Distinctly remember flying from MCO to DCA on Air Florida the day after they lost one of their 737s into the river just after takeoff from DCA. You would have thought there was going to be one he** of a final exam because all paxs paid strict attention to the cabin brief, which was the best I have ever seen (included demo of lifejackets/cushons). Most paxs I saw checked to see there really was a life jacket under their seat. Maybe it was seeing the live TV of a pax giving the end of the rope from the hovering helicopter to the stewardess so she could be rescued before he went under the ice got people's attention a little.
After 25 years of flying commercial as pax I always count the seat backs, and should have a smoke hood (but don't), and always read the cards, look at the doors and try to give myself and family the best chance I can. And always give full attention to the brief. The subject of smoke hoods has been covered fairly thoroughly on another thread, but what sold me was after a meeting asking a cabin safety research fellow from the FAA Technical Center where they burn them for "fun" whether smoke hoods were any good. Ho opened his briefcase and showed me his. 'Nuff said.