A quick view from the front left seat:
The safety brief is mandated in The Air Navigation Order (CAP 393) regulations 53 and 54.
A real goody is Regulation 77:
Authority of commander of an aircraft
77
Every person in an aircraft shall obey all lawful commands which the commander of that
aircraft may give for the purpose of securing the safety of the aircraft and of persons or
property carried therein, or the safety, efficiency or regularity of air navigation.
Interestingly such things as safety briefs and seat belt signs are included in Reg 77. What most customers (I hate the term SLF) don't realise is that when we are taxiing to the gate and they unstrap, stand up and start grabbing their gear from the overheads they are breaking the law, and in doing so are uninsured. Early in my career I was P2 on an aircraft which had to stop suddenly while taxiing in. A lady who was digging her briefcase out of the overhead was thrown down the cabin breaking a couple of ribs, sadly she also broke the neck of another lady passenger with the case. A long legal battle ensued to gain compensation for the mum of 3 boys who was now in a wheel chair, my employers made a large ex-gratia payment to help until all was sorted, but it took about 5 years.
Please remember that as customers we value you highly, without you there are no jobs. But, when we tell you to do something it is for your safety, and while, like many of you I dislike long , rambling PAs, if there is an instruction then obey it, otherwise you are breaking the law. If I say pay attention to the cabin staff for the brief I mean it. I sit next to one of the best exits on the aircraft and will leave by that one, you need to know where yours are and how they work. As pilots we call our recent experience on the aircraft "currency" we are there all the time but consider ourselves "uncurrent" after two weeks off. As customers your currency will be no-where near as good as ours, so why don't you do as we do and take a thoroughly good brief.
SND