The Seatbelt Sign & You

Posted in A Day in the Life of a Flight Attendant | 5 comments

The Flight Attendants talk about it in the safety demo, its written at your seat, it’s on the safety card and you hear the announcements the whole flight long. What am I talking about? The Fasten Seatbelt Sign of course. You might not have figured it out though, because it seems many of you don’t care about it.

The Fasten Seatbelt Sign (or FSB) is the demise of cabin crews worldwide. We’re instructed in our training programs and through our approved inflight manuals to remind you that the seatbelt sign is on, and ask for your compliance by returning to your seat. Most of you (you meaning the traveling public) disregard the seatbelt sign and choose not to fasten yours or decide its a perfect time to use the restroom, without realizing that it is on for a reason. Something else you should understand, if you choose to get up while the FSB is on, and ask the flight attendants “can I use the restroom” the answer must be a “no, the fasten seatbelt sign is on.” If you then re-question or re-phrase it “so, I can’t go to the bathroom?” the answer still must be a “no, the fasten seatbelt sign is on.” We, as cabin crew, are not permitted to give you permission in any way, shape or form to use the restroom when the FSB is on because of liability and legal reasons.

Recently, there was two separate occasions where the FSB was on, and the flight hit severe turbulence. One woman on board a Continental flight is now paralyzed from the neck down from hitting the ceiling, and other passengers were wounded on board a different Continental airliner, all with no recourse against the airline. Why? Because they didn’t listen to the cabin crew.

Part of the problem is cabin crew are not permitted to enforce the seatbelt sign, we are not the bathroom police. Once you are told “the FSB is on, please return to your seat” and you continue to use the restroom, you are up at your own risk. Though, don’t be shocked is one day you are issued a fine for disobeying a direct crew member instruction. On a recent flight the FSB was turned on while avoiding a storm over the mid-west United States. A passenger proceeded to head to the restroom anyway. The cabin crew informed the passenger that the FSB was on and that it wasn’t safe. The passengers response “yeah yeah, I know.” He entered the restroom anyway. A few moments later, another passenger made his way to the aft and flashed an FAA Inspector’s badge and told the flight attendant that he heard him tell the passenger the FSB was on, and noticed he neglected to listen. As the passenger exited the restroom, he was issued a fine for $2000.00, for violating an FAA regulation and disobeying a crew member’s instruction.

I believe flight attendants should have the discretion to issue these same summonses. If we are there “primarily for your safety” and the seatbelt sign is on, you disobey (and it’s obviously not an emergency) we should be allowed to enforce the regulation. Regulations are there for a reason and this one is constantly broken.

On your next flight, please understand the Flight Attendants are not telling you to sit down when the FSB is on because they are being rude or simply want to be alone in the back of the plane, but because it is in your best interest and it is their job. They have to tell you to sit down. That same FAA inspector can issue us a fine if we don’t. Please don’t give the cabin crew any unnecessary anguish or frustration, be aware of your surroundings and follow the rules and regulations your supposed to.