Dumb Question About Reclining Airplane Seats

[atigeg]

Okay, this is probably a dumb question, but hubby and I are both stumped. Even as frequently as we fly, we've never run into this. Here goes:
I just read a statistic (I think it was in the Wall Street Journal) that more men than women will not let the person in front of them recline. I think it was 12 percent of men vs. 9 percent of women. What I don't understand is, how do they stop you? It there a secret "turn off the recline on the seat in front of you" button that I haven't found? Or, as my hubby guessed, do they reach forward and smack you in the head? He never reclines, but I have a neck problem and pretty much have to recline if I don't want to be in pain for the next several days. Anyone ever hear of this before?
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[seashoreCM]

Q: How do you stop the person in front of you from reclining?

A: Any way imaginable if it works.

Travel tips:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

If you recline the seat a wee bit at a time, the person behind might not notice until you are almost all the way reclined.

 

[DebbieB]

I remember I was flying with a friend and she was in the window seat and tried to recline. She couldn't get it to move much and the guy behind her screamed that she was hitting his knee (he was tall). Another time I was on a charter to Las Vegas with very close seats and the person in front of me reclined all the way. I had to say something because the back of the seat was almost in my lap.

 

[travelcoupons]

Originally posted by seashoreCM
Q: How do you stop the person in front of you from reclining?

Just like in Football, you can use either the block or the kick technique. See: http://www.cnn.com/2000/TRAVEL/VIEWS/elliott/07/26/index.html

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

Good question! I am taking a late flight to Orlando, and after reading this, I plan to place my knees firmly against the seat infront of me. I'd like some personal space, please.

When someone leans their seat back, I can't use my laptop. I can't do any work on the tray table (whether it be go over sheets about my trip, or do work that I'm missing by going to my destination). I can't move my legs.

I once was seated in the first class cabin, and had my one leg up on the other (where my foot was above my knee), and the person infront of me decided to move their seat the entire way back. The back of their seat wedged my foot between it and my leg. The metal on the seat put a huge scratch in my shoe (it sorta scraped a chunk of the leather out), and I had a hard time getting my foot moved (it sorta twisted my ankle). Wasn't happy, didn't say anything, and my one shoe was about ruined. All that, sitting in a first class seat with TONS of leg room, but the seats recline F-A-R in f/c. Not letting anything like that happen again! If someone wants to recline their seat, I will allow them to do so only if they nicely ask me. I don't recline my seat (if I sleep, which doesn't happen often, I do so sitting up).

Guess that was my little vent...

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Having just returned from my trip, I found that people reclining in no way caused me any concern or discomfort. I still had plenty of leg space ( I am 5'7" with a 33" inseam), could cross my legs, read on the tray table, write, etc. Perhaps SWA has more space than other airlines, but, I did not find this to be an issue.

 

[Muffy]

On Delta you can only recline 2 inches at the most. It does not effect the guy in back at all but it is not much of a recline?!

 

[cindala]

Well, I for one never recline because I feel it is rude to the person behind me. Now a days, the seats and spaces are so small that there really isn't much room to play with.

We usually fly Delta, and even though the seats only recline 2 inches as Muffy mentioned, that all depends on the size of the person doing the reclining. If it's a child, it probably won't even reline the full 2 inches, but if it is a heavy set or tall male, that seat goes back much further!!

As for how do you stop someone from reclining, well, I guess you could ask nicely, or as Cali put it, place your knees firmly against the seat in front of you!

 

[Luv2Roam]

I don't like it why the person in front reclines, but oh well. I don't stop them from doing so.
I forget which airline/plane I was on, but I recall I was reading a newspaper and when the guy in front of me dropped back, I almost had to lay the paper over his face to read it.
You would have thought he was uncomfortable laying there with a newspaper hitting him the head and crinkling right by his ears.

 

[CarolA]

I am a fan of the knee method. I have my legs crossed an my right knee is usually very close to the seat back. If it starts to come back, I just shove my knee up there. Stops the seat! I never say anything and they never say anything so.... I have been known to reach around behind me and GRAB the feet of the child kicking me however. That usually gets the parent's attention!

 

[ncligs]

I let the person ahead of me know by tapping them on the shoulder.

 

[Luv2Roam]

CarolA -- Like you, it annoys the heck out of me to have kid (or adult) constantly kick the back of my seat!
You always think it's some kid. BUt quite often it's an adult!
Bugs me to death at the movie theatre too. And we have those nice theatres with big seats and LOTS of leg room. No reason for it.
Okay -- that's my pet peeve. You found it.

