To Recline or not to Recline...that is the Question?

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

OMG...look...is this what we've become

Being a Lady (The Mrs.), and a gentleman (me), we 'always' observe (like 'out of the corner of one's eye'), and politely ask (if needed), if we are being a inconvenience in relation to what passengers are doing in front and in back as us (and move our seats accordingly).

By Yaron Steinbuch - New York Post - 13 Feb 2020

"Airplane passenger caught on video shaking woman’s reclined seat".

"An airline passenger has sparked a conversation online about the etiquette involved in reclining one’s seat — after posting video of a man punching and pushing the back of hers in economy.

Wendi Williams was traveling from New Orleans to Charlotte, North Carolina, on an American Eagle flight operated by Republic Airways on Jan. 31 when the episode occurred.

“Here’s a great jackhole! He was angry that I reclined my seat and punched it about 9 times – HARD, at which point I began videoing him, and he resigned to this behavior,” Williams wrote on Twitter.

“The other jackhole is the @AmericanAir flight attendant who reprimanded me and offered him rum!” she added, calling the man’s actions an “assault.”

The clip showing the bearded, bespectacled man has since gone viral, with more than 2.4 million views.

“After much consideration, and exhausting every opportunity for #American Airlines to do the right thing, I’ve decided to share my assault, from the passenger behind me, and the further threats, from an American Airline flight attendant,” Williams wrote on Twitter.

“When the FA came. She rolled her eyes at me and said, ‘What?’ She then told him it was tight back there and gave him rum! She told me I had to delete the video! It’s against the law to video on a plane. I asked her name & She gave me a Passenger Disturbance Notice!” she said.

Williams also channeled Gloria Gaynor, apparently revising the lyrics to “I Will Survive” to describe her ordeal.

“First I was afraid, I was petrified. Kept thinking he was gonna kill me with those crazy eyes. But I took so many hits and I thought how he did me wrong and grew strong! I learned how to tweet along. He hit my back – so many times so I’ll recline! I will recline! Hey hey!” she wrote.

Williams said the man had asked her to put up her seat while he ate. She said she obliged, but reclined it again once he was finished.

“At that point, he started hammering away at me,” she claimed, prompting her to notify a flight attendant, whose response infuriated her.

“It was scary and very painful” she said, claiming she lost time at work, had to receive X-rays and suffered headaches because of the incident["].

Read More: [Naughty] ...airirplane passenger caught on-video

"Flying ‘Coach’ class is horrible...even eggs in a carton have more room". CBJ

 

[oc_in_fw]

They pack people in tighter than cows in a cattle car. But that is what we proved that we want by our pocket book. I want to go to Cleveland this year, so I am getting a sleeper car to Chicago, then getting a car. It will take a little longer, but I will have more room, save money vs first class flight, and see more of the country. With a short detour in Michigan, and a trip to Niagara Falls, I will get to show the wife 4 of the 5 Great Lakes.

 

[geneticblizzard]

Reclined airline seats seem to inspire a very unique kind of rage in people, which honestly confuses me since the amount of space to begin with is so cramped, it makes virtually no difference to me whether the person in front is reclined or not.

I've got to admit, I sympathize with the woman. I was once on a flight in which my chair stuck in the reclined position, and when asked by the gentleman behind me to raise my seat during dinner, I told him that unfortunately my seat seemed to be stuck. He said that that was okay, but about 10 minutes later, he violently shook my seat and started hurling slurs at me, much to the shock of the entire cabin. A terrified attendant ran over, and verified that the seat seemed to be broken, and I called back "I told you!" And suddenly he was all apologies. It seems like such a silly thing, but at the time, I was incredibly upset.

I probably wouldn't go as far as to call this assault - but I do think it's a perfect example of what modern flying can do to people. I can put myself in the guy's shoes, herded through security like cattle, the waiting, then being forced into a seat suitable for someone half your size - it drives people mad. It's inhuman they way people are treated in airports, and that's why I haven't flown in over 5 years and don't intend to ever again unless it's absolutely necessary.

 

[xiletero]

And then there is Spirit.....simplifies it.....not an option

Or exit seats...more leg room no recliner (except the last row in the exit)

Short trips, not necessary . Long ones, needed.

Don't ask, just do it....if it hits someone....then either apologize...or stop

 

[Doc4]

Ooh look ... American Airlines!

 

[Toothpick]

I can not find a good enough and big enough “eye roll” emoji or GIF to use. So I’ll just post

EYE ROLL

 

[Bakker1964]

The fact she goes on about how "painful" it was . . . she "needed" x-rays and suffered headaches . . . just spare us the BS, drama Queen

She got stuck sitting in front of a less than socially well-adjusted male.
She acted like an entitled twit.
She's playing up the whole incident for both public sympathy and a potential rent seeking damages suit.

