Originally Posted by Efrem
Whether or not keeping seats upright before takeoff is really important to safety (granting that it is a rule that should be followed in either case), whether or not the FAs should have noticed, and whether or not anyone should have brought it to their attention given that they did not notice, are separate issues.
Yet the issue is that the man in front reclined his seat during takeoff. This thread isn't about a man who reclined his seat at 35,000 feet. On that part, we agree more than we disagree.
Yet at takeoff, that seat must remain upright. The FA can't possibly know unless the passenger affected notifies him.