Live, Interesting Seat Recline dispute, what would you do?
#32
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 851
Haven't you followed the Republican party? Jesus would find all the gays on the plane and beat them up. Then he'd use his captive audience of middle and upper class passengers to hold a rally to cut taxes (because poor people suck and they are a drain on our tax dollars) and kick all the brown people out of Texas and Arizona by cutting off their healthcare and education.
#34
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Travel Safety/Security & Texas, FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Ok folks, this isn't Omni P/R, this is the US Airways forum. If the religious (and political) comments continue, however, that's exactly where this thread is headed.
Please keep your comments on-topic (and also avoid getting too personal). Feel free to go back and edit anything that may be O-T.
Thanks.
aztimm
Please keep your comments on-topic (and also avoid getting too personal). Feel free to go back and edit anything that may be O-T.
Thanks.
aztimm
#35
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1
Yes - I've had similar situations
I am currently flying CLT – LAX on a US Airways A321. I am in seat 3D and once I began working on my laptop I reclined my seat. Within a few minutes of this, the passenger in 4D turned her air vent on my head, presumably to protest me having my seat reclined.
I summoned the flight attendant and asked him to ask the passenger behind me to take her air vent off my head. He asked her and she complied. About fifteen minutes later, the passenger in 4D got my attention and said, “if you continue to shove your head into my lap, I will turn my air vent back on you.” I replied, “what are you talking about?” She replied, “your seat is reclined too far, do you want to switch?” I responded, “no, this is my chosen seat”. I know that row 4 on the A321 doesn’t recline as far.
I then summoned the flight attendant again and noted to him what she had said to me and her threatening tone. She then spoke to him. He came to me and said, “She has taken her air vent off you, wouldn’t you be so kind as to not recline your seat? No other passengers are reclined.” I responded, “while I am working I want to have my seat reclined, I don’t see why this is a problem. I am 6’ 4” and fly enough to be a Dividend Miles Platinum and this has never been an issue in the past.” He responded, “well in that case I can’t stop her from putting her air vent on your head.”. I replied, “if she continues to do that, I will get out my camera phone and take her picture and post it on flyertalk.com and note that this is a passenger who puts her air vent on other passengers.” He paused for a moment and said, “if you take a picture of her, I will have the police meet this flight in Los Angeles.”
At this point, I continue to work (save for writing this post), and she continues to have her air vent on my head. I will wait to take her picture until I am finished with my work. I believe it is totally within my right to take a picture of other people in public (but I could be wrong, I am not an attorney). Also, note that as far as I can tell, she does not have any sort of medical condition or injury. I would be more inclined to suck it up if she were injured. Neither she nor the flight attendant noted she had any condition.
Have you had similar frustrating discourse with other passengers? So my question for you is, what would you do?
I summoned the flight attendant and asked him to ask the passenger behind me to take her air vent off my head. He asked her and she complied. About fifteen minutes later, the passenger in 4D got my attention and said, “if you continue to shove your head into my lap, I will turn my air vent back on you.” I replied, “what are you talking about?” She replied, “your seat is reclined too far, do you want to switch?” I responded, “no, this is my chosen seat”. I know that row 4 on the A321 doesn’t recline as far.
I then summoned the flight attendant again and noted to him what she had said to me and her threatening tone. She then spoke to him. He came to me and said, “She has taken her air vent off you, wouldn’t you be so kind as to not recline your seat? No other passengers are reclined.” I responded, “while I am working I want to have my seat reclined, I don’t see why this is a problem. I am 6’ 4” and fly enough to be a Dividend Miles Platinum and this has never been an issue in the past.” He responded, “well in that case I can’t stop her from putting her air vent on your head.”. I replied, “if she continues to do that, I will get out my camera phone and take her picture and post it on flyertalk.com and note that this is a passenger who puts her air vent on other passengers.” He paused for a moment and said, “if you take a picture of her, I will have the police meet this flight in Los Angeles.”
At this point, I continue to work (save for writing this post), and she continues to have her air vent on my head. I will wait to take her picture until I am finished with my work. I believe it is totally within my right to take a picture of other people in public (but I could be wrong, I am not an attorney). Also, note that as far as I can tell, she does not have any sort of medical condition or injury. I would be more inclined to suck it up if she were injured. Neither she nor the flight attendant noted she had any condition.
Have you had similar frustrating discourse with other passengers? So my question for you is, what would you do?
