That's wrong on so many levels.

I have to agree that the quality of passengers has gone down. That is easily observed in the front cabin just as much as in the back. Call me old fashioned, but I still believe that you should wear nice clothes when you travel, particularly if you're sitting in front. If nothing else, do it on international flights because you can bet your behind the customs and immigration officers DO notice. It may be wrong, biased, whatever, but you have less chance of a room-with-no-windows interview or open-even-your-eyeglasses-case experience if you look like you belong there instead of a homeless person who found a boarding pass in the trash. I make a point of never wearing jeans or sneakers when I fly, no matter where I'm sitting. I don't go to the extreme of wearing high heels unless I'm on my way to a meeting, but slacks, shirt and pashmina is my minimum standard.

My favorite story? I was supposed to be in business class on a flight to Moscow but Air France screwed up my reservation and upgraded me to first as a result (really nice, I had my own dedicated FA and sommelier). No problems on the way out, but on the way back I shared the cabin with two other passengers, both of them loud Russians who proceeded to down at least 4 glasses of vodka, burping loudly after each slurp. One took off his shoes and promptly hung his socks on the headrest of the seat next to him. Not satisfied, he got up, stretched, stuck his hand inside his pants and gave himself a good 5-minute scratch, sighing contently and smiling at me. The other made a point of touching the FA each time she approached him (nothing sexual but still pretty invasive). They also performed a loud duet after take-off, apparently celebrating the fact that we were leaving mother Russia behind (who wouldn't!).

Their attire consisted of jogging pants, Hawaiian shirts and baseball caps. Even if they had been quiet and sober, that alone would offend me.