my arms to assist.
I just stood from sitting on my couch. I need to lean forward so the top of my head is about a foot and a half in front of my knees, or use my arms to assist.
Last edited by DocP; Apr 28, 2015 at 9:19 am
Apr 28, 2015, 9:47 am
#48
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Ok, anyone watching me must think I am batty (up down, up down in front of my office wall!), but when I stand, my upper body does not move any further in front than where my knees already are. I understand those with knee issues (I have back issues) having problems unaided, but the arm rests either side of you strike me as being just as practical - why is it more difficult?
In the air, you're seated at about a 3-degree uphill angle (normal cruise attitude) with random minor or moderate shakes, quivers, jostles, etc. that you can't predict. @:-)
Apr 28, 2015, 9:48 am
#49
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+1 - but I may have done it once or twice to the same person
Apr 28, 2015, 9:57 am
#50
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Just did some quick literature reading. 25+% of men over 55 and 37+% of women over 55 in a Dutch study have at least moderate impairment of "sit to stand". Low seat height worsened the problem.
Apr 28, 2015, 10:07 am
#51
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You meet very different travellers than I do. In my view there are entire large groups of society who cannot be bothered for any consideration of others around them.
Apr 28, 2015, 10:25 am
#52
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I do take your point, but I swear most people who grab the seat in front do so because they don't think, not because of an actual physical need to use it - in other words, "It is there, I'll grab it".
Apr 28, 2015, 10:30 am
#53
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Sadly, this is no longer true. Many aircraft do not have aisle arm rests that raise (no hidden button).
Apr 28, 2015, 10:38 am
#54
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You are just trying to get me to recreate 3% tilt with my office chair aren't you
I do take your point, but I swear most people who grab the seat in front do so because they don't think, not because of an actual physical need to use it - in other words, "It is there, I'll grab it".
I do take your point, but I swear most people who grab the seat in front do so because they don't think, not because of an actual physical need to use it - in other words, "It is there, I'll grab it".
Depending on the aircraft and the particular seats, it can be difficult even for an able-bodied person to get out without using the seatback.
Now...how many of you able-bodied flyers can get out of the window seat when the middle/aisle pax do not get up?
It happens, and many people's instinct in such a situation is to use the seat back for assistance rather than risk falling into a fellow pax's lap.
I don't navigate well when I'm leaning over and trying to maintain my balance.
As the airlines shrink the pitch, they could have added handles over each seat for assistance. Some automobiles come with a handle over the back door so the pax doesn't have to haul on the front seat to get out of the car.
There is one particular DL aircraft (might be an MD-80). In business class, it is simply impossible for anyone to get out of the window seat without using the seat back in front if the seats are reclined.
Not to go OT, but I read something recently about the difference between Americans and the rest of the world in this regard. Supposedly only Americans turn their backsides to their seatmates as they exit. Other nationalities face their seatmates and, if assistance is needed, lean over their seatmates and use those seatbacks.
Apr 28, 2015, 12:30 pm
#55
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Apr 28, 2015, 1:30 pm
#56
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I just did some sit-to-stand in my office chair. My propensity is to lean forward - but in 31-inch Pitchland, that would smack my head against the seat in front of me. It appears that many people would reflexively grab the only real leverage assist they have to stand up in such tight quarters.
Apr 28, 2015, 1:34 pm
#57
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I actually did this to a guy one time. He was able bodied, not very big, we were in first class, and I was not reclining. After the first two times, the third time was the charm, and back he flew. People have got to understand that some people have suffered severe back injuries in the past and cannot have the seat back jostled every 15 minutes, because it causes some back muscle spasms that are very painful. I do not recline because of this, nor do I use the seat in front of me, as it is rude. Even when I have had physical problems and walked with my cane, I have not pulled on the person's chair in front of me. I use the rails on the bins.
Are these 'rails' accessible from all seats? How do they work in the center seats of a 747 or other aircraft with overhead bins that I can't even reach when standing in the aisle?
