I flew last night on CO 503 LAX-EWR with my GF. It is an 1130pm departure and we were in 3EF on a 757-200 so BF seats. I was already pretty tired and after boarding and getting situated reclined my seat about half way and put my leg rest up. There were already two people in the seat behind me.

It was just after 11 PM and a fairly full flight boarding through Door 1. About 10 minutes after I nodded off but about 10 minutes before scheduled departure a FA woke me to tell me I needed to put my seat up. I gave an "I know" thinking he meant once the door was closed but seeing I hadn't reacted he said, "Now, Sir" in a demanding tone.

I told him previously I had always been able to recline until pushback, and he simply replied "You are not allowed to recline your seat on the ground."

I will add when we boarded I went back to the Door 2 area to hang my garment bag (as I anticipated a Door 2 disembarkation at EWR) and this same FA seemed put out at the request. Perhaps I got off on the wrong foot with him. I noticed a couple other people had reclined as well, but not as far as me.

I felt sorry for the pax across from me who after hearing the FA make me put my seat back up also did so (although he wasn't asked). He then fell asleep in an upright position and didn't wake up until landing at EWR.

Anyway, is this truly a rule when sitting at the gate or just a moody FA?

Mere speculation here, but I assume it is a regulation, since in case of fire/smoke while parked at the gate, pax still to move. But it's probably not an enforced one - you got a moody FA.

Considering you were in BF, he could've been nicer about it.

I've never had anyone tell me to put my seat up until the door closed. I always thought the door close is the "anything with an off switch" announcement. If only moody PA's had off switches...

I wonder if you had been fully upright, but with your tray table out, if that would've been an issue.

I thought the rule was seatbacks must be in the upright and locked position for taxi, take-off, and landing only.

FA was incorrect, and rudely so at that. Sent a note to WE-CARE.

^+1

thanks... sent a note

i have to agree with the fa here, whether per protocol or not. I do understand you are on a red-eye and tired. However, the plane is still loading and the FA's are still trying to do their job and count passengers, etc. You failed to mention if the passengers behind you were already seated or not. If I was behind you, I would not have appreciated your seat reclined down to my knees, as it would have impeded my settling myself. I have taken red-eyes from LAX in business first and find it difficult to access my stuff with your seat in my lap. I do understand you want to get as much sleep as possible, but I for one do not take my sonatas until the plane is at 35K feet and out of the airport until I am sure there are no potential problems with my flight. If this is not the response you wanted to hear, I am sorry. You chose the red eye. You chose a crappy night's sleep. I am sorry that you have to wait until the plane is at 10K feet. So it goes.

That's correct, although CO policy augments it a little to include the time from when the door is closed until push-back (taxi). So just a little longer than the FAR. CO has no policy of requiring seats up, at the gate, with the door open.

Well the OP did mention that both the people behind his seat were seated and it seems that the FA was wrong and above all rude (which is the biggest problem here).
However, on an unrelated note, all these posts have me wondering what were they thinking when designing the BF seats, if the seat in front reclining can cause so much trouble for the person behind it. I've never traveled in BF before but will be doing so soon EWR-SFO.

Let me know how you get an F seat on a 752 to recline far enough to interfere with the pax behind you. Lighten up

Thanks, but my question was, "is this a rule, or was the FA winging it?"

I understand I have to have my seat back in an upright position for taxi and takeoff, and I also noted that the pax behind me seemed seated comfortably before I reclined (half way - not into their lap).

Sorry, but I don't think CO's operating rules and regulations has a section marked "so it goes."

This is why I rarely post here, as I do not need to get flamed by my comments. Nevertheless, no matter what plane you are on, you chose the red eye, you chose the crappy night's sleep and have some consideration for the person behind you and keep the seat upright until takeoff. Try to deal with it, everyone else seems to.

That sounds more like a personal agenda. What is most relevant in this discussion (and your position may vary on this) is CO's policy on this and the FA's implementation of it.

Nobody was flaming you. Your comments were just unrelated to what happened.

The people behind were settled in. I take cat naps while on the ground frequently - there can be as much as 45 minutes or more if there are delays from boarding to push back. My issue was not related to whether or not the flight was a red eye. In fact on my flight out, a 3pm departure, we sat on the ground at EWR for multiple hours and I reclined and slept.

The question was if the FA was correct in stating that his request was policy, or was he doing it for some other reason. Please stop trying to make this a case of etiquette as it is not. You are ignoring my questions and creating some alternate scenario you want to answer.