GlobeCycle

Was sitting in 8D (exit row) on a CRJ from DEN to BUR last night. I had my fleece jacket on my lap, as I usually do since my legs get cold when seated near the exit door. During the pre-departure safety check the FA asked if I wanted her to put the jacket in the overhead. I responded "no," and she replied, "well, then you will have to put it completely underneath the seat in front of you since you are in an exit row." I looked at her with a dumbfounded, are-you-kidding me look, but did not feel like arguing.

Has anyone ever heard such a request before? I understand that bulky things cannot be obstructing the exit, but I do not think that a light fleece jacket would qualify as a danger. Would a Skywest blanket also not be allowed? Looks like another case of FA rule-manufacturing.

ivoryboi

That's new. I usually do that without an issue.

I once had a KLM FA take my MAGAZINE away from me that I was reading during landing - as 'it would be dangerous if we had to brake suddenly and it hit me in the face' (in the jumpseat.)

He must be one of those people who believe a tissue box in the back seat of the car will kill you in if it hits the back of your head a collision...

CommittedLurker

I had the same thing happen to me several years ago in the exit row aisle seat of a UX CRJ as well. I was given 2 different options:

1. Put the jacket on.
2. Put it in the overhead.

My jacket was very light, nothing bulky.

It sounded very stupid to me at the time, and your experience is the first time I have heard of it since then.

Some FA's obviously have too much time on their hands.

todorovic

I guess there is something in the FA manual that regulates that nothing should be held in hands during take-off/landing while in exit row but I never had any experiences like this although I fairly frequently sit in those seats.

Lightman7

I suppose you could technically interpret FAA regulations to prevent any loose object in the exit row (i.e. anything not belted in or under the seat), but this seems pretty picky. What would they do on a flight that supplied blankets?

zac

I have had this on UX and on Easy Jet. On Easy Jet they would not let me use the under seat storage in the exit row either. Both of these actually make sense to me from a safely perspective but I have only had FAs call me on them a couple of times. Interestingly pillows and blankets seem to be exempt from the “rule”.

DC-COFlyer

For the first time in twenty years of flying UA I had a FA on a 777 make me move the pillow I had laid on the floor of the BULKHEAD (not even an exit row) in front of me.

Now that's ridiculous. I've left my pillow or blanket on the floor for years in bulkhead with nary a word....

RobotDoctor

I generally put my jacket in the overhead anyway so I have never heard of this policy. This is the first time I have heard it in nearly 1600 flights with UA and UX.

HomeAgain

It's one extreme or the other, it seems. I too have had an FA ask me to put up a light jacket that I was holding in my lap while in an exit row. Her reason was, and I quote, "In an accident it could come up and cover your face and you wouldn't be able to see to help me." I was so amused by her statement I had to follow her suggestion.

The other extreme happened just a few weeks ago on a Mesa flight. I was in an emergency exit seat and on the other side were two Korean guys who had NO, NADA, ZILCH grasp of English. When the FA came around to ask them if they would be willing to help, blah, blah, blah, they just looked at her and made it obvious that they didn't speak English. She told them they would have to move (like they wouldn't have understood the other things she said, but would grasp "You have to move"). They just kept on smiling at her and shrugging their shoulders. She looked at me and said, "It's too much trouble to move them - you make sure you help me if I need it, okay?" I guess I should have reported it to United, but she was so clueless, I felt sorry for her.

MJonTravel

I got this once on an NWA Airbus. I've been hanging my jacket on the tray table hook ever since on every other flight but that on on a multitude of airlines, and haven't heard any grief about it since.

I guess I can see the point if you want to interpret the regs to the very absolute tightest interpretation possible.

iluv2fly

It seems that United Express marches to the tune of a different drummer.

On my experienes on Shuttle America, the flight attendants make you raise your window shade upon takoff and landing. Very specific about it (also in their announcements). I don't ever remember mainline UA doing this at all.

So perhaps it is a UX rule and not a mainline one?

roberto99

I've experienced thw exact same thing at the bulkhead (non-exit) row from the London based FA's only. Could be a Brit rule.

violist

Most other airlines (even real ones) require this.

Miles Ahead

I'd rather they err on the side of strictness.

On a recent flight back, about an hour before landing, a fellow in the exit row asked the purser to call ahead for a wheelchair, explaining that if he requested it before they took off, he wouldn't be allowed to sit in the exit row.

rittenhousesq

I've heard this announcement more often when flying outside the US, either intra-Asia or intra-Europe (or if no general announcement is made, then the FAs came around during their final inspection before landing and asked individuals to please raise the shades). I'm also pretty sure I've heard it on UA, but you may be correct, perhaps it was on UX.