Anonymous
Post 07/14/2012 12:41     Subject: s/o reclined seats on airplanes
Anonymous wrote:I am going to assume that it is just one poster posting over and over about it being rude to recline your seat. Probably that poster has only flown once in their lives and had the bad fortune of leaning to get something and getting wacked by a reclining.

I fly often, as do my colleagues, none of us have ever even heard of it being rude to recline. Everyone reclines. It is how airplane seats are made to function.

If you are sitting in front of me, recline away!


No it is not one poster. I don't recline because I hate when people recline into my space. My husband is 6'3" and I'm 5'9" we both have long legs and when people recline it sucks. Of course you paid for the ticket and will do what you want but doesn't mean that it is not inconsiderate.
Anonymous
Post 07/14/2012 11:13     Subject: Re:s/o reclined seats on airplanes
I both recline my seat and bring stinky Italian subs onto flights (thanks to Potbelly's Dulles location).

P.S. If someone behind me were to throw an adult tantrum about my seat being down (kneeing my chair, putting blower on my face, etc). I would inform the flight attendant every time until it stopped or they got in serious trouble.
Anonymous
Post 07/14/2012 07:04     Subject: Re:s/o reclined seats on airplanes
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I will continue to recline all the way in the reclining seat I purchased for the flight.


+1
Seats are made to recline; nothing wrong with doing so.


I read a recent column on FlyerTalk or some similar website that made this point: Yes, since your seat can recline, you may be within your rights to recline the seat. You're also technically within your rights to bring a stinky Italian sub sandwich onto the airplane. But just because you can do something doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.
Anonymous
Post 07/14/2012 06:59     Subject: s/o reclined seats on airplanes
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Here's a simple solution: If you want to recline, you must be willing to swap seats with the person sitting behind you. That way, you can recline without invading the other person's space.

Would all you recliners be willing to swap seats?


What a fantastic solution for all of those 2 row airplanes out there.

I'll attribute the lack of sense in this pose to the early hour and your apparent lack of coffee, and not a stunningly dim intellect.

That response is not very constructive. What's wrong with the solution? You want to recline into my space, but that hurts my knees. You and several people posting here claim that it doesn't bother you to have someone recline back into your space. So let's just swap seats. You can recline into someone else's space who probably doesn't mind it. I can move forward to a new seat without someone reclining into my space.

If I point out that your reclining seat hurts my knees, and ask you to swap seats, what's your response?
Anonymous
Post 07/14/2012 06:56     Subject: Re:s/o reclined seats on airplanes
Anonymous wrote:I will continue to recline all the way in the reclining seat I purchased for the flight.


+1
Seats are made to recline; nothing wrong with doing so.
Anonymous
Post 07/14/2012 06:51     Subject: s/o reclined seats on airplanes
Anonymous wrote:Here's a simple solution: If you want to recline, you must be willing to swap seats with the person sitting behind you. That way, you can recline without invading the other person's space.

Would all you recliners be willing to swap seats?


What a fantastic solution for all of those 2 row airplanes out there.

I'll attribute the lack of sense in this pose to the early hour and your apparent lack of coffee, and not a stunningly dim intellect.
Anonymous
Post 07/14/2012 06:41     Subject: s/o reclined seats on airplanes
Here's a simple solution: If you want to recline, you must be willing to swap seats with the person sitting behind you. That way, you can recline without invading the other person's space.

Would all you recliners be willing to swap seats?
Anonymous
Post 07/14/2012 06:23     Subject: s/o reclined seats on airplanes
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It is kind of like if you were short and going to movies/shows/concerts. Rows of tall people in front of you obstructing your view. Do you think everyone should crouch way down in their seats in order to be considerate of your lack of height. That they should make themselves uncomfortable and put themselves out so that you are as comfortable as possible. Would you call them rude and get mad that they didn't slouch way down.

I don't think your movie theater analogy fits very well. ...

And why exactly doesn't the analogy fit well? I think it is perfect, and that you ignore it in order to avoid, once more, the discomfort you lead yourself into?

Really? OK, here are some examples of why that analogy stinks ...

1. A short person in a movie theater can choose to sit in any open seat. If she is concerned about the view, she can change seats at any time to improve her view. My ability to change my plane seat is limited by (a) my bank account, and (b) availability. And on most flights, I cannot change seats to get away from a recliner.

2. I'm not asking "everyone" or "rows of people" to change how they sit just for me. I'm asking just the one person in front of me.

3. I'm not asking the person in front of me contort herself, or "crouch way down in her seat," or "put herself out," or "slouch way down." Sitting upright is how we begin the flight and how we end it. And at least on the flights I'm on, It's also how most seasoned travelers choose to sit for the entire flight. Are you really suggesting that it's unreasonable to be prevented from reclining your airplane seat all the way back?

