Do this as soon as you take your seat to make your flight safer.
My pilot training brought home how important it is to move as quickly and surely as possible in the event of an evacuation. As a result, this is this first thing I do as soon as I take my seat:
I count the rows ahead and behind me to the emergency exits. I do this so even if the cabin is dark, filled with smoke, or upside down, I can count the number of seats by touch to reach the emergency exit row. I note the exits in both directions in case the aisle to the closest one is blocked.
What else do I do to increase my chances of safely evacuating?
I keep comfortable shoes on when flying. (I don’t want to have to evacuate in socks or heels.)
I carry a small flashlight, separate from the one on my phone. (Imagine trying to exit a dark cabin with a group of panicked people.)
I have a “go bag” in my carryon: a small messenger bag I can sling over my shoulder should I have to evacuate. In it is my phone, passport, credit cards, and prescriptions. It’s all I would grab, leaving the rest. (I’m always a bit shocked to see people slowly evacuating a plane pulling/carrying heavy luggage. I’d have grabbed my go bag, left my rollaboard, and beat feet out of there!
Twist’s Take: For safety’s sake, count the rows in both directions to the emergency exit as soon as you take your seat on the plane.
