CMK10

I recline my seat on every flight I'm on, usually from takeoff to touchdown. If you don't like it, join me in the second exit row or bulkhead.

SkeptiCallie

I almost never recline my seat. But I never object when others recline theirs. Just not an issue. Nothing really annoys me in flight, however, unless I have a middle seat and both (male) parties each take one of "my" arm rests. And you can see by their expressions that they are doing it because they are male and expect to get by with it. Fortunately that actually happened only once, and I'm still annoyed.

dayone

Wow...and I thought that whole "red state-blue state" thing was divisive.

I've learned that it is your "right" to recline and maybe others have learned that some believe that moderation, especially. during the ever more infrequent meal service, is always appreciated.

skye1

I'm around 6'5", 6'6". On an MD-80, there's enough of my torso above the top of the seat for the person behind me to KNOW that the seat will be reclined. Actually, there's enough of me tilting over sideways as I walk down the aisle (dodging open overhead bins, ducking under those life-raft holders protruding from the roof--in case of a water landing over Nebraska or something--to have gotten a little sympathy going: Some pax have been so kind as to practically invite me to recline it. (altho' sometimes I think that's because they see how few milimeters remain between the top of my head and, say, an oxygen mask panel that might need to open up...and they want me to make room for those drops just in case)

AX9465

Well you just found such person... it is not comfortable for me to sit without reclining. I do not recline fully, but approximately 1/3rd of the way.

next, there is a "domino effect" in Y. if person reclines in front of you it is hard to resist temptation to recline yourself to maintain bearable distance between your face and seatback in front of you.

Lastly, if I would find out that there is some device which prevents me from reclining when I need to, I will ask FA to remove such device. If someone want to prevent the seat in front of him/her to recline, such person can be advised to fly Ryanair (do not know if it is similar equivalent in US, but Ryanair seats do not recline). Does it make me SOB as suggested by KevAZ? Hardly. As a part of the package I pay for the seat which can be reclined, if needed... Presumably, tall people (as a part of package) pay for seat pitch which is smaller than be comfortable but it is their personal choice, isn't it? (needless to say that if people would like to use flight time for business purposes, like using laptop, there is a part of a plane where this can easily be done - namely business class.

Also looks like this thread is more suitable for TravelBuzz.

AX

andyr

Well, I think I'm in the minority, but ...

I fly a lot, I'm 6'1", 300#, do have "a gut", and people who recline annoy the heck out of me. But, unless I'm sleeping on a redeye along with everyone else, I pretty much never recline. I just think it is inconsiderate to the person behind me. I don't say everyone has to make that call, but that's the call I make.

(I will look and see if anyone is there, and I will happily recline into an empty seat without fear of being inconsiderate).

However, all that being said, I have never asked the person in front of me not to recline, and I never even glared, or muttered under my breath, or anything, because they did recline. I can barely use my laptop anyway, and it is laughably difficult if they do recline, but I don't dispute their "right" to recline. I just don't think it is very nice.

(If they do recline, I can use my laptop by opening it to about a 160 degree angle, with the screen against the seatback level with my eyes and the keyboard almost vertical, i.e. roughly on the same (vertical) plane as the screen. Fairly uncomfortable, but if you gotta work, you gotta work).

I have a "right" to talk loudly in restaurants, fart in an elevator, peruse adult magazines next to nuns on the subway, and so on. It isn't very considerate, but it isn't illegal or anything. Deciding that your comfort is more important than everyone else's is, IMO, one of the definitions of being a self-centered oblivious person. Your choice which you want to be.

Hey, flame away ...

SkeptiCallie

Not at all. You're absolutely right.

kappa

You nailed it! Only a few hours later with over 50 posts; and not a single one with a shred of argument that hasn't been hashed and rehashed ad nauseum in the past.

Haronik

Not much, if anything, that you can do. I'd think you were pushy if you asked me, or anyone for that matter, to put the seat back up. True, I think it's inconsiderate... but there are many people like that out there. I've had my laptop almost crushed a couple of times and I usually just get a grin out of it as I look around and get sympathetic nods from others who think the recline isn't necessary. I shrug it off and think about my upgrade on the return flight that the olf in front of me will never experience.

KSinNYC

I never recline my seat. It's not that big a deal to me and I realize that keeping my seat upright gives the person behind me a bit more room. Mr. KSinNYC always reclines his seat, it is much more comfortable for him to sit that way.

If the person in front of me has reclined his/her seat, I will politely ask them to put their seat up during meal service. Nobody has ever refused. I guess that if they did, I would remember it after the meal service was finished.

Dave Noble

I have no issue if I am asked politely to not recline during a meal and if so asked will happily oblige. If , however, a cabin crew member tries to tell me to do it, then I will refuse since, here in oz at least, they cannot order a passenger to do something except as it pertains to safety, and will complain to the cabin service manager about the order

Dave

Flyer23

It all boils down to what you consider to be your "personal space."

If you consider your "personal space" to extend from the back of the seat in front of you (when not reclined) to the back of your seat, then it's incredibly rude to recline, because you're invading the personal space of the person behind you.

On the other hand, if you consider your "personal space" to extend from roughly the front of your seat cushion to the front of the seat cushion behind you, then reclining is fine, because you're not invading the other person's personal space. If they want to maintain the same distance between seats, they can recline themselves.

dukieee

I try to recline as little as possible, slowly with warning etc. pp. If someone "crushes" your knees and it really bothers you, just push against the seatback with your knees once in a while. Helps against DVT - and reclining seatbacks. At least you get some satisfaction out of it.
The better solution is of course for everybody to be considerate - in whatever position he or she is *lol*. And yes, being considerate might require to think (and feel) beyond "rights".

sfbarry

[QUOTE=ESpen36]You can purchase a plastic device called a Knee Defender. QUOTE]


Don't kneed one of these as my knees do the trick quite well.

alanstar

I almost never recline, I find it more comfortable to sit straight up (even when napping). However, I don't think it's rude to recline.

One possibility - if the flight isn't full, maybe you could politely explain the situation to the FA and ask if there are any open seats you could move to?