Ignoring the seat belt sign is risky

Q: Sometimes when the seat belt sign is on and the flight feels turbulence-free, I’ll see passengers who get up to use the restroom. I have heard flight attendants get on the speaker and remind us the seat belt sign is still on and to return to our seats, but those reminders rarely happen. Is it a case of flight attendants picking their battles?

— Bruce Valley, Portland, Ore.

A: It happens so often that, sadly, it falls on deaf ears.

The flight attendants try to provide a reminder that the seat belt sign is on. The captain will have it on when there is a possibility of turbulence. Turbulence is unpredictable and often will not occur. This causes people to believe there is no risk. This is a false belief.

Q: Do the restrooms have seat belts?

— Joe Brock

A: In some airplanes they do, but most do not.

Q: Is it possible for the pilots to forget to turn off the seat belt sign? Is there an indicator that reminds them?

— Duane Harms, Gainesville, Ga.

A: Most airplanes do not have a seat belt reminder. It is possible that a pilot could forget to switch the seat belt sign off during cruise, but it is more likely that there were reports of intermittent turbulence.

Q: Is the president required to wear a seat belt on Air Force One? Is there a safety demonstration at takeoff ?

— Robert Kalin, Palm Springs, Calif.

A: Yes, there are seat belts on Air Force One. As I understand it from people who have ridden on Air Force One, there is not a traditional safety briefing, which is common for business aircraft.