Flight Attendant Rules
Information on why flight attendants ask you to do certain things, and how this enhances your safety.
Luggage at your feet
Some passengers bring oversized items onboard that don't fit in the overhead locker. Perhaps the item is valuable or breakable and they ask for the opportunity to try it in the locker, but when it doesn't fit then place it under their feet / legs.
Anything on the floor could become a dangerous obstruction in an emergency, it an oversized item moved into the aisle it would be disasterous, potentially causing people to fall, delaying an evacuation.
Even if oversized items are left between the seats, it could block the exit for passengers beside the item, or become a projectile injuring others.
Opening the window shades
If a flight attendant asks you to open your window shade, this is so you and passengers around you can gain an awareness of what is happening outside in case of an emergency.
In the event of an accident it's important for passengers to be able to assess if it's safe to exit an airplane using a particular exit, by looking outside you know when it's safe to get up yet and if there's fire on a particular side of the airplane, or other obstructions.
