On Wed, 06 Apr 2005 08:59:32 -0700, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)"
wrote:

If in an aisle seat they could block other passengers in that row from getting
out quickly enough.

"Row"?

Well I thought it would be fairly obvious that someone sitting in an aisle
seat only effects those next to them, so I used the term row as being
something I thought most would understand. As in if you are in a side block of
seats on a 747 you have three people in a row and the centre block has 4
seats.

The inconvenience I was referring to, again I thought fairly obvious, was the
inconvenience of being stuck behind someone with movement difficulties when
you have seconds to evacuate an aircraft.

A very rare occurrence in practicality but one BA has at least thought about,
and decided to put the onus on the emergency situation.

So never mind what the passenger wants and has specifically
booked far in advance? Most people with "disabilities" are
far more aware of their capabilities than some "suit" in an
airline's central offices.

The suit in the office probably has a far better understanding of the best
practice for all passengers than the passenger who is only considering their
*own* needs. If an aircraft crashes (as opposed to a control forced landing)
it will invariable catch fire, that is why there is a requirement to evacuate
in 90 seconds, longer than let you are dead.

Programme on TV in the UK a few weeks back about a plane crash in the US.
turbo-prop came down and all but the Captain survived most relatively
uninjured. The intelligent few followed instructions and got out fast, the
rest sat and gathered their thoughts. About two thirds of the passengers burnt
to death.

So in this case BA probably does know what it is doing, better than those who
like a particular seat. The last thing that they want are passengers with
mobility problems hindering those with a chance of getting out. In this case
one glove does fit all because the airline cannot know how a persons mobility
is effected in advance. A good guide is if they need a wheel chair to get to
the aircraft they have problems. Bit late in an emergency to find out they let
a passenger sit where they wanted and others are climbing over them to get
out.



-
Lansbury
www.uk-air.net
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