Ok, the long title says it all…but I do want to discuss today the difference between what you say and what you do. Should we applaud a woman on Frontier Airlines for being honest about her exit row intentions or simply make fun of her for her continued protestations as she was led off the aircraft in handcuffs by police officers?
Woman Thrown Off Frontier Airlines Flight For Refusing To Say “Yes” To Exit Row Duty, Then Refusing To Move
Federal Aviation Administration regulations require flight attendants to obtain a verbal “yes” from every passenger seated in an exit row on a US airline, verifying that they are able and willing to assist in case of an emergency. That’s why children under 15 years old and the disabled cannot sit in an exit row. It’s also why I was moved out of an emergency exit row on an Avianca flight once (because my Spanish was not good enough to communicate with the flight attendants).
Let’s go to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), where one of those exit row briefings was taking place onboard a Frontier Airlines flight. Rather than just say “yes” even though she had no intention of helping, one passenger was very blunt and honest:
“Oh, I’m not going to save anybody. If something happens, I’m going to save myself!”
I laughed when I read that…it’s really quite honest and I do appreciate it. But it’s precisely the wrong answer if you want to remain in the exit row (with extra legroom) and when she was told she would need to move seats, she allegedly refused…ultimately leading to the police being called (and she calling her attorney…).
@travelwithtia23 When keeping it real goes wrong. Irrate lady refused to deplane, because of her non compliance and disrespect towards the flight attendant. We all had to deplane and she was then arrested. #travelwithtia #travelwithtia23 #blackvloggers #fyp #travel #traveltiktok #xyzbca #viral #traveltok #vacaciones #vacation #budget #budgettravel #tsa #tsaprecheck #airport #selfcare #airplanemode #clt #frontierairlines @Frontier Airlines
Did you catch the name on her shirt?
I’m sitting in an emergency exit row as I type this story. Indeed, I am willing to help in case of an emergency and would not simply jump out first (at least I certainly hope not…we never know if we will pass the test until we are tested). Frankly, I think most would be the same…we see good samaritans popping up all the time on airplanes to help in case of a medical emergency or to restrain an unruly passenger.
But this woman was candid… perhaps refreshingly candid. Just not very smart.
images: travelwithtia23/TikTok // hat tip: View From The Wing
Just another example of why not to fly these discount airlines. While nonsense can happen on any flight, the odds are increased with the amount of white trash and other lowlifes on Frontier, Spirit, Allegiant, etc.
By law the airline has to get you to confirm. If you do not they are required by law to move you to a non-exist seat. If you do not comply with the airline requirement they are, again by law, required to remove you from the plane.
This has nothing to do with budget or not airline. This has everything
To do with a belligerent woman breaking the law and being treated accordingly.
She didn’t look like white trash to my eyes, but I guess you were trying to be fair. I had a good friend that was hired to be a flight attendent. During evacuation training 2 female trainees of the similar “white trash” persuasion opened the door, jumped on the slide and quit the training. Makes you wonder about DEI and white trash standards.
Being candid wasn’t her problem. Refusing to move seats after being candid was the problem.
Gotta love how her first move after getting the boot is to call her attorney. Lots of folks with chips on their shoulder in this country, thinking they can hit a payday.
Her attorney is Jackie Chiles :
Jackie : “Who told you to sit in the exit row ? I didn’t tell you to sit in no exit row !”
Jackie : “Good Samaritan Law ? You don’t have to help nobody !”
Jackie : “Have you ever heard of a guilty bystander ? No, because you cannot be a bystander and be guilty . Bystanders are by definition , innocent . That’s the nature of bystanding .”
That verbal “yes” when sitting on exit row is another huge BS that people continue to do just for the sake of following procedures that are absolutely outdated. Seriously, will anyone prosecute you in case a plane has an emergency and you don’t help others? What is the definition of helping others? Do they expect that you are the last one standing inside the plane? Also, nobody ever read the instructions on how to open that door. It is all a huge theater. I have seen people saying “yes” while watching something on their phones, eating, they never really say “yes” because it they intend to help but all they care is the extra legroom.
Now for this lady, clearly very stupid and not a frequent flyer so she deserves to be taken out in handcuffs.
I am a flight attendant and my expectation is that you do assist us in case of an emergency the script is mandated by the FAA and we Enter into a verbal contract once you Verbally agree to assist us.
If I am incapacitated and unable to assist passengers on the plane, we need someone to step into a leadership role and that is in fact those who elect to sit in the exit row, and those that we identify and agree to be able body persons.
I was flying from PBI to ATL and there was a couple in their early 90s in the exit row.
There is zero way they could have helped in an emergency, but they sat there and said yes when asked.
After the flight, I asked the FA about it and she said most passengers say yes for the extra legroom, that the FA know this and fully expect to handle all the emergency exists anyway.
When asked to perform a safety service, I take the responsibility seriously. This is why I avoid the exit row. Please don’t ask a commitment to a duty not fully explained. However this does not excuse the passenger from exchanging seats. She got what she deserved.
I totally agree with you.
The question is worded wrong. In an emergency evacuation, I would expect the passenger to open the door plug and place it on the seat or toss it far away out the plane. Then they can run.
For this plane, there’s no door plug but a hinged door.
If safety really is the most important factor, why not require a certification to sit in an exit row?
Could have a 15 minute training course at most major airport hubs. Would require proving you understand how to open the door and are physically capable of the task. You can register through the FF program or enter your registration when booking the seats.
