Is it appropriate to let your child kick the seat in front of them on an airplane?

[Anonymous]

No, if the person in front of me reclines, I don't recline. Why would I want to be as rude to the person behind me as someone is being to me?

And to the person who thinks that it doesn't significantly affect the space of the person behind you, you are simply wrong. If there is a meal and you need the tray table, it is jammed in your chest. If you need to get something from a bag under the seat in front, good luck! You'll bang your head or be completely unable to reach it. I am not tall or large and I have even had trouble holding a book open in front of me while some clueless jerk in front is lying in my lap.

You can tell yourself that it's not rude or having an effect on the person behind you but it's simply not the truth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I am 5'6 but with really long legs (need talks in all pants) and I never heard this don't recline rule. I almost always recline and haven't been bothered by people reclining in front of me ever.

Me too. If the person behind me doesn't like it the good news is they can recline too!!! I try to check in really early so I'm never in/near the dreaded very back row.

[Anonymous]

Here's a question: why do you suppose they make airplane seats with the particular amount of "reclineability" that they do? Do you really think they are expecting it would only be used on the rare occasion that nobody is behind you? That seems like a lot of seat engineering for something that happens pretty infrequently. This is an honest question.

[Anonymous]

Good question. I am pretty sure that the airlines design those seats so that they are reclined often, except during takeoff/landing/meals.

What is going on in this thread had to do more, in my view, with the sense of entitlement of many PPs than with airline design and policies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good question. I am pretty sure that the airlines design those seats so that they are reclined often, except during takeoff/landing/meals.

They were designed this way before they took away a lot of the distance between rows. They did not change the design. The level of reclining is not as feasible as it once was. What is going on in this thread had to do more, in my view, with the sense of entitlement of many PPs than with airline design and policies.

Funny-- I'm anti-reclining and this is exactly how I feel about those of you who think that laying your head back in my lap is not an imposition.

[Anonymous]

17:33 here. Sorry I formatted incorrectly. I was trying to answer the first question and then respond to the comment about entitlement in my second comment.

[Anonymous]

No!!

[Anonymous]

If your flight is less than six hours and not an overnight flight, you are a selfish jerk if you recline because you know that 1. It isn't necessary. 2. It makes the person behind you uncomfortable.

I don't understand why you'd purposefully make someone else uncomfortable when you don't have to in a situation you already know is unpleasant for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Realistically, with a tall but young toddler, the alternatives are some kicking or some crying. Take your pick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your flight is less than six hours and not an overnight flight, you are a selfish jerk if you recline because you know that 1. It isn't necessary. 2. It makes the person behind you uncomfortable.

I don't understand why you'd purposefully make someone else uncomfortable when you don't have to in a situation you already know is unpleasant for everyone.

Absolutely! I'm struck by a couple of things. For the people who think that the person behind them should just recline too, think through that chain reaction Does that mean that because you want to recline that the whole column of people behind you have to recline, no matter if they need to work, play with their kids, read a book, etc? Incredible.

If you think it's not taking up the space of the person behind you, then you should just ask first before you lean back. Something tells me that none of you are doing that because you don't really want to know the answer.

[Anonymous]

If person in front reclines, I find a number of reasons to open and close my seat back tray table several times. The in flight magazine is usually particularly interesting then, as it is stuck in my face. Sadly, with so little room to manuever, it seems that I often have to bump the chair of the recliner in front of me.

[Anonymous]

To the person who asked why the planes are designed with the seats as they are... it made me think of a documentary from many years ago, about the design and build of the Boeing 777. There's a point in the documentary where the team is told that there have been too many cost overruns, and that from now on, any travel they do must be in economy class. They all start protesting - about how uncomfortable that will be, how not conducive to work, etc., etc. This from guys who designed the planes, including those responsible for the inside! Turned out they'd always flown business class. They really didn't care about economy (which explains a lot about the 777, which I've always thought was particularly uncomfortable in economy).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your flight is less than six hours and not an overnight flight, you are a selfish jerk if you recline because you know that 1. It isn't necessary. 2. It makes the person behind you uncomfortable.

I don't understand why you'd purposefully make someone else uncomfortable when you don't have to in a situation you already know is unpleasant for everyone.

I have back issues. It is incredibly uncomfortable for me to sit straight up for an hour or two, much less several hours. You would never guess I have back problems because I am much younger than the stereotypical person with these issues. Reclining the seat takes some of the pressure off.
Here's the thing: no one, except the person reclining in front you, knows why they are doing it. They may not be doing t to be a "jerk" or because they are "inconsiderate." There are many reasons that someone may need to recline or even sleep during the day.

[Anonymous]

Was on a flight from DC to west coast last year and a child kept kicking. It was a work trip and I was stuck in coach. The parents were typical DC lassiez-faire parents who could care less after a few minutes i turned to the dad and sternly warned him that I would have this flight turned around if they didn't watch their child. Both parents shot me an incredulous look but that was the last time the child kicked. And no I don't recline. I so wanted to smack the smug look off the mother's face. Ugh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good question. I am pretty sure that the airlines design those seats so that they are reclined often, except during takeoff/landing/meals.

They were designed this way before they took away a lot of the distance between rows. They did not change the design. The level of reclining is not as feasible as it once was. What is going on in this thread had to do more, in my view, with the sense of entitlement of many PPs than with airline design and policies.

Funny-- I'm anti-reclining and this is exactly how I feel about those of you who think that laying your head back in my lap is not an imposition.

The total amount that the seat reclines at the top is less than 5 inches. If my head is in your lap from a reclining seat then you likely weigh close to 500 pounds and would be extremely uncomfortable no matter what seat configuration it was. The base of the seat barely reclines at all and the top by about 5". I am guessing many of you anti-recliners actually don't fly considering you seem to be completely unaware of what reclining seats actually do. They barely move - just a few inches to make sitting more comfortable, sitting at 90 degrees isn't really proper body mechanics and is uncomfortable. Most office chairs, most cars have slight recline features so you are sitting comfortably. It would make sense that when trapped in a seat for endless hours that an airplane seat would do likewise.