In the US Senate a vote on regulating minimum airline seat width and pitch was rejected as the majority of lawmakers felt that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) should not be responsible for setting minimum size limits on seats and leg room.
Senator Chuck Schumer who was pleading the case for regulation could not muster enough support despite a valiant “Leggysburg” address. “The great Abraham Lincoln was asked how long a man’s legs should be, and he famously answered, ‘Long enough to reach from the body to the ground.’ If you asked a major airline today how long should a man’s legs be, they’d say, ‘Short enough to miss the tray table.’ That’s not a way to fly,” said the senator.
The opposition which voted 54-42 against the amendment expressed the opinion that regulating seat width and leg space was “too much government” and it’s not the FAA’s responsibility to define comfort. Such controls would result in increased fares.
Meanwhile, those of us who have to squeeze ourselves into seats at the back of the bus have to continue to dream of getting upgraded on our next flight.
