<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ExMo:
At 6'3" and 220 lb. I overfill a coach seat (when I can't get an upgrade). However, I seldom have a problem with recliners. Seems that when I am seated in some of those short pitch coach seats, the distance between my back and my knees is such that the person trying to recline finds that their seat doesn't go back. After trying for a few times, they generally give up and I can relax my legs under the seat without having a seat back in my face. 
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So you could have placed your legs under the seat in front of you the whole time, but you choose not to, not because of the length of your legs, but because you don't want the back of the seat in front of you leaned back. I've always thought this to be the heart of it.
Don't like reclining seats? Complain to the airline. They install them.