Reclining Seat Defensive Move

May 5, 2009

in Seat Stories

My biggest issue of flying on these airlines. I hate nothing more then having my tray table out, working on my computer and the 400 hundred pound bald guy reclines his seat. Now you would think this rude over weight guy would slowly recline his seat but no! He uses all of his 400 pounds of weight and pushes his seat to the rear at 120 miles an hour. When this happens it almost breaks the screen off my lap top computer.

Now this really upsets me and if I had a weapon I would of used it. Well here is the first of many defensive moves to follow from “Jammin Jay.” I put away my computer and take out the newspaper. I turn on the air vent full blast and direct the air towards his bald head and quickly begin to read the paper as to hide my smirk. Now in a few minutes the guy will start to look around to see where the cold air is coming from. I start to giggle and try to ignore him. A few more minutes goes by and he finally sees what I am doing and he slowly reclines his seat back.

This reclining seat defense normally works and I recommend it.

Signed, Jammin Jay

{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }

Hugh May 7, 2009 at 1:26 am

I suppose asking him not to do so, so that you could get some work done would be silly. He's entitled to recline his seat, just as you are. Perhaps you should book a first class ticket from now on.

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SAW May 7, 2009 at 3:04 am

Telling everyone to "book first class" doesn't help – you know they can't afford it – can you? No… But telling people that behaving badly to counter bad behavior is just childish. As for the notebook screen – I learned YEARS ago to keep the top of the screen well clear of the tray table latching area so as not to get caught by this.

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Eastern Snow May 7, 2009 at 3:53 am

Airplane seats in the tin can section should not recline, period.

There is no reason for it and it's a nuisance for the passenger stuck behind the egotistic person sitting in front of them.

If a passenger is "entitle to recline" then I am entitle to the have and use the entire space in front of me.

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Roto13 May 7, 2009 at 10:01 am

^^^ No matter how small that space happens to be. People recline their seats on airplanes. They don't recline very far and it's a person's right as a passenger with a reclining seat to use it.

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Hugh May 7, 2009 at 11:27 am

There's no good answer. No one like the person in front to recline, and everyone sitting wants to recline. Behaving childishly is just silly though. If someone reclining bothers you so much that you revert to acting like a 7 year old, then book first class, don't fly, or buck up and deal with it.

To your point SAW, if you can't afford first class, don't act as if you are entitled to it. Flying is pleasant for no one. I do it all the time for work, and I hate it each time. I know it's miserable, so by expecting it, I just deal with it and don't let it get to me. I'm powerless to change it, so why get upset over something I cant affect.

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poe May 7, 2009 at 3:20 pm

I don't believe people should recline their seats either. I don't do it out of courtesy for the people behind me and it really irks me when folks recline all the way back. Does it really truly give you all that much more comfort? More comfort than the extreme discomfort the person behind you has to deal with? I love this defense and may use it myself! Cheers!

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fjackie May 7, 2009 at 5:01 pm

Seats should not recline. I hate you asshats invading my space.

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MJ May 7, 2009 at 7:04 pm

The only time I've ever had an issue with someone reclining a seat was on a redeye flight during which the only comfortable position I could find was with my head resting on my tray table. Getting my neck wrenched when the person in front of me suddenly, and very quickly, reclined was not fun. Other than that one time, it's never bothered me.

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Nacho May 8, 2009 at 4:42 am

I want to know where, in all the FHA documentation, there's a statement that says "passengers have a *right* to recline their seats." I highly doubt it's written anywhere, so piss off.

Just because they recline doesn't mean you're suddenly entitled to its use. Rather, one should possess some kind of decency and ask the person behind if leaning back would cause them discomfort. Most people, if you *ask*, will let you go back and never bitch or moan.

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Roto13 May 8, 2009 at 8:25 am

"Just because they recline doesn't mean you're suddenly entitled to its use."

That's EXACTLY what it means.

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Hugh May 8, 2009 at 1:13 pm

When you purchase the ticket, you are entitled to recline the seat. You may disagree with the practice, you may hate the practice, but the fact remains that you are allowed to recline. Again, the decent thing to do is to try not to cause undo discomfort to the person behind you. Acting up when the person in front of you reclines makes you in the wrong. Be mature and respectful, and nicely and politely ask the person in front to not recline so much. You might be surprised at how well it works.

fjackie…I love how the internet makes you so brave. I would wager you don't have the stones to say that to anyone here in person. Grow up troll.

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angryfeet May 14, 2009 at 11:00 am

The only problem with this is, even if you are mature and respectful, often times the recliner isn't – and it's often the mature, respectful individual who suffers in these conflicts. We're all human, and while I don't condone acting childishly, I do understand it. Who hasn't acted in a less than mature way once in awhile?

And as Eastern Snow said – if the passenger in front of me has the right to decline because of the price paid for the ticket, don't I also have the right to use the full amount of space that comes with the seat? Whose rights should be honored – the right of the passenger to recline, or the right of the person behind him to use his or her space?

My point being, that conflicts between passengers can rarely be solved in respectful, mature ways, and the issues of what rights passengers have is not a black and white issue.

God, imagine the horror if the airlines start allowing people to use cell phones during the flight!

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Anomia May 27, 2009 at 12:55 pm

I recline very, very minimally (often not at all). I understand that others enjoy reclining their seats and sometimes need to, and I have no desire to take that away – but they also need to stay the hell out of my lap. So far, I've always been able to work it out politely with the person in front of or behind me!

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Rob May 27, 2009 at 7:13 pm

Good post Anomia. Usually, but not always, polite conversation results in compromise.

If it doesn't, well, I like using the little air blower myself since it always works.

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TheBigM June 12, 2009 at 5:29 pm

I’m sorry but the seats don’t recline that far. If its a long flight then the guy (or gal) in front should be able to recline their seat – albeit not suddenly and with force.

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Kiri the Can Opener January 27, 2011 at 6:00 pm

I'm sorry but on some airlines they do. I've found myself jammed in on more than one occasion by some oaf in the seat in front of me.
In general I will recline if the person in front of me has done so, but then only part way – nobody behind me has ever appeared to be upset by this. If I can tell that the person in the seat behind me is reclining then I will feel free to do so as well. During meal service I will always return my seat to upright.

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iamdogmatic June 25, 2009 at 8:07 am

I smell bullshit. Are you that much of a looser, that you have to make up shit to pass time?

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karen bradley July 14, 2009 at 2:36 pm

iamdogmatic- looser? what's that? now who's the loser?!

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jamesb August 30, 2009 at 4:24 am

well, this trick sometimes does not work. Once I have an Eastern European guy reclined his seat fully. I directed my air blower to his head and without saying anything he reached his hand to my air blower and point it to my head. He and I then entered into an argument and almost into a fight if not stopped by the flight attendant. Once the plane landed I plan to continue the argument with him but once the door open he ran away and I could not catch him.

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