4. I'm also not unreasonably insisting that others completely adjust how they act, just to avoid any discomfort. I've made clear several times on this thread that if people want to recline slightly in a gentle way, I've got no problem with that. It's people who recline far back, and especially those who do it suddenly without checking behind them first, that bother me.

There are probably other problems with it, but those are the ones that immediately jump out.

At this point, I think you're just fucking with me, so I'll sign off. Have a good night.


Not the PP, but I don't think they are fucking with you. I just think this is a fundamental disagreement. As to #3, it actually does cause me a great deal of discomfort to sit upright (in the plane seats) because it makes me slouch and I've got a bad back. Agree that checking behind you is helpful. If I know it is a really tall person behind me, I don't recline all the way. Otherwise, I always recline, usually all of the way (which is all of a couple of inches on most airlines nowadays). I am 5'11" and my DH is 6'3" by the way. He reclines too.
Anonymous
Post 07/14/2012 06:23     Subject: s/o reclined seats on airplanes
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I won't recline, and I deeply resent anyone who does this on a non-overnight flight. I'm 5'8" and have LONG legs, but can't sit in the exit row when my 4-year-old daughter is with me. (bulkhead is hard because I need under-seat space for storing stuff to keep her busy.)

They should really divide planes into recline and non-recline sections so those who wish to recline are reclining only in front of other recliners, and those who are anti-recline will not have a recliner in front of them.


Another poster who despises recliners. I, too. keep toys in a bag under the seat in front of me to entertain the little one, and it's impossible to reach the bag, which I must do multiple times, with the seat reclined.


I carryon a small duffle and my purse [large]. The duffle usually has 2 outfits plus extra tops, laptop, charger. I put them under the seat and can reach it when the seat in front is reclined. I stopped with a wheelie since as a non priority boarder I don't want to gate check . I usually buy a water bottle or sprite and a crunchy snack and put those in the seat back. My laptop was open and fine on a flight. Children are usually well behaved on flights since they are so interested in the environment.

My pet peeve is the carry on size and limitations not being checked .
Anonymous
Post 07/14/2012 05:40     Subject: s/o reclined seats on airplanes
Behave the way you would want people to behave toward you. Do you want someone to recline into you? Stop and think about it. Try to be human to people around you. It's a no brainer.
Anonymous
Post 07/14/2012 05:32     Subject: s/o reclined seats on airplanes
If you people have the right to recline and smash my knees, I have the right to kick your chair "accidentally" all flight and gab really loud near your ear so you can't sleep the whole flight.
Anonymous
Post 07/14/2012 05:29     Subject: s/o reclined seats on airplanes
Recliners are rude!!
Anonymous
Post 07/14/2012 04:50     Subject: s/o reclined seats on airplanes
Anonymous wrote:I'm an anti-recliner, and am annoyed when people recline, but recliners are certainly within their rights to recline. It kinds of sucks for us for those of us who find the reclined position uncomfortable, but it is really the airlines' fault.

The reason this issue is becoming more controversial, IMO, is that airlines have reduced seat pitch so much that on some flights -- I am looking at you, United Economy Minus -- if the person in front of you reclines, it becomes physically impossible to have an open laptop on the tray table. This is a monster inconvenience for those of us who have to work on planes, and I think they do it on purpose to force business travelers to shell out for Economy Plus.

It would be nice if people took that into account in deciding whether to recline or not, but, as I said, I believe recliners are well within their rights to do so.


A reasonable poster!! I am pro-recliner because the upright position is very uncomfortable to me - but really, the issue is with the airlines, ITA.
Anonymous
Post 07/14/2012 04:44     Subject: s/o reclined seats on airplanes
Anonymous wrote:there is no way i am not reclining. the seat is so upright i actually hunch forward (i'm short) if i don't. sorry, this is a made up rule that i think only a few people are trying to pretend has some legitimacy...


ITA, though I'm tall
Anonymous
Post 07/14/2012 04:34     Subject: s/o reclined seats on airplanes
Anonymous wrote:how could people not know this is inconsiderate? if you think it's within your rights to do it, that's your choice, but to deny that it's inconsiderate is just ridiculous. just because the option is there doesn't make it right to take advantage of it. i CAN talk loudly on my cell phone in a quiet restaurant. i CAN put my baby's highchair in the aisle where it blocks everyone - i mean they GAVE me a highchair! babies NEED highchairs!

just be considerate of your fellow humans, people.


It is not inconsiderate to recline a seat on an airplane. It is standard practice - probably 80% of airplane seats are reclined AT ANY GIVEN TIME. Airplanes are cramped, it sucks, that's part of air travel. If it bothers you so much, fly business class or upgrade to seats with more leg room or fly airlines that have more leg room (Jet Blue is one - they're great).