stevenshev

I would argue that there's a legal issue here.

I would say that by purchasing a seat, you also lease air rights to the area of recline for the duration of the flight. Therefore someone attempting to impede your access to an area to which you have a valid contract has committed a tort against you.

I'd love to see someone prosecuted in Tort for using one of these. That person would totally deserve it. If your knees need more space, pay for F.

PTravel

Not exactly.

It's not a lease and, per the CofC, it's not even a possessory interest. You have a contractual right to sit in the seat, subject to a number of conditionals in favor of the airline, e.g. they can cancel the flight, put you in another seat, etc.

This wouldn't constitute tortious intereference with contract under any state's laws with which I'm familiar. It might, however, arguably constitute a battery (and I say, "arguably," because it may meet the legal test for civil battery -- I'm not suggesting that using a knee-defender be prosecuted as a battery).

A highly unlikely prospect, though it might be fun on Judge Judy.

I agree.

cblaisd

A better response than mine would have been.

ladiflier

Gee, if the airlines didn't want to allow customers to recline, wouldn't her answer have been "NEVER"! Apparently even the FA has indicated that indeed there are appropriate times - after take off and before landing. This of course is in addition to the fact that they enable the seats to recline in the first place. If they did not want the recline, then I'm sure they would disable the function as it is done on many exit row seatings.

For those that are completely comfortable sitting bolt straight, good for you. I personally have a bad back and it kills me to sit that upright for any length of time.

Oh, and as for the public display of picking one's nose or flatulance, there may not be signs telling you not to do it and I have certainly experienced my share of people doing so in public. But the only implications are that I will sit there and judge you for being gross. But heck, your judging me for being rude by reclining so we'll call it even.

Tony_B

I still haven't read a coherent argument for why normal reclining is 'rude', anyway reclinaphobics avoid me in front on your flight as I normaly recline for all of it (except meal breaks and TOL)

hal0712

Reclining isn't inherently rude, but it can be situationally inconsiderate. There's a difference obviously, just as the other comparison some people have made with obesity. Obesity isn't inherently invasive but it can be...if you're seated in the middle seat and top say over 280 lbs. in weight and are clearly spilling way over into both adjacent seats. As a shorter person, I can understand why some people of medium to large size height have problems with full-reclining people, when I've had my own much shorter knees canned in like sardines in the same situation. That includes during snacks when tables are down, and that includes when that seat in front of me was supposed to be fully upright on take-off/landing but wasn't. There's a reason some people get so exasperated that they think of devices like what the OP's looking for. Same with obese wonders. The problem originates in the airline not enforcing boundaries, or maybe they should just tighten those boundaries, along with requiring the FA's to actually use their limited powers of observation to do the minimal they're not doing.

echyde

I only recline halfway unless in First or Business. But, that's because most of my coach flights are short jaunts.

That being said, it is out of respect that you look back or recline slowly. Nothing is worse than a teenager or kid's first flight where they repeatedly adjust and slam their seat back-and-forth. They are kids, so while it is irritating, it is not unexpected. That some adults do it too is puzzling. Some folks must have been raised in a Zoo.

KMHT FF

I will recline only if on a given flight I really feel like I need to, not "just because," otherwise I will stay upright.

But if on the occasion that I recline somebody behind me doesn't like it, that's their problem, not mine.

If they start doing infantile things like purposely banging and pushing, their problem will escalate up to and including an assault and battery charge waiting for them upon arrival.

I won't give anybody sh!t and I won't take any either.

st7860

http://www.kneedefender.com/html2/buy.htm

obscure2k

Not going there again..
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator