When I'm on a really super-tight pitch airplane I tap the person in front of me on the shoulder and ask them to *warn* me before they recline so that I can move my knees. (Where? Overhead storage! Certainly not safe to stick them into the aisle when the FA's are going to come down with their steamrollers!)
Anyway, the situation falls into three buckets:
1> Teeny people who smile and then never recline
2> Normal people who either warn you or forget but really meant to
3> Jerks who smash back on you without a care in the world.
But at least I can predict what's going to happen.
That's why I carry music, head-phones, and a good history book.:-)