Originally Posted by
daregale
If you're worried about it, why not just politely ask the passenger in front of you to give you a heads-up before reclining? The passenger might not remember but most people would be accommodating as long as it's clear you're not asking them not to recline, just give you fair warning.
I've used this approach a few times to protect the laptop (not to mention my knees in cases where I was on a CRJ or Embrair).