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from the next-up:-the-case-of-the-expanding-airline-passenger dept.
The 'Incredible Shrinking Airline Seat' Gets a U.S. Court Rebuke
If you think the government should do something about the cramped legroom on airplanes, you've got a friend in a federal court.
The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., on Friday ordered aviation regulators to consider setting minimum standards for the space airlines give passengers.
"This is the Case of the Incredible Shrinking Airline Seat," Judge Patricia Ann Millett wrote on behalf of the three-judge panel. "As many have no doubt noticed, aircraft seats and the spacing between them have been getting smaller and smaller, while American passengers have been growing in size."
The court found in favor of Flyers Rights, a nonprofit advocacy group, which had argued that steadily shrinking legroom and seat size created a safety hazard and the Federal Aviation Administration should impose new restrictions.
Additional coverage at Reuters and CNN
Opinion for the Court filed by Circuit Judge MILLETT.
(Score: 2) by opinionated_science on Monday July 31 2017, @11:49AM (5 children)
the announcements are for the new flyers every time. As a pro' , I'm sure you can (now) just stick your headphones on a watch your tab/phone/computer/doze as might amuse you.
seatbelts (my guess) are NOT car seatbelts, because they can be removed easily by both occupant and external (rescuer!!!!) operator.
I'm not so bothered by seat size as I'm not to large, but having more reclining would be an improvement...
(Score: 2) by ledow on Monday July 31 2017, @12:23PM (4 children)
Nope.
I get told to remove the headphones for the announcement. We're not allowed to use tablets then either. Seems pretty standard on UK->Europe flights.
I fail to see how the seatbelts are any easier to open - you have to lift a flap central to the belt rather than push a button on the edge. If anything, you could make it so that you can open the buckle from the chair itself without having to put your hand in between the breasts and legs of an unconscious - folded over - patient to release their belt.
And every aircraft I've been on in the last ten years needs me to sit with my knees up, which is extremely uncomfortable. I'm only 5'10". There is no legroom, or any semblance of it. When your own car, even a Smart car, lets you stretch further - when you have to be seated in that upright position in order to see - there's a problem there. When it comes to relaxing on a plane 200 times the size, I'd expect not to feel like someone sitting in the middle of a child's play house.
(Score: 2) by opinionated_science on Monday July 31 2017, @12:33PM (1 child)
I get told to remove the headphones for the announcement. We're not allowed to use tablets then either. Seems pretty standard on UK->Europe flights.
Ah, speaking of the USA. Your local conditions may vary...
On seatbelts the flap design can be opened with low manual or other limb dexterity. Buttons would be impossible, especially for large passengers.
I'm slightly taller, but again here in the USA there may be different spacing. Only a few planes are near my knees, and I suspect the inflight magazine may account for some of that...!!
Biz class has massive recline (of course), but it's not that much recline to feel comfortable.
I'll wager they had scientists find that extract transition...!
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Wednesday August 02 2017, @01:23AM
Every flight I've ever flown within the USA I've also been forced to remove headphones and disable electronics during the safety announcements. I don't doubt that you can get away with it, they won't necessarily see a small pair of earbuds twenty rows back (or they just don't care), but the FAA does recommend airlines prohibit the use of electronics (or even books or newspapers) during the safety briefing, and IME most airlines do enforce that.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Monday July 31 2017, @01:31PM
Can't heaaar you? what diiid yooouu say? ;-)
Just tell them your laptop contains acoustic 3D impedance microphone search array to enable you to heeaaarr anything. Then return to viewing the Rambo visual instruction on how to deal with the akbar thugs ;-)
Maybe some portable footstool can ease this? or support the feet?
Walk around now and then?
And watch out for deep vein thrombosis!
(Score: 0, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 31 2017, @02:57PM
Oh boo hoo, 5 minutes of your time, gone forever.. whatsoever shall you do now???? What are you, 10?