You may smirk while enjoying the ample legroom you have at that front row seat that faces a wall. You may even gloat a bit while thinking about that poor six-foot-four guy seated behind you who has his knees caressing his chin. What you may not realize is that when you’re in a bulkhead seat, there is no such thing as “underneath the seat in front of you”? Don’t try squeezing your bag behind your legs; we caught on to that one years ago. All your bags need to be stowed in an overhead bin, and soon.

Remember, loose newspapers, magazines, purses, pop cans, dirty plates, and your size twelve shoes are not exceptions to the FAR that requires a clear aisleway. I imagine that a stray Wall Street Journal would act much like a banana peel during an emergency evacuation.

Another misunderstood seating area is the last row on a light-load flight. If you find yourself in that location with a multitude of empty seats in front of you, at least one flight attendant will try to persuade you to move forward. She’ll tell you that your seat back will not recline and the engine noise is louder in the last row, which in some cases is true. What she won’t mention is that she is anticipating the conclusion of her cabin service by staking out a claim for the “flight attendant crew lounge.”