Frankly, I think all this 'frequent flyers know best' stuff is total b*llsh*t! I'm a frequent flyer myself and I certainly have never had to open one of these overwing exits - the crew are (presumably) all trained in this procedure and have practical experience of using these doors from their training.They will also know exactly what hazards to look for outside before opening said exit and I personally would always defer to the crews knowledge in the event of an evacuation.
On a slightly different note, flying with KLM from Aberdeen earlier in the year, the CC allowed a pax to remain in an emergency exit seat even though he was so overweight he patently would not even FIT THROUGH the overwing exit of a 737. How on earth can that be safe?!
