I follow the "do unto others as you would have them do to you" school of thought. I would figure since the guy was being such a jerk to me that he wanted me to be a jerk to him. So I would honor his wishes.

Window seat gets window control. Middle seat gets both armrests. Aisle seat gets easy access. Each must suffer the privilege of the others.

These are the rules. End of story.

These "rules" are unwritten, unofficial, and not universally held. So...not really the end of the story. More like a solid option in the discussion.

And if an aisle seat occupant plays deaf to a bathroom request tap, I suspect the obstacle may be surmounted. As in climbed over. Maybe not easily. That would suck.

Passengers should be required to open the shade at least half way during take off and landing in case there is an emergency.

Open shades during takeoff and landing.

Some airlines already require it as a cabin-crew instruction, although not all.

If you fly on a 787, this is a moot point as there are no window shades. Also, the Flight Crew have a master control so they can darken all windows to the same "darkness."

It's the type "A" personalities that require everything to be for him/herself, not to the betterment of the majority around them. That is why we have disagreements that evolve into "wars."

Dup - please delete

I am a 300lb woman who typically sits in the window seat expressly for the purpose of looking out the window. Trust me when I say that if I need to get out to pee, you staying in your seat isn't going to stop me. I have no issues with standing on my seat and using (and potentially breaking) the armrests to get over you. I'll use the same method to get back into my seat if necessary.

Have a nice flight.

If stuck in a window seat on a domestic flight, I will keep the shade closed, if for no other reason than I have had the aisle person stare continuously into my space, giving me no sense of privacy at at all.

I turned down opening the shade this morning for one such gentleman. Early morning flight, he wanted to watch the takeoff, I offered to switch his aisle for my window. He declined. Guess it wasn't that important. I just do not know why if you want to look out the window, that you don't book a window seat.

I thought all shades had to be open for takeoff and landing?

Not on DL.

Posted portion of this in the window shade etiquette thread, but it really deserved a mention here....

DYKWIA on my flight today decided that although he was in the aisle, he had complete control over the window shade. He asked if I would put it up, but due to trying to sleep, I politely declined since I wanted to sleep on the morning flight. He grumbles and I offer him the window seat, to which he declines.

Nearing landing, I am passed out nicely, when all of a sudden the window shade slams open and I awake to a burst of light and two beefy old man eyes staring at me.

I was not happy, but trying to contain the outrage, I again ask if he wants to sit by the window. He loudly proclaims that it should be up since it was down the entire flight. In embarrassment for him, I complied as to not raise a scene.

I have no problem with people sitting at the window having the shade up or down. I do have a problem if I have the window and am trying to sleep and that wish is not honored. Oh, and being stared at in my personal space is pretty uncool as well.

He was also the type to immediately get on the phone at landing proclaiming as loudly as possible how he was so important and that he got to golf yesterday.

Why didn't you just select the aisle seat at booking?

Wish that was a reg. I for one get extremely uncomfortable, almost motion sick if I have no reference to the outside on takeoff/landing. Cruise, fine, don't really care at that point, but for takeoff and landing I personally think shades should always be up.

Some individual airlines have that rule*, but it's not universal, and none of the three mainline/legacy US carriers have it.

(* I think it may be more common in Asia; Cathay Pacific has it, and I think all of the Asian LCCs I've flown have the same rule.)