#37
Join Date: Jul 2011
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While I rarely recline in F or Y, I believe it's within your right to recline your seat. I just can't see how reclining in F is being in her lap. She needs to get over it.
Oh and the vent wouldn't bother me either. I always aim mine full blast at my face as I saw on Dr. Oz that that prevents other pax germs from making you sick. And I'm a germophobe.
The FA threatening to call the cops is a little off the wall.
I agree with DCPatti, that nobody likes a snitch.
Oh and the vent wouldn't bother me either. I always aim mine full blast at my face as I saw on Dr. Oz that that prevents other pax germs from making you sick. And I'm a germophobe.
The FA threatening to call the cops is a little off the wall.
I agree with DCPatti, that nobody likes a snitch.
#38
Join Date: May 2005
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I'm not saying it's his fault that the seats on this plane recline the way they do but the fact that they do does end up imposing on the person behind. If I'm the person behind I'm going to ask nicely if they wouldn't mind putting their seat forward just a little. However, if I chose to direct the air vent to where it hits them in the head, I certainly wouldn't tell them that's what I'm doing. I would just say that the air vent is there and adjustable in volume and direction for my comfort. I have chosen to position it the way I have because that's what's comfortable for me. Just as you have chosen to position your seat in a way that is comfortable for you.
#39
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 656
I never recline my seat if there is someone behind me becuase I am respectful of others space!
#40
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Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Newport Beach, California, USA
Posts: 36,062
I'm not saying it's his fault that the seats on this plane recline the way they do but the fact that they do does end up imposing on the person behind.
If I'm the person behind I'm going to ask nicely if they wouldn't mind putting their seat forward just a little.
However, if I chose to direct the air vent to where it hits them in the head, I certainly wouldn't tell them that's what I'm doing.
I would just say that the air vent is there and adjustable in volume and direction for my comfort.
I have chosen to position it the way I have because that's what's comfortable for me. Just as you have chosen to position your seat in a way that is comfortable for you.
#41
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Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Finally back in Boston after escaping from New York
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While I rarely recline in F or Y, I believe it's within your right to recline your seat. I just can't see how reclining in F is being in her lap. She needs to get over it.
Oh and the vent wouldn't bother me either. I always aim mine full blast at my face as I saw on Dr. Oz that that prevents other pax germs from making you sick. And I'm a germophobe.
The FA threatening to call the cops is a little off the wall.
I agree with DCPatti, that nobody likes a snitch.
Oh and the vent wouldn't bother me either. I always aim mine full blast at my face as I saw on Dr. Oz that that prevents other pax germs from making you sick. And I'm a germophobe.
The FA threatening to call the cops is a little off the wall.
I agree with DCPatti, that nobody likes a snitch.
I also agree that nobody likes a snitch, but bringing it to the attention of the FA initially was the correct call. An airplane is a bad place for passengers to confront one another. Somebody's likely to get shot by an itchy trigger-finger FAM.
WWJD
good way to live
good way to live
Mike
#42
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Escondido, CA
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Posts: 682
They say the best revenge is living well - I would have ignored the air vent and gone on with my business. Use the blanket if you have to. Row 4 obviously may not have let it rest here but who knows?
#43
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: On strike
Posts: 8,135
However, if I chose to direct the air vent to where it hits them in the head, I certainly wouldn't tell them that's what I'm doing. I would just say that the air vent is there and adjustable in volume and direction for my comfort. I have chosen to position it the way I have because that's what's comfortable for me. Just as you have chosen to position your seat in a way that is comfortable for you.
#44
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I'm not trying to rehash the recline-or-not debate, nor the shades-up-or-down debate, only trying to demonstrate that the close quarters of an airplane mean that *even when using something as it is designed,* there is a potentially negative impact for your neighbor. That's just what happens when you cram 200 people into an airplane. Even the way you stow your bag in the bin (do you just throw it up there, or do you arrange it in an attempt to conserve space for others?) has an impact on others. If all the passengers were courteous and thought about the impact of their actions on others, then travel wouldn't be the complete slog that it can be sometimes.
And I think we all agree that Air Vent Lady was out of line, and "started" the problem, but that does not give the OP permission to throw fuel onto the fire. The threat of taking the other passenger's picture, the status-dropping, the warning of flyertalk postings, all add up to a hostile gesture whether or not one considers the involvement of the FA as equally hostile.
Simply put: just because the other person is being a jerk doesn't make it OK for you to also be a jerk. It's as true on a plane as it is anywhere else.