Pre-FCC Self-regulation

 Estate auctions have become one of the unexpected joys about living in rural Pennsylvania.  Never much of a collector, in my nearly thirty years at Penn State, I have acquired lots of old technology, including radios, telephones, and early personal computers.

Yesterday, I acquired correspondence on letterhead for a an organization aiming to promote and "regulate" the emerging radio technology in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. I am not sure just what the members sought to achieve and how they did it, because there was a Federal Radio Commission preceding formation of the FCC in 1934.

Thought Experiment: What Would You Do If You Saw an "Inoperative" Sticker on a Jet Exit Row Window?

Soon after I took my exit row seat on an long flight from Germany on Monday, I saw this sticker:

Here's a closer look at the text on the sticker:

Which of the following most closely fits how you would react:

A) Have confidence that safety regulatory oversight would guard against any risk of calamity;

B) Rely on market forces to support self-regulation and timely aircraft maintenance;

C) Worry that U.S. airlines can't resist the financial gain from deferred maintenance; or

D) Consider the "inoperative" label as an overstatement for something minor.

I opted for answer D, but only after conferring with the Lead Flight Attendant who conferred with the Captain. 

There is no single "correct" answer.  Each letter might offer insights on your regulatory perspective.