I think the way most airlines manage exit row seating is that they keep those seats unassigned until the day of the flight. Often you can request a seating change when you arrive at the gate and they may give you an exit row seat at that time, usually about 20 minutes before the scheduled departure time.<br><br>I'm not certain why they do that, but it may be so that airline employees can have some ability to hand-pick the exit row passengers, ensuring that the people are not obviously incapable of opening the exit doors (ie, no young children, medically frail, handicapped, etc.) Also it would allow accomodating passengers that may want or need extra leg room. It may also increase the likelihood that the exit row will be vacant in flight which would allow the trained FA's to operate the exit if needed.<br><br>A word of caution: if there are 2 adjacent exit rows as there often are over the wings, the front exit row seat backs will not recline. This prevents blocking the exit row behind. It can be less comfortable on long flights.<br><br>

Did they make you trim your fingernails?<br><br>

>>Some type of breathing protection (maybe?). If a bandana is not useful, what would be a good replacement, short of the hood mentioned earlier.<<<br><br>Maybe one of our firefighter friends will have some expert advice here, but I don't think you will get any meaningful protection from poisonous gasses and smoke in an airplane fire without a serious, certified filter media. I've seen some filter masks at Home Depot and Lowes hardware stores that have various classifications and rated for various hazards. I don't recall any of them being specifically for fires, but a study of the different classifications might bear that out. In any case the better ones have detachable cartridges and are not cheap. You would be hard pressed to save a lot of money relative the the Evac-U-8 device and you would lose convenient portability and compactness.<br><br>So if you don't want to go that route, I would suggest trying to hold your breath, staying low and crawling near the floor, and being close to an exit that you can quickly find and open, maybe without being able to see.<br><br>

>>I've heard that there is a simple rule on blade length which I think is 4 inches in the US.<<<br><br>Really? A 4 inch blade is a pretty large folder, probably about eight and three-quarters inches open. I'd think that would encompass perhaps 60 percent or more of the "tactical" folders out there, and I sure wouldn't want to try to take one of those on a plane.<br><br>

>>No blade whatsoever will be allowed in a Federal Building.<<<br><br>Actually, that varies a lot from building to building, with no apparent overall policy (like the airlines, come to think of it).<br><br>I worked for over two years in federal buildings within 2 blocks of the White House in DC (no, I am not and never have been a government employee- it was a contract). This is an area with closed-circuit TV cameras covering every sidewalk and alley (usually visible cameras mounted a couple of stories up on the corners of buildings), and a forest of radio antennas, parabolic antennas, large, panning TV cameras, and even spinning radar antennas on the rooftops. Many of the rooftops are permanently closed.<br><br>In one of the buildings there were no metal detectors, and only parcels and bags were searched coming or going- and that was relaxed in the period of time that I was there. The other one had metal detectors and x-ray machines at every entrance, and everything entering the building had to go through one or the other. The legal limit for any carried blade in DC, regardless of where, is three inches, and they had pre-measured 3" strips attached to the edges of desks, so they could tell whether it was legal instantly by laying the blade against the edge of the desk (the 3" mark was labeled "ILLEGAL"). I know that anything larger was confiscated, and I know that there had been some arrests based on that- I never asked if *everyone* with a larger blade was arrested.<br><br>It's worth noting, though, that probably unlike the INS building you mention, neither of these buildings was really open to the "public". Those without government ID badges had to be escorted by someone with a badge.<br><br><br><br>

I walked into a federal building earlier this year and they took my two knifes, multitool, and leatherman micra before they would let me enter. A lawyer friend walked in just before me and they didn't even look at her. I'm almost sure she was packing. She always does. <br><br>

I agree, I wouldn't be comfortable approaching an airport checkpoint with a 4 inch folding knife. It would seem like an obvious potential weapon. I checked it again at the link below and it said:<br><br>"Knives with a blade length in excess of four inches (10.2 cm) are not allowed on board aircraft in the U.S. State or local laws in the U.S. may restrict the carraige of smaller knives. Other prohibited weapons include throwing stars, swords..."<br><br>http://www.airsafe.com/danger.htm<br><br>Of course, the way this is worded, it doesn't specifically allow knives of less than 4". <br><br>

>>Of course, the way this is worded, it doesn't specifically allow knives of less than 4"<<<br><br>Nor does it distinguish between carry-on and checked baggage... I may have violated that length restriction myself for checked baggage.. since I have no access to it, and it poses no threat to the airplane or personnel, it never occured to me that there would be such a restriction. I wonder if they'd really enforce it- why would they care?<br><br>In any case, I suspect that the "working" restriction on carry-on blades is much stricter. This may be one of those (many) cases where ambiguity in the policies or laws is deliberately preserved to, in effect, let them enforce anything they want.<br><br>Good link, thanks.<br><br>

I once saw a sign at the El Paso airport that stated. No blades longer than 3.75 inches allowed as carry on. But, I have been to Mainland China four times carrying a 5 inch Cold Steel Voyager in checked in luggage, and a Benchmade A.F.C.K. in my pocket. The A.F.C.K. has also been to Africa and France with no problems. The only problem I have run into was in Newark, N.J., on a lay over to Canada. The girl at the metal detector looked at it closely. I stated, " 4 inches is the maximum limit for carry on isn't it." After talking to the male guard they let it pass. I guess it depends on the guard. Just don't take one you can't leave at the guard gate. <br><br>

To avoid questions about blade length etc., put all your change and metallic objects in a small ziplock bag. The rent-a-security folks at the security checkpoints didn't even look it. <br><br>