Stop blaming the passengers for this. It is the airlines that pack you in so tight. Change will not happen if we blame each other for the problem.
Janet Kyle - 10 years ago
The man was in the wrong by using the device. He was told to remove it and he did not. If seats were not meant to recline then why have it as a feature. When in the car for hours I often reposition my seat for comfort. Sitting straight up Iike a board is very uncomfortable. A slight adjustment should be accepted.
Carole - 10 years ago
Here's the thing. I think this is being way blown out of proportion. The guy in this case was wrong. He made a decision for the other passenger even if it was within her right to incline her seat. (Although throwing water in his face was clearly a childish act and wrong as well.) If you are flying a certain airline, you have to abide by their rules... point blank. So if they allow an incline, deal with it. And if you are "that tall", I know for a fact that if you go ahead of time to the ticket counter, the airline will attempt to place you in a more suitable seat (unless it's busy, then we must all live like sardines for the flight... tall or small).
I travel a lot and that "little incline" can sometimes make a world of difference, especially on a red-eye flight. Yes I agree there is a certain social responsibility every person has to others around him, but at some point where does that stop. Keep in mind, that person also has the ability to regain that space by inclining their chair as well... so really we are swapping space. But back to the point. There is social graces but then there is also being significantly inconvenienced for a flight I already paid a pretty penny for. I once had an rather obese individual in a middle seat who requested (more like demanded) that I lift the arm rest that was separating our seats, because it would be more comfortable for him. As you can imagine, I was not particularly keen to take down that one barrier that granted me my already limited space to suddenly be so physically close to a complete stranger. So the question posed is, am I supposed to adopt an uncomfortable situation in order to make a complete stranger comfortable?
The answer is I don't know. I guess, to be completely honest, it depends on my mood that day, how lagged I am, and so forth. And how nicely a person "asks" you... not demands. Sometimes when I notice someone rather tall, I just tip it back a little but not all the way... but honestly it depends.
BUT overall, regardless of my disposition... I will always abide the airline policies... and this man should have done so as well.
Linda McGinnis - 10 years ago
The airlines pack you in like cattle and then some yahoo in front of you decides to lay in your lap. So very very rude. It is a short flight, hard to imagine you can't sit upright for a couple of hours, what do you do when driving your car? People who do things like this have no regard for anyone but themselves.
Daniel Raleigh - 10 years ago
If I pay for a reclining seat, by God, I should get a reclining seat. Granted, that lady took it to the extremes but she had EVERY RIGHT to recline. It should of been resolved by airline personnel, especially since it is a policy for passengers NOT to use this on this airline. The man should have removed it, or told he would be removed from the aircraft.
Anne Cavanaugh - 10 years ago
Why bother reclining it? It hardly moves back enough to make you that much more comfortable. The person in back of you hardly has room to even put the tray down, so why not cut that person a break. The woman was being a "b"!
Debbie Glenn - 10 years ago
My husband is 6' 5" and most airplane seats are uncomfortable for him since his knees hit the back of the chair in front of him. If someone even attempts to recline, it smashes his legs even more. So out of respect to the people it might inconvenience (like my husband), I never recline my seat. I know how miserable he has been on many flights due to the tight seats and people that recline. So it is a respect and comfort issue. The lady was being unreasonable.
Stop blaming the passengers for this. It is the airlines that pack you in so tight. Change will not happen if we blame each other for the problem.
The man was in the wrong by using the device. He was told to remove it and he did not. If seats were not meant to recline then why have it as a feature. When in the car for hours I often reposition my seat for comfort. Sitting straight up Iike a board is very uncomfortable. A slight adjustment should be accepted.
Here's the thing. I think this is being way blown out of proportion. The guy in this case was wrong. He made a decision for the other passenger even if it was within her right to incline her seat. (Although throwing water in his face was clearly a childish act and wrong as well.) If you are flying a certain airline, you have to abide by their rules... point blank. So if they allow an incline, deal with it. And if you are "that tall", I know for a fact that if you go ahead of time to the ticket counter, the airline will attempt to place you in a more suitable seat (unless it's busy, then we must all live like sardines for the flight... tall or small).
I travel a lot and that "little incline" can sometimes make a world of difference, especially on a red-eye flight. Yes I agree there is a certain social responsibility every person has to others around him, but at some point where does that stop. Keep in mind, that person also has the ability to regain that space by inclining their chair as well... so really we are swapping space. But back to the point. There is social graces but then there is also being significantly inconvenienced for a flight I already paid a pretty penny for. I once had an rather obese individual in a middle seat who requested (more like demanded) that I lift the arm rest that was separating our seats, because it would be more comfortable for him. As you can imagine, I was not particularly keen to take down that one barrier that granted me my already limited space to suddenly be so physically close to a complete stranger. So the question posed is, am I supposed to adopt an uncomfortable situation in order to make a complete stranger comfortable?
The answer is I don't know. I guess, to be completely honest, it depends on my mood that day, how lagged I am, and so forth. And how nicely a person "asks" you... not demands. Sometimes when I notice someone rather tall, I just tip it back a little but not all the way... but honestly it depends.
BUT overall, regardless of my disposition... I will always abide the airline policies... and this man should have done so as well.
The airlines pack you in like cattle and then some yahoo in front of you decides to lay in your lap. So very very rude. It is a short flight, hard to imagine you can't sit upright for a couple of hours, what do you do when driving your car? People who do things like this have no regard for anyone but themselves.
If I pay for a reclining seat, by God, I should get a reclining seat. Granted, that lady took it to the extremes but she had EVERY RIGHT to recline. It should of been resolved by airline personnel, especially since it is a policy for passengers NOT to use this on this airline. The man should have removed it, or told he would be removed from the aircraft.
Why bother reclining it? It hardly moves back enough to make you that much more comfortable. The person in back of you hardly has room to even put the tray down, so why not cut that person a break. The woman was being a "b"!
My husband is 6' 5" and most airplane seats are uncomfortable for him since his knees hit the back of the chair in front of him. If someone even attempts to recline, it smashes his legs even more. So out of respect to the people it might inconvenience (like my husband), I never recline my seat. I know how miserable he has been on many flights due to the tight seats and people that recline. So it is a respect and comfort issue. The lady was being unreasonable.