The issue about pax taking their hand luggage with them just shows how sensible and practical pax actually are. They know that if they follow the instructions and leave without their documentation in their hand luggage, their lives will be made a misery. The immigration officials at San Francisco, seeing a bedraggled set of Asian passengers approaching them with no passports, would have immediately sent for a bulk order of handcuffs. Attempts to board onward or return flights, or even just check in at the hotel, would be thwarted at every opportunity, there being of course no procedures anywhere to cater for pax whose documents (eg those in women's handbags) were "left behind in accordance with the safety card instructions". If they go to get their tickets reissued they will be stung for a fee - and then if their credit card was in the handbag they will just be told to get lost.
For those who reckon that the brace position is attainable, I can only presume they luxuriate in business class at all times (doubtless paid for by others). They should try it seated three-across in the rear cabin of a low-cost, 28" seat pitch aircraft. Give it a shot yourself sometime, have three of you walk back to the cheap seats after arrival, squeeze in side-by-side, and give it a shot at getting anywhere near what the card shows..
Rear-facing seats a la RAF were long ago shown to be worse for safety in a sudden deceleration, where much of the danger comes from cabin debris flying forward, which you are pretty much protected from by the seatback in forward-facing seats, but not at all in rearward-facing ones. Even the RAF eventually realised this and gave them up on their most recent transport aircraft.
Last edited by WHBM; 18th Jul 2013 at 23:40.