I fly Southwest several times a month and usually grab the exit row since I’m tall. Today I had one of the oddest FA interactions I’ve ever had. I went for the starboard side aisle seat, but the FA was standing there and told me I had to sit in the middle until boarding was finished because she “needed to stand there.” Not a huge deal, but awkward since people kept thinking the seat was open and putting bags down, and I’d have to explain I was moving once she was done.
She then went way beyond the usual exit row spiel, insisting every single person read the entire safety card, emphasizing details about over-wing procedures, and even hanging around pressed up against another passenger after all the exit row seats were full because “the FAA requires her presence there.” Finally, she gave a very intense version of the exit row announcement that felt more aggressive than usual. I’ve never seen this level of insistence before.
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