That assumes of course that safety is actually the priority.
I regularly see people who are clearly unfit sitting in those seats. Should be grounds for a major lawsuit if there was an incident.
A couple points, yes thos lady is an idiot; however, she is seated at a door not exit row window so one big difference is a FA would be stationed there unlike row 17 of an AA 737-800.
I agree about the discount airlines comment. I travel 200 plus days a year. Of course this is averages not 100%
-Big 3
-sw , JB
– ultra low coat
Big difference between the average passenger the lower you go on the chart.
Will
Here is an interesting thing that happened to me a few weeks ago. First time I flew Southwest in 10 years. Bought the cheapest ticket for me and my son so you can imagine we were among the last to board. For my absolute surprise, we both got into exit row seats as they were available. I think people that are not frequent flyers are not comfortable to be on an exit row seat and have to open that window if needed.
WN=Boeing=reluctanfe to sit in an exit row.
You don’t keep up with bed, do you?
Airlines want abled bodied people who sit in exit rows to be able assist crew in emergencies. Crew has to verify that those exit row people agree to do this prior to departure or they will be reseated elsewhere and replaced by another able bodied person who understands that responsibility. Also crew has to verify that exit row people have read the safety card with door operations. Most people don’t read anything safety related or understand procedure. They think it’s a joke or waste of time. I say pick another seat. Airlines are serious about exit row responsibilities. I verified exit row people for 30 years and i had no problem relocating compromising pax.
make that news.
You’re trash.
I agree completely with the overall message of your comment.
I acknowledge that I am in the minority, but I review the door instructions on every flight. Even though I’ve been on probably three hundred 737 flights, I still look at the card, and I count and memorize the number of rows to the exits in front of me and behind me.
This information has never been useful to me, but several decades ago I watched a documentary in which survivors of commercial plane crashes gave interviews about why they felt survived the crash and these were some of the things they mentioned– knowing how to get off the plane was a key factor.
This was meant to be a reply to Santastico’s first comment, but it didn’t seem to end up there. Sorry for the confusion.
All would have been well until she refused to move.
This is typical of their behavior.
Black angry woman.
Oh my GOSH!! I’m laughing so hard right now!
Who told you to put the balm on? I didn’t tell you to put the balm on!
@Bethie … Yep … Jackie Chiles was the funniest lawyer .
I don’t like how FA authority seems to be absolute. Only in America would this incident result in an arrest, handcuffs, and a potential criminal record. I’m glad she’s suing, and I hope it goes way up through the courts. The police and legal system aren’t being used to protect passenger safety here, they’re being used to enforce the regulations of a private enterprise.
This is one of the most silly laws of the land. It’s so awkward to have the attendant come to an exit row and and say “I need a verbal confirmation that you’re willing and able”. Do you though? Or are you saying this because after a few weeks of training you’re going to get spot checked from some “trainer” to make sure you’re saying those exact words? It literally comes down to litigation. And this country is all about litigation and no common sense. In a crisis, nobody knows how human behaviour is going to be so asking that very question is dumb, imo. Remove the requirement of the attendant to say that briefing.
Needs a way to report toxic comments
The woman, though demonstrably stupid, had a right to refuse. But then she refused to move which is required by regulations. She deserved to be kicked off the flight and Id put her on the no-fly list as well. She’d probably be more comfortable on a bus anyway.
How dumb. Just say “yes” and then don’t help anybody.
Why not ask that question when you’re ordering your ticket so people know that before they get on the plane if they don’t know. People calling her stupid or saying she deserved that but I’m not helping neither especially if you don’t explain to me before I get on this plane why would you have to move your seat I feel like that’s an inconvenience you pay for your ticket if it wasn’t explained before you got on the plane is that really her fault or the airplane people?
If we’re being honest here, in a real emergency, the extent to which an exit row passenger would need to help is to open exit row door, then slide down the emergency slide. That’s it.
The expectation that an an exit row passenger stands by the exit door to assist other passengers out is totally unrealistic, as there is simply not enough space to do that. Yes, the exit row is a few inches wider, but it is still not enough space for one passenger to stand, while another passenger walks by.
In some cabins, the window seat by the exit door is removed, and in this instance, it would be possible. But in the standard 3-3 exit row configuration, there is no way.
I wouldn’t call the woman stupid., she may very well have been joking or honestly serious amswering the FA, but I know the airlines takes that “exit row” stuff seriously. My son and I have sat in the “exit row” at least 2 or 3 times. I know the times I booked those seats, I was asked, before purchasing, if I and my son were able to help in an emergency and of course again when seated. The problem wasn’t in her answer but, once asked to move, because of said answer was the problem. The handcuffing/arrest was a little over the top but, then again the fact that she didn’t want to get out of her seat was probably seen as resisting. I ,would’ve put her on the next flight and/or banned her from flying that airline.
So… she was basically Stanley from The Office.
At least one exit card I just read (online) said the responsibilities were to open the door / window, make sure it was out of the way and stabilize the slide and help people off it. That implies you go out after you remove the door. if you stay in the row, or even move to the isle, you are likely impeding people, not helping. If she said, I’ll open the door/window and then get out of the way” she’d be in compliance. Some FA might not have interpreted her comments as “I’m not helping at all” but rather in compliance. However, both she and the FAs allowed the exchange to escalate and once she was considered “non-cooperative” that probably disqualified her from the exit row.