How heavy is a door?

Mxsmanic wrote:
Mike Hunt writes:


On US carriers, FA's don't usually decide who sits in the exit row.


Flight attendants can tell anyone to sit anywhere. They are required
to ensure that anyone seated next to an exit is able-bodied.


I never said they couldn't tell anyone to sit anywhere, only that they
are not the people that primarily decide where people sit. They don't go
and select strong athletic types to sit in the exit row, at least on
US carriers. Except for Southwest (and maybe a couple of minor
carriers), seats are generally assigned before boarding and NOT by the
FA. On WN, seats are self assigned during boarding. I have been on a few
foreign carriers and haven't seen FA's assign exit row seating on those
either.

Mike Hunt wrote:

On US carriers, FA's don't usually decide who sits in the exit row.
If someone is obviously unable to do the job, they can be removed, but I
have never seen anyone removed, and I often sit in or near the exit row.

I have. It was a young man, travelling with his mother. He had
prosthetics on both legs. The FA requested them to move. They were
gracious about it, though I thought at the time that maybe they had
chosen that row to give him more leg-room.

Rupa Bose
www.rupabose.org

DevilsPGD wrote:
In message
(P T) wrote:

I think some of the emergency exits have doors that remove
completely, as opposed to opening on hinges. It strikes me those
things must be heavy, maybe even too heavy for many men to easily
manipulate.

Does anyone know how heavy those doors are?

Part of the emergency exit row speech includes making sure you're
capable of moving and lifting the door. Some planes this can be up to
50lbs, others you just pull a handle and the door does all the work.

I guess if you can lift your check-in, you can push the door, too. After
tripping over all the babies and crap in those rows!

--
ant
Don't try to email me;
I'm borrowing the spammer du jour's addy

P T a écrit:
I think some of the emergency exits have doors that remove completely,
as opposed to opening on hinges. It strikes me those things must be
heavy, maybe even too heavy for many men to easily manipulate.

Does anyone know how heavy those doors are?


About 20 kg on a MD80.

In article ,
DevilsPGD wrote:

In message Mike Hunt
postmaster@localhost wrote:

On US carriers, FA's don't usually decide who sits in the exit row.
If someone is obviously unable to do the job, they can be removed, but I
have never seen anyone removed, and I often sit in or near the exit row.

I've seen people relocated once, although I didn't catch the details.

For my own part, I was once seated on a flight with a flight attendant
who gave me the third degree... "How do you know you can handle lifting
and moving a 40lbs door?" -- Since I buy cat litter in heavier boxes
then that, and pretty regularly carry two while dodging cats I felt
reasonably comfortable to being able to handle it -- He seemed satisfied
with that answer.

Other then that, it's usually just the usual Q&A once you're in the
seat, but both at check-in (if applicable) and at the gate they tend to
mention it's an exit row.

I haven't had one in 1.5 years now though, so the rules may have
changed.

I saw a whole row relocated once on Southwest. It turned out they were
part of an Asian tour group. The escort was farther back when the FAs
discovered the passengers in the exit row didn't speak English. There
was lots of running around and arm waving. The plane had to pull out of
the take off line onto an adjacent taxiway to allow them to get all the
relocation done. Pardon the ethnic reference, but it really looked like
what is sometimes described as a "chinese fire drill". :-)

In message .com
wrote:


Mike Hunt wrote:

On US carriers, FA's don't usually decide who sits in the exit row.
If someone is obviously unable to do the job, they can be removed, but I
have never seen anyone removed, and I often sit in or near the exit row.

I have. It was a young man, travelling with his mother. He had
prosthetics on both legs. The FA requested them to move. They were
gracious about it, though I thought at the time that maybe they had
chosen that row to give him more leg-room.

More leg-room is a good thought, as is placing him near an exit since he
may need more assistance getting to the exit (depending on how new he is
to those prosthetics, anyway) -- But I can certainly understand not
putting him IN the exit row, since that could result in his mother
bothering with him, and the two of them being in the way if the door
does need to get opened.

--
If I were still loyal to the Goa'uld, you would know it.
It would be immediately apparent as I would not hesitate to kill you where you sit.
-- Teal'c

DevilsPGD writes:

More leg-room is a good thought, as is placing him near an exit since he
may need more assistance getting to the exit (depending on how new he is
to those prosthetics, anyway) ...

Nope. Handicapped people are never put next to the exits, and they
have the lowest priority on the aircraft for evacuation. The crew
tends to them if and when the able-bodied are out.

But I can certainly understand not
putting him IN the exit row, since that could result in his mother
bothering with him, and the two of them being in the way if the door
does need to get opened.

Exactly. The airlines don't publicize it, but those are the rules.
Better to have 190 people alive and one dead than one alive and 190
dead.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Mxsmanic wrote:

DevilsPGD writes:


More leg-room is a good thought, as is placing him near an exit since he
may need more assistance getting to the exit (depending on how new he is
to those prosthetics, anyway) ...


Nope. Handicapped people are never put next to the exits, and they
have the lowest priority on the aircraft for evacuation. The crew
tends to them if and when the able-bodied are out.

Not everyone with artificial limbs is unable to handle the exit door.
I once worked on a political campaign for a man who lost a leg in WW2.
He had played pro soccer.
I don't think you can do that and have the leg be a handicap when
exiting the aircraft.

In message Mxsmanic
wrote:

DevilsPGD writes:

More leg-room is a good thought, as is placing him near an exit since he
may need more assistance getting to the exit (depending on how new he is
to those prosthetics, anyway) ...

Nope. Handicapped people are never put next to the exits, and they
have the lowest priority on the aircraft for evacuation. The crew
tends to them if and when the able-bodied are out.

But I can certainly understand not
putting him IN the exit row, since that could result in his mother
bothering with him, and the two of them being in the way if the door
does need to get opened.

Exactly. The airlines don't publicize it, but those are the rules.
Better to have 190 people alive and one dead than one alive and 190
dead.

Yes -- But I stand by my statement, putting him NEAR an emergency exit,
but not in the exit row. The row in front or behind would be ideal.

--
Oh well, I guess this is just going to be one of those lifetimes.

In message Mike Hunt
postmaster@localhost wrote:

Mxsmanic wrote:

DevilsPGD writes:


More leg-room is a good thought, as is placing him near an exit since he
may need more assistance getting to the exit (depending on how new he is
to those prosthetics, anyway) ...


Nope. Handicapped people are never put next to the exits, and they
have the lowest priority on the aircraft for evacuation. The crew
tends to them if and when the able-bodied are out.

Not everyone with artificial limbs is unable to handle the exit door.
I once worked on a political campaign for a man who lost a leg in WW2.
He had played pro soccer.
I don't think you can do that and have the leg be a handicap when
exiting the aircraft.

Like I said, depending on how new he is to the prosthetics -- I'd
suggest that if he was on a return trip after flying to have them
fitted, then he's probably still struggling with walking and should not
be put in a position where inability to walk could cause me to die.

Nor would I sit in an exit row if I had a broken anything, which would
be the same or worse impediment.

--
Oh well, I guess this is just going to be one of those lifetimes.