THE FATTY CLAUSE

THE FATTY CLAUSE If one is not able to fly in first class and is relegated to the coach section in the back, then the most comfortable seat in the house is the aisle seat in the emergency exit row. Not only does one get the most legroom; but also the opportunity to save themselves first in case of an emergency. I know that someone sitting in that seat is supposed to promise to help others off first; but cowards exit quickly. One proof of how desirable that row is can be verified by Qantas airline charging a fee of $130 for booking an exit row seat on its trans-Pacific flights. That translates into about $8.70/hour so it is not an outrageous amount to pay for the comfort. The Federal Aviation Administration set minimum standard rules in 1990 that one must qualify for to be able to sit in the emergency exit row. Southwest airlines list their own requirements on their web site www.southwest.com. The list is so onerous as to prevent anyone from ever wanting to take responsibility for the task. But since most people do not know all the rules; they take the seat for the legroom.

RULES FOR SITTING IN AN EMERGENCY ROW 1. Recognize the emergency exit opening mechanism. 2. Comprehend the instructions for operating the emergency exit. 3. Operate the emergency exit. 4. Assess whether opening the emergency exit will increase the hazards to which passengers may be exposed. 5. Follow oral directions and hand signals given by a crew member. 6. Secure the emergency exit window so that it will not impede use of the exit. 7. Pass expeditiously through the emergency exit. 8. Assess, select, and follow a safe path away from the emergency exit. In addition, to comply with federal regulations, a passenger seated in an exit seat must have sufficient mobility, strength or dexterity in both arms and hands and both legs to:

1. Reach upward, sideways, and downward to the location of emergency exit. 2. Grasp and push, pull, turn, or otherwise manipulate mechanisms. 3. Push, shove, pull or otherwise open the emergency exit. 4. Lift out, hold, deposit on nearby seats, or maneuver over the seatbacks to the next row or out the opening objects the size and weight of overwing window exit doors. 5. Remove objects similar in size and weight to overwing exit windows.

6. Reach the emergency exit expeditiously. 7. Maintain balance while removing obstructions. 8. Exit expeditiously.

A passenger seated in an exit seat must:

1. Be 15 years of age or older. 2. Have the capacity to perform the applicable functions without the assistance of an adult companion, parent, or other relative. 3. Have the ability to read and understand instructions related to emergency evacuation provided by Southwest in printed or graphic form. 4. Have the ability to understand oral crew commands. 5. Have sufficient visual capacity to perform applicable functions without the assistance of visual aids beyond contact lenses or eyeglasses. 6. Have sufficient aural capacity to hear and understand instructions shouted by flight attendants without assistance beyond a hearing aid. 7. Have the ability to adequately impart information orally to other passengers.

A passenger seated in an exit seat must NOT:

1. Have preboarded. 2. Use a portable oxygen concentrator. 3. Require a seat belt extension to fasten his or her seat belt. 4. Have a condition or responsibilities, such as caring for small children, that might prevent them from performing the applicable functions. 5. Have a condition that might cause the person harm if he or she performs one or more of the applicable functions.

This list includes a requirement that only Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines and AirTran have and other airlines don’t; that is the “Fatty Clause.” No other airline bans overweight people who use seat extenders from sitting on an emergency exit row seat. Randy Diamond, who writes the Travel Maze column for Daily Finance, is a seat belt extender user and was banned from the emergency exit row on Southwest. When he asked for a reason why for the “Fatty Clause,” Southwest Airlines spokeswoman Brandy King e-mailed him the statement: "The reason behind the policy is safety,'' she said.”It supports our ability to assist passengers in exiting the aircraft in an expeditious manner in the event of an emergency." That is not much of an answer. At least Alaska Airlines, which has the same rule, gave him a more detailed explanation. Spokeswoman Bobbi Egan said that the seat belt extender creates a "potential safety hazard." "With an extender, a seat belt can stretch across the floor and could become a tripping hazard for people exiting through the emergency exits."

Diamond wrote, “I guess that makes sense, but then shouldn't laptop cords be banned in the exit row as well?” The only way that airlines can REALLY know if a passenger is capable of handling all of the responsibilities of sitting in an exit row is if they had a test upon boarding for visual and aural capacity, dexterity, strength, mobility, and the ability to lift 50 pounds. Being fat is visible to the naked eye; being smart isn’t.