Sometimes, it's as bad or worse up front with the extra recline. I'm glad I'm able to climb over seats, as I've done more than a few times. In my perfect world, we'd all be in herringbone style seats with hard walls in between and aisle access from every seat. No one grabbing my seat has ever bothered me in F or J where the seats were setup in this way
And I agree, I think a lot of people just don't know how jarring it can be. Many are likely not frequent flyers and are like the people who punch the crap out of the tv screen to make selections, not realizing how lightly you can usually touch it to make it work.
And I agree, I think a lot of people just don't know how jarring it can be. Many are likely not frequent flyers and are like the people who punch the crap out of the tv screen to make selections, not realizing how lightly you can usually touch it to make it work.
I just didn't expect to be awakened with him on top of me.
Guess he didn't see the bin handles.
Not to me, or you might not have done it again.
I've had it done to me, once. Lost my balance, my arms flailed and I accidentally hit his face and grabbed his hair as I fell backwards into my seatmate's lap.
FA got involved and politely chewed the guy out for reclining his seat suddenly without warning the pax behind him. FA pointed out that it's how people's laptops get broken, commiserated about seat pitch, suggested business class or back rows if pax felt it was a major problem.
For the rest of the time I was recovering, whenever I flew I let the folks sitting in front of me know what was going on. Funny thing...no one wanted me to interrupt them or wake them up to let them know I was going to be leaving my seat and needed the assistance of their seatback.
Last edited by Ocn Vw 1K; May 4, 2015 at 11:42 am Reason: Combine consecutive posts of same member; suggest using multi-quote feature.
Apr 28, 2015, 3:02 pm
#58
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Sigh. I am in my 70s and no longer able to spring up from a seat that is reclined so far into my lap that I literally cannot lean down to get something out of my carry on at my feet under the seat in front of me. Then you snap at me because, having fully reclined your seat, I need some help to get up. Sorry.
Apr 28, 2015, 4:06 pm
#59
Join Date: Jan 2015
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No airline is going to change their pitch based on the fact that some passengers may not like their headrest being used as a grab handle. If anything, they're going to decrease it so that they can cram in another row.
If it bothers you THAT much, take control of the situation. Sit in the last row of the cabin so that there isn't anyone behind you. Purchase a F or J class fare. Shave your head, there are options. The reality is, as long as there is someone sitting behind you, there is the potential that they will do something that you will not like. Cough, cough!
If it bothers you THAT much, take control of the situation. Sit in the last row of the cabin so that there isn't anyone behind you. Purchase a F or J class fare. Shave your head, there are options. The reality is, as long as there is someone sitting behind you, there is the potential that they will do something that you will not like. Cough, cough!
Apr 28, 2015, 9:49 pm
#60
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This really bothers me and. like someone else, actually causes back pain on some occasions.
I genuinely do not understand how people get up of chairs in every day life. When I see people getting up from the boarding gate seats, I don't see people having to grab on to things to do so. Occasionally I might see someone use an arm rest to push up on, or someone use a table as they get up from a meal, if there is one there, but there are plenty of chairs people sit in every day without either. Most people either just push into their feet and stand up, or put their hands on their thighs to give something to push against. Why does this change when they are in the air?
I can't reach the overhead bins from the seat normally, so that wouldn't be helpful to many (I am not especially short). I do use the overhead bins to steady myself when walking down the aisle if it is a little bumpy. I will say I have come across FA who use headrests to steady themselves, which I find inconsiderate, when mere mortals can manage to use the overheads for that purpose.
I genuinely do not understand how people get up of chairs in every day life. When I see people getting up from the boarding gate seats, I don't see people having to grab on to things to do so. Occasionally I might see someone use an arm rest to push up on, or someone use a table as they get up from a meal, if there is one there, but there are plenty of chairs people sit in every day without either. Most people either just push into their feet and stand up, or put their hands on their thighs to give something to push against. Why does this change when they are in the air?
I can't reach the overhead bins from the seat normally, so that wouldn't be helpful to many (I am not especially short). I do use the overhead bins to steady myself when walking down the aisle if it is a little bumpy. I will say I have come across FA who use headrests to steady themselves, which I find inconsiderate, when mere mortals can manage to use the overheads for that purpose.
Having said that, I go out of my way to find seats with raisable aisle-side arm rests. Then I can raise the armrest, pivot my knees into the aisle, lean my head over and use my very own seat cushion to push myself up without bothering anyone.