Exit Row - sight impaired pax?

[comint]

It worries me that in the USA, they ask exit row pax if they speak English, but not here.

They do here too, maybe it's airline dependant?! I have witnessed "none English speakers" being moved from the exit row on Tiger. (And they would have paid extra to sit there!)

 

[oz_mark]

It worries me that in the USA, they ask exit row pax if they speak English, but not here.

JQ certainly do ask.

Sometimes I do wonder at whether some of the people in the exit row will be a help or hindrance in an emergency though!

 

[_kab_]

It worries me that in the USA, they ask exit row pax if they speak English, but not here. I did SYD/ADL for about two years, mostly in 737s where you have to lift the hatch in, rotate it and throw it out. On many 8am flights, there would be many pax from Intl connections, and many oldies (OK I'm not so young either) would have the window seat. I sat next to many Asian and one Spanish speaking guy who could not understand the repeated instruction about baggage under seats in the exit row, yet they were never moved. They never read the card either. Out of Canberra, it is stunning to see how mnay petite young ladies get window exit row seats. Some look barely strong enough to do the hatch thing. I think that after watching the Hudson River ditch, I'm going to be be more proactive and complain to the FA.

Paranoia aside, I agree. The number of times I have seen people seated exit row who were clearly ill equipped for the task beggars belief (OK, my thoughts on this issue might be clouded by envy). Qantas are - IME - serial offenders for plonking little old ladies who'd be 40 kgs wringing wet in the exit aisles (I'm a slim female myself but I am pretty sure my arm wouldn't break due to the weight of the hatch). And that's assuming they can even manage to hoist themselves out of their seats in time to do anything useful

I'd like to see priority for these seats given to people who work in the emergency services.

 

[medhead]

I'd disagree on that. you also have to take into account the impaired person having to climb out first and assist. I think that is pushing the boundaries.

In many ways I also have doubts about a sight impaired person's ability to assist. But I would note that they are not actually required to assist, they are only required to be willing to assist. - There is a subtle difference.

I've also mentioned my own self doubts but having been in an emergency and saved myself and 2 others, you'd be surprised about what can be achieved that won't normally be possible.

 

[notzac]

It worries me that in the USA, they ask exit row pax if they speak English, but not here.

I think the biggest reason for that is because the most spoken language in the US is Spanish (IIRC) - and not a few Spanish speakers in the US have a limited comprehension of the English language.

In Australia, it's less of an issue (but not entirely unheard of, like you say).

 

[drron]

My concern is twice on DJ there have been POS in the exit rows.The size was such that although they could physically open the exit if they had tried to exit noone was going to be able to get out through that exit.

 

[pblackm]

Yes Medhead, I agree that in the event of an emergency, once the adrenalin kicks in, our capabilities to act as required increase quite significantly, as you have discovered.

 

[KateMayo]

From memory, isn’t one of the safety briefing instructions for exit-row passengers that prior to unlocking the door and throwing it out that they look outside for danger: fire etc?

 

[Natt]

Kate

actually it is. I remember seeing it last night on the card, pictures of flames outside etc outside the plane (hey it was a late night flight and rather uninteresting)

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I believe Qantas used to insist that only English speaking pax should be seated in exit rows however this was modified after a Qantas flight to Japan was cancelled once everyone had boarded as no English speaking pax could be found onboard to be seated in the exit rows.

They now have a laminated card in several languages (about 12 I think) including French, German, Japanese, Mandarin etc that basically says "are you willing to assist in an emergency".

This seems just a bandaid fix to deal with a legality and make sure a box is ticked. Just because someone can say yes to the particular question above does not mean they are going to be able to speak English for other important phrases that may need to be used in an emergency eg "exit blocked, go across (if flames make that exit unsafe to open)".

I also think it is wrong to charge for and market emergency exit rows as "extra leg room seats" because as someone said above re a Jetstar flight if people pay the extra money they think that it's their right to be in those seats irrespective of whether or not they meet the able bodied criteria.

The reason that you may see people in these seats (on QF anyway) is that when people checkin online the system randomly gives them a seat in the exit row without pax actually asking for it. It won't however give them a proper boarding pass (due to being an exit row) and they will still have to see staff for their boarding pass on arrival at the airport at which time you would hope staff assess their suitability to sit there.

Can be awkward sometimes if they front up towards the end of check-in for a flight as there is often no other seats to offer them. As for large pax wishing to sit here, anyone who requires a seatbelt extension may cannot be seated in an exit row.

 

[Commuter]

I'd disagree on that. you also have to take into account the impaired person having to climb out first and assist. I think that is pushing the boundaries.

But then all of this is a personal opinion.

Well besides that, prior to opening the exit, they need to visually check that there is no immediate danger outside (e.g. fire raging just outside of the exit). A sight impaired person cannot do so.

 

[Commuter]

My concern is twice on DJ there have been POS in the exit rows.The size was such that although they could physically open the exit if they had tried to exit noone was going to be able to get out through that exit.

POS are not supposed to be seated in exit row if the person requires an extension seat belt.

 

[Commuter]

They now have a laminated card in several languages (about 12 I think) including French, German, Japanese, Mandarin etc that basically says "are you willing to assist in an emergency".

This seems just a bandaid fix to deal with a legality and make sure a box is ticked. Just because someone can say yes to the particular question above does not mean they are going to be able to speak English for other important phrases that may need to be used in an emergency eg "exit blocked, go across (if flames make that exit unsafe to open)".

I suspect many non-English speaking pax would have difficulties understanding crew instructions too. Would they even understand 'Evacuate' properly?

In QF's defence, on a domestic flight sometime last year, I witness them moving a passenger off exit row because he did not speak English. I was quite relieved to see that.

I would really prefer to see only able-bodied people who are fit and can understand English well enough to be sitting in exit rows. If a bad thing happens, every second matters. In fact, where possible, I'd like to see aircrew (regardless of the company they work for) being given those seats as a priority.

 

[JohnK]

If we have never been in an emergency it would be difficult to assess how we or anyone else would react in an emergency. Yes some people may have more adrenalin and perform better under those conditions yet there are others who look perfectly normal but freeze up in pressure situations.

You never know when it is going to be your turn. I am of the firm belief that a person in an exit row, regardless of whether they are/will be required or not, should at least look like they would be able to assist in an emergency....

 

[medhead]

Ok, I take back most of my previous rambling on non-sighted people in exit rows. I was in one yesterday and the card clearly says that you must have good sight.

I can only hope that in the case of the OP, they did an assessment to say the person did have good sight. Note people have the white canes for a range of sight impairments and types of impairments. It is diffcult to judge a book by its cover.