Smart moves for bad knees

I lost the cartilage in both knees when I was 13 years old. My doctors told me, “No more rugby,” but I kept playing until I was 45. I’m 6 feet 3 inches tall, and I had the No. 8 position. That’s the flanker who controls the ball at the back of the scrum. Let’s just say it isn’t the safest spot to be.

By the time I quit rugby, my knees were shot. I’ve had multiple operations, and I’m scheduled to go under the knife again in August.

Traveling with bad knees can be a hardship. The discomfort is often unbearable. When I’m sitting in an airline seat and I try to move, the compression makes the bones in my knees rub together. It’s a shooting pain. Since they’ve banned almost everything I used to take for it, the only way to manage it is through exercise – and hoping to get the best seat on the plane.

On domestic flights, the most coveted seats aren’t in business class or first class. They’re in the exit row of coach. I’m always guaranteed lots of legroom in the exit row. You’d be amazed at how many business-class seats have boxes underneath them, which get in the way of your legs. The well-seasoned travelers all go for the exit-row seats.

Occasionally, on a newer airline, they won’t release the good seats until check-in time. So some passengers end up in the seats without knowing that they lucked out. If I’m unable to get into the exit row, I can usually talk one of the tourists into switching seats.

When my favorite row is full, I resort to stretching out my legs in the aisle. I’ve never been stepped on by another passenger. But the flight attendants have run into me with their meal carts. They normally come from behind without a warning and plow into my shoulders.

There are other benefits to the exit row besides the extra legroom. They don’t allow kids. I’ll never forget the time I couldn’t get seated in the exit row. Instead, I found myself next to a mother and her baby. Halfway through the flight, when it was time for a diaper change, Mom didn’t bother making a trip to the changing table in the restroom. She changed the baby on the seat.

The vents above us were not strong enough to offset the smell.

Just after Sept. 11, I was recovering from one of my operations and I had to use a cane. The security lines were around the block, so I would grab a wheelchair and be whisked through the checkpoint. It was a good time to have bad knees. I almost regretted giving up the cane, because then I had to stand in line with everyone else.

I’ve never had a problem with other passengers leaning back and bumping into my damaged knees. Mostly, it’s because I’m fixated on the exit rows, where some of the seats are locked in the upright position. But when someone leans a little too far into my space, I politely ask them to unlean themselves. They usually comply quickly.

Simon Cooper, president and chief operating officer, Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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