[Romulus]

Why not get to know your fellow passengers and establish your true-blue patriotism by beating them up first?

[MarkWar]

>I don't want to get pummeled by zealous fellow passngers, so I am looking for advice. This is about two 3-hour flights strung together.

Heck, why not just get up and go to the bathroom? That will stretch your legs and let your blood flow a bit. Plus, it doesn't look as funny as when you start spazzing around like Denise Austin in the aisle...

Mark W.

[Lady Jag]

Just do what I do. Hang a short piece of string out of your mouth for the whole flight. People will pretty much leave you alone.

[mewzilla]

Talk to your doc, especially about the asprin. Deep vein thrombosis is no joke, but I think the risk is only worrisome or ral long haul flights. And there are exercises you can do in your seat. Again ask doc, or even the flight attendants, about the latter. Just remember, I am NOT a doc, didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. :)

[SGCOS]

1.don't perform stretches during last 30 minutes of flight.
2. Don't make any sudden movements.
3. Announce your intentions, i.e.

"I'm getting up now. I'm going to stretch. Don't be alarmed"

4. Announce when you're finished.

[Mat_Helm]

The blood clot problem is for longer flights that are 10 to 12 hours in length. 3 hour flights will not generaly cause a problem of dehydration and blood clots. If you are not overweight I would not worry about it.

[Clara Lou]

I would get up in flight, and do stretching exercises (to avoid blood clots, cramps, etc)
Give us --and your fellow passengers-- a break! (Hypochondria might be more of a concern for you.)

[SpottedBeaver]

Just order a whole bunch of those little bottles. After about a 'drink' or 20 you won't care about the 3 hour flight or stretching.... or anything for that matter. ;)

[onedoug]

The enemy doesn't want you to stretch. So smile at anyone who looks askance, and just do it.

[Always Right]

Whatever you do, don't crush the aspirin into a white powder.

[Lady Jag]

All kidding aside, I haven't had anything but normal flights. The only thing abnormal is the two hour wait at the gate after checking my bags at the curb. People get up and walk during the flight without getting any sidelong looks. Frankly, I think the media is hyping what's happening at the airports. I don't know if everyone will agree, but that's been my experience, everything is just as before, you just have to wait longer because they asked you get there early.

[garyhope]

I myself can't go 3 hours without moving or going to the toilet to relieve my aging bladder. Tell the flight attendant at the beginning of the flight that you have a bladder infection. I'm too fidgety to go 3 hours without moving. I get up and go hang out near the gallery pretending to wait for a available toilet or get a magazine from the magazine storage. Go to the toilet, close the door and do your exercises (with a little restraint. Do it a couple of times. You can do it. You will survive. Bon voyage.

[breakem]

Just did a round trip SF-Paris. I suggest stretching, but no quick moves toward the cockpit. How about a stroll toward the back and stretch in the galley while chatting up the crew.

[okiedust]

Depends on what you look like. For example if you look like a Victorias Secret model you should have no problem. Moan a little that should help. If you look like Osama bin Laden, don't move at all. Don't make eye contact and simply contract and release your muscles silently to yourself, don't say any thing that sounds like Allah and don't moan.

regards

[theDentist]

No. Continue. make all sorts of Bruce Lee "Whooo" sounds as you do them. That forces air from your stomache and hardens those muscles, helps the stretching process, and will most likely answer the question on your mind: "Is there a Sky Marshall on board this flight?"

[VRWC_minion]

Go ahead and stretch but for God's sake don't open your mail on the plane.

[Chad Fairbanks]

I don't want to get pummeled by zealous fellow passngers, so I am looking for advice

Just do what I do - I used to be a grocery clerk, years ago, and I worked the graveyard shift, stocking shelves... for some reason, whenever someone asked me what I do for a living and I replied, "I'm a Night Stocker", for some reason they'd leave me alone...

[WFTR]

Do what you normally do. I'm tired of Americans having to apologize for doing what they want to do. The whole point of the liberties written into our Constitution is that we don't have to spend our lives justifying our actions to every neurotic busybody who is threatened by the idea that someone, somewhere isn't living according to some liberal prescription. I've taken one flight since 9/11, and I hope it will be my Last Flight. For the most part, the flight is no different from what it was before the attacks.

I have heard that some airlines are being more restrictive. My company's official preferred carrier is Continental, and I've heard one guy say that they have been trying to force people to stay seated. I'm claustrophobic anyway and couldn't stand the thought of another flight on Continental, so I made my last flight on Southwest. I sometimes think that if the terrorists had tried what they did on a Southwest flight, those box-cutters would have become instant suppositories and we would still be wondering where Chandra Levy is.

WFTR
Mostly afraid of your ignorance (of the 4th Amendment)
Bill

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Midway through the flight, step out of your seat into the aisle, stretch one leg far back and get into a crouching runners position, then sprint for the cockpit as fast as you can.

You will have nothing to worry about after that.

PS - You might consider doing what I have decided to do now that the anti-terror Nazis run the airports.

Drive.

[Stefan Stackhouse]

I would suggest trying to arrange to get a seat assignment as far toward the rear as possible. As far as I know, it is still legal to get up & go to the lavatory on long flights. It will be a short trip to the rear of the plane from the back seats, and if you explain what you are doing to the flight crew back there, I'm sure they wouldn't have any trouble with you doing a couple of deep knee bends while back there. Almost all of your fellow passengers won't even notice.