I have a back problem that is exacerbated on long flights regardless of the degree of inclination of the seat, but I've found that generally a slight to medium reclination, alternated occasionally, helps relieve the pain. However, there's more room in business class and generally most people recline, so it's not as much of an issue as coach. But regardless of seat location, I always politely check with the person behind me if it won't bother them, and I have yet to have anyone tell me that it does. I don't recline during meals, though, until I know the person behind me is finished. Simple courtesy.

Adult seat-kickers, however, do drive me nuts. Screaming babies can't help themselves, but 'growed' people should know better. Just when I'm ready to say something, it always seems they stop long enough for the moment to be lost.

I sometimes think that these kind of things are due in some part to the lack of simple understanding of how these seemingly minor annoyances make a major impact on the comfort and relaxation on a flight. It would be interesting to see what affect there would be, if any, if airlines did one or all of the following to help eliminate these problems, or at least make people aware:

1 - put a 'Courtesies in the Air' flier in
every ticket package - maybe Miss
Manners could write it

2 - include a few remarks in the canned
pre-flight talk about this

3 - for longer flights with large video
screens, run a segment on this

At the very least, it would put rude people on notice that people around them are aware of these common courtesies and expect to be treated as fellow companions, not as strangers whom you shouldn't care about - especially now. For those who didn't even think about this (first time fliers for one), it would help them learn this - it's not obvious to everyone.

More now than ever, we're all in it together, so what's the harm in trying to cut down on the incivility shown to each other?