Some frequent flyers do know what to do. I fly up to 300 times a year as a commercial passenger. I do know how to open the door. On many airlines you will find errors on the safety cards if you care to look.
The FAA overwing exit routine is particularly irritating as we killed enough passengers in Manchester 85 to find out about that. Still, the airlines won't change because the FAA does not require it.
Most major western airlines have a policy now for frequent flyers. Airlines always retain the right to deny you access to such rows if you do not speak the native language, are unfit etc.
If you really wanted to make a difference to this type of exit, perhaps you would be kind enough to brief those of us sitting there exactly what exit commands you are going to give us to open the door in the first place.
"The color of the exit lighting may vary." Too bloody right it varies, it varies to tell you that there is a door there, but please do not impart useful information like that into the passengers! Just let them think that it is normal.
Next time you get on BA out of LGW on a 737, try spotting at least five errors on the card. This card is somewhat worse than the last version....
Try standing up in a Dash 8 at the underwing exit and opening the door, unless you are a dwarf, you won't manage it if you are my height. However, the card shows that is what you have to do...
Try the hand positions on half the cards, you end up with your arms crossed and dropping the door...
I have flown on around 75 airlines on every continent. On Air Gambia, the used to open the overwing exits during the stops in Banjul as a form of air conditioning...but at least they had a flight engineer to put them back in again.
You know
Victor, it really should be
easy!
Rant off.
