Originally Posted by studentbecometeacher

As you illustrate above, it is in exactly this type of "gray" situation a flight attendant's help is needed unless the passengers work it out themselves. Of course, the passengers could resolve it amongst themselves or the "more leggy" passenger could bribe another to switch to a seat with more leg room, but perhaps just like with a situation where there is a seat poacher already sitting in your seat, it might be best for a neutral arbiter such as a flight attendant to intervene instead of a passenger directly confronting the other passenger or being aggressive with knee defenders and the like. So, maybe a flight attendant ends up incorrectly ascertaining the facts and executes a less-than-optimal solution (in which case you can complain about FA's actions), but a situation like you illustrate above shows how much of a role a flight attendant can serve as a potentially excellent mediator. It's not a perfect solution, but what can do you when actually it's not black or white but very much gray when both parties are "mostly" correct? I can sympathize with OP/other legged people and also recliners as well.

I suspect that OP was already irritated from person in front aggressively reclining into his knees, so when the FA talked to OP, OP was mucho irritated and on the defensive. OP was probably for the most part considerate in his leg movement and the person in front had a "right" to recline, but I guess that OP's delivery or choice of words wasn't the best and made a situation much worse (i.e., not what you say but how you say it). OP may have additionally made it seem like OP was questioning the FA's authority or judgment.

To both sides: It doesn't appear to me to be logical to aggressively defend only one side of interests (recliner or leggy person) but instead to realize there are two legitimate sides at play. When any poster writes "the airline made the seat recline, so it gives the passenger the right to recline," that argument is just not dispositive and does not end the discussion. Rules and laws change all the time. Just because you were compliant at the time the rule or law was in place, does not justify your action if it was inexcusable in hindsight. Better to be "ahead of your time" and know that perhaps reclining is a privilege and not a right, or even if it's a right that you balance all parties' interests. Same thing to be said about not being reclined into you as well.