 

[inkkognito]

I'm glad I asked my question here...I knew there would be some interesting responses!!!
When I recline, it has never elicited any response from the person behind me. I have very short legs, so when someone reclines in front of me, it doesn't bother me. Of course, we try to get exit rows whenever possible and a lot of times the seats in front of the exit row cannot be reclined, so it never becomes an issue. If you want to make sure there is no kicking kid behind you (a pet peeve of mine too), get a seat in front of an exit row. Even if you can't recline, it's often worth it to avoid a "sugar kid." But as Luv2Roam pointed out, often the kicker is an adult. When I have an adult kicker back there, I ALWAYS recline, even if I wasn't planning to...sort of a little retaliation.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[RUDisney]

I flew to MN with my boss once. He is over 6' and was very conscientios about not hitting the seat in front of him with his knees. Not a small task.

I witnessed his efforts and he never once hit the seat.

Well, the guy in front of him reclined all the way and then started complaining because my boss was kicking his seat. It never happened. The guy kept tossing and turning and then complained that we were talking. Not loudly, I might add.

Napoleon-complex boy seemed to be trying to antagonize my boss.

On another flight, the woman in front of my reclined into my lap. The only way I could read my magazine was to hold it up high and to keep whapping her in the head with it. Didn't seem to bother her and she never turned around or moved her seat up until "lunch" was served.... then, back to my lap.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

So, here's my question...

Why is it, that my seat reclines 2 inches... barely even noticeable.... however, the person in front of me, his seat reclines far enough so that I could do dental work on him...

 

[drusba]

Ever since the airlines' bean counters decided that the comfort of the passenger was not a concern if they could make more money by squeezing in a few more seats by putting the rows closer to each other we have had the battle of the reclining seat. Anyone, usually male, that is taller than 5' 10" really cannot comfortably fit in the space provided on most airlines and if a person in front decides to recline the result is greater discomfort as your knees and legs become wedged into position. Note a little recline is OK but full throttle is considered the height of disrespect and maliciousness. I am sure murder is even contemplated for an instant by many when it happens to them, and that though is quickly replaced with how one can go about torturing the recliner short of death. In other words, this is an issue that ranks on the level of interest and concern for the frequent and tall traveller right up there with terrorism, war, increase in taxes, and the ongoing arrest record of Bush's daughters and neices. Some have various ways of stopping it: (a) as soon as the recline starts reach up and push back with both hands as hard as you can;(b) "accidentally" spill coffee on the top of the reclined seat; (c) ask the person nicely if he or she would like a pillow . . . stuffed down their throat; (d) mention loudly and to no one in particular how discourteous it is for people to put their seats into full recline when there is a tall person behind them; (e) state with clarity, "If you do that, I will kill you"; (f) mention loudly that just as the seat was reclining you were in the process of reaching for the barf bag and now you can't get to it; and (g) start counting out loud the gray hairs on the head in the reclined seat.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by drusba
Anyone, usually male, that is taller than 5' 10" really cannot comfortably fit in the space provided on most airlines and if a person in front decides to recline the result is greater discomfort as your knees and legs become wedged into position.

I am 6'2", and by no means a small person. I flew on Southwest yesterday, and the person in front of my reclined thier seat. Even still, I had more than plenty room. In fact, I was able to stretch out my legs. My flight was 3hrs long, and I was comfortable the entire journey.

 

[Dopey Sharon]

I must be flying with the wrong airlines because my seat only goes back maybe two inches...three at the most! There's no way that little bit of a recline is going to interfere with the person behind me. The person in front of me had their seat reclined and I was still able to use my tray table.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Not sure who you fly, Sharon, but SWA is by far the most comfortable for all involved.
I do think some people over react to the pitch when reclined, I am tall, and I have yet to have a problem with a reclining passenger. Must be that invasion of space thing.

 

[Jeanny]

I'm very short (5') and usually the recliner in front of me doesn't affect me, BUT the times someone tries to invade my lap, I too put my hands right up on the seat and say "Whoa, you want to sit in my lap?" This usually reminds the person that they've reclined TOO far back... or I say "Ohmigod, my claustophia just kicked in, I think I'm going to throw up now!!"

but it's usually that "sugar kid" who drives me crazy constantly kicking or pulling on my seat, so I usually recline MY seat a short way and give them the "evil eye", if that doesn't work, I sit up and look OVER the seat at the parents, that usually works! If it's the kid in front of me, playing with the seat and jiggling the seat around, I say really loud to my daughter (or whoever is with me) "I'm glad you ( my daughter) never bounced around in your (her) seat like that and annoyed people when you were (she was) younger" It's just that they don't realize what the kids are doing. I know it's a long ride and the kids are excited about being on a plane and no ride is "perfect" for everyone, but I try to be a little considerate of people around me.

Thanks for letting me vent about my pet peeves also!!!