A pox on BOTH of these idiots.

 

[musicman1951]

The flight attendant wasn't the sharpest tack in the box.

American Airlines blew an early chance to make amends.

They will end up paying her lawyer quite a bit of money and then a new policy for flight attendants who believe when a situation like this occurs they should reward the abuser.

Money talks.

 

[Rushman2112]

Simple: fly business class(!)

 

[shaveitoff]

Sounds like two people who don't know how to behave and shouldn't go outside of the house.

 

[TexLaw]

While I'm not at all impressed with how the woman passenger in this situation has trumped it up, the man's actions are inexcusable, as are those of the flight attendant.

 

[cleanshaved]

Cattle class has no class.

 

[Alacrity59]

And that there is why I try to get the seats by the emergency exit or first row.

 

[Frozenshades]

They pack people in tighter than cows in a cattle car. But that is what we proved that we want by our pocket book. I want to go to Cleveland this year, so I am getting a sleeper car to Chicago, then getting a car. It will take a little longer, but I will have more room, save money vs first class flight, and see more of the country. With a short detour in Michigan, and a trip to Niagara Falls, I will get to show the wife 4 of the 5 Great Lakes.

Yep. My understanding is that air travel used to be much more expensive, as such it has evolved from a privilege into a service. Along with that comes...well, let's just say a wide variety of types of people flying. Is the affordability nice? Sure. And while first class is great, I'm generally okay with the el cheapo tickets when it's only for a few hours. I am generally happy to pay the few bucks extra for an exit row or main cabin premium (or whatever that airline calls it) or sometimes business. When the price difference is too much for business or first (which is usually) it's cash I'd rather spend on things during the trip.

But it's always the triangle of choices where you get to pick two. Time, quality, and price. Want better quality? Pay the price for business or first or skip flying.

 

[oc_in_fw]

Yep. My understanding is that air travel used to be much more expensive, as such it has evolved from a privilege into a service. Along with that comes...well, let's just say a wide variety of types of people flying. Is the affordability nice? Sure. And while first class is great, I'm generally okay with the el cheapo tickets when it's only for a few hours. I am generally happy to pay the few bucks extra for an exit row or main cabin premium (or whatever that airline calls it) or sometimes business. When the price difference is too much for business or first (which is usually) it's cash I'd rather spend on things during the trip.

But it's always the triangle of choices where you get to pick two. Time, quality, and price. Want better quality? Pay the price for business or first or skip flying.

The first time I flew was 1976- from Birmingham AL to Cleveland OH. I was a kid, and tickets were probably $300 a piece- good money then. My grandparents bought tickets for us to come up. We were treated very well. I remember that the dinner was a ham and cheese croissant. We were vegetarians, at least until our father wasn’t around. It was sinfully delicious. Since that day, ham and cheese croissants are one of my favorite foods.

 

[Doc4]

Ah, for the good old days!!

 

[Alacrity59]

Mens' hats up on top. I'm surprised on this photo from a long time ago there are no ashtrays. When did women last wear gloves?

Fun pic.

 

[Rushman2112]

Ah, such halcyon days.

 

[TexLaw]

I'm surprised on this photo from a long time ago there are no ashtrays.

I believe the ashtrays pulled out from the front of the armrests.

 

[emwolf]

Sounds like two people who don't know how to behave and shouldn't go outside of the house.

you know, I think you nailed it on the head there. Traveling has changed considerably in my lifetime. When I was a kid, we had to dress up to go on a plane, bus, train, or car. It was during my time in grade school that they started allowing blue jeans to class (at least at my school). My mom wore gloves in the summer to travel. Gloves in the SUMMER! That said, our world has changed since then too, the gate at our local airport when I was a kid was a chain link fence about chest high to an adult. I never had to remove my shoes before boarding. People dress for ease of security now, but dressing down leads to behaving down.

I will continue my rant. A movie theater near me has recently installed electric recliners in the auditoriums. I hate this. Relaxed people feel more comfortable to visit with their neighbor and jibber jabber during movies. And they do. I had a music director who once stopped a large concert to complain about people putting their feet up on the chairs in front of them. He explained to the audience that, to properly appreciate the music, one must sit near the edge of the chair and get into what is being played.

So, to round up my rant, perhaps we, as a community, are no longer engaged. We don't see beyond ourselves and our little world. We lack civil skills. M. Scott Peck has a great book on this very subject.