to wonder why person in front on plane always puts their fucking seat back the minute we take off

[madmn52]

Im not talking long haul or night flights. Im talking day flights of a few hours duration. Theres precious enough leg room and the airlines cram us in like sardines - and I have 32ins legs meaning I practically get knee-capped by the seat in front as it is. But thats not bad enough - oh no - I get the only person on the plane - and I know this cos Ive looked round and checked !! who absolutely has to put their seat back the minute we take off. So now I've got cramp, I'm starting to lose all feeling in my legs - I cant reach down to get some light entertainment or pain relief !! out of my bag without cricking my neck - the inflight movie is pointing towards my pelvic area because of the angle of the seat in front and to cap it all Ive got some fucking complete ignorant arsehole strangers head in my lap for the entire flight.

YANBU. I did have a stand up row one time - flying scumair, aka Ryanair. It was only a 50 minute flight, I had an under 2 on my lap and the woman in front reclined her seat. I asked nicely every which way I could for her to put it back as I literally had to hug the child to my chest to stop him being squashed but she insisted on her right to recline. I know my baby wasn't her problem but I didn't think anyone would be that much of a bitch.

why i like the row by the toilets yes everyone troops by but you can recline without upsetting anyone

I think it's one of those instances calling for compromise. it's ridiculously unfair to recline your seat for long periods if the person behind you has a small child on their lap for example, or during meals, or for the whole flight if the person behind has asked you not to.

HOWVER, the person who prefers the seat reclined has he right to use that fuction of the airline seat they paid for.

IF only everyone could simply be reasonbale about it.

I usually fly long haul (to and from USA) and generally ask the person behind if it's OK if I recline my seat, if I need to (I usually get a friendly and accomodating response). What I shall HAVE to do this time, is prevent DS (3.5) from learning how to do so)

Of course you should recline your seat if you want to!
It must be about the only situation that most people are agreeing you should put up with your own discomfort on favour of someone else being comfortable when it's your right to go ahead and make yourself comfortable!
Think about it in another way. You are queuing for a toilet and desperate to go. There's another person behind you also desperate bit it's your turn. Whose comfort do you prioritise? Yours of course. It's your right to go first. Unless it's a small child or pregnant lady etc.
On a plane dh gets in seat and is immediately cramped and v uncomfortable. After take off he reclines and is more comfortable for rest of flight. His seat reclines. It is supposed to recline. Should he really not recline and be in pain for several hours to make a stranger more comfortable when it's his entitlement yo recline??
And no we won't be paying for business class to ensure extra space as we have just enough space already once the seat is reclined in economy!
No reason why should pay money we can't afford just in case we end up sitting in front of someone who would prefer the seat up as we may also be in front of someone who doesn't mind!
Obviously consideration comes into it and would compromise with someone who asked nicely. Would also suffer discomfort to allow pregnant lady or someone with child on lap or v v tall person to not be squashed. But not for your average 32 legger!

I am shocked at how many people think it is acceptable to kick the back of the seat in front when it is being used as it was intended to be used.

Nancy - 'because the system is designed to do so' - that's exactly why it's reasonable to recline your seat.

3Trees - it's annoying when you have a child and the person in front reclines their seat, however, you can always book another seat for the child if it's that big a problem for you. You have the child - not the person in front, using their seat as it is designed.

Sunny - it's unfortunate she didn't want to sit up straight for the flight - but how do you know she didn't have a bad back, or anything else that made it uncomfortable for her.

If you want more room because you have a child with you - book another seat, don't make your child someone elses problem.

If you are travelling on a budget airline, pay the extra for premier boarding and choose a seat that doesn't have another in front of it.

If you don't like the fact that seats recline on short haul flights - then complain to the airlines - not the passengers using the seats in the way they are designed to be used.

Chipping in - that's exactly what we did, BUT If I were sat infront of someone with a child on their lap (when we took our 10 month old on his first long haul flight while he DID have his own seat, he could not use it the whole time, he would have injured himself) I would have some consideration for that child. Particualrly if the parent was already doing as much as they could and the child was not crying due to take off / langing, was provided with activity to prevent an unpleasnatly noisy journey etc.

MUCH more comfortable for me, in my opinion, to keep my seat upright, at least MOPST of the time, than allow the child to become upset and NOISY becasue they are squashed and can't cope with the discomfort.

Yes seats are designed to recline, and you have the right to recline your seat, but in civilised society, I like to think that we can compromise and consider the knock on effect of asserting your rights over the rights of all others, if EVERYONE did that, then MOST things would be quite horrible.

If I ahve paid for a ticket on the bus and get a seat, I do not feel that my right to use that seat is greater than the community benefit of my giving up that seat to an elderly, disabled, pregnant, or child carrying person.

I can't believe people get so annoyed about people reclining their seat.

It doesn't really take up that much room. And what is all this nonsense about long legs? The top part of the seat reclines - it doesn't change what legroom you have. I am 6 foot and have long legs (another 36 incher) and can never say that I have ever been bothered by someone reclining their seat in front of me. I think the only time it would ever be a problem would be if you had a baby on your lap (and in that case, if you don't want teh discomfort, stump up and buy a seat for your baby).

If you want more comfort sit in an aisle seat, you can then stick your feet in the aisle and it feels like you have more room.

at your wierdos who think it's acceptable to kick seats.

Wow, that sense of 'entitlement' that makes the modern world such a joy to be in.

Jesus - if your car can go 120 mph do you drive it at that speed? I mean, you're entitled to, right?? Blame the car manufacturer, not you, for making a car that can go that fast, you've paid for it so you're entitled to drive it that fast.

Sounds stupid, inconsiderate and selfish, doesn't it?

3Threes - no it isn't (although I would be considerate for a short flight). A person with a child on their lap has chosen not to pay for a seat for them. Their choice!

In sunnydelight's case - obviously I would have been considerate but if the person doesn't want to be it's not their problem IMHO.

Lifeas3plus1: you're nicer than me. I would be very bothered if someone asked me not to recline on long-haul regardless of time of day (meal-times exempted). I count long-haul as anything over about 7/8 hours (don't know what the official definition is). Long-haul flights are not as crammed in economy as the budget carriers. If the airline you've chosen is, that's because you've gone for a cheap ticket or not made the effort to check in advance. Again, your problem if you don't like to travel in the seats provided being used in the way they're provided.

I fly a lot and often for only short trips. I often need to be able to catch up on sleep, regardless of what time of day it is and how long the flight is. If it really inconvenienced the passenger behind me and the flight was short I'd live with it but I'd expect to be asked politely. Anything over about three or four hours and I'd expect to either be able to recline my seat or move to a seat here I could recline.

Have you tried to put a child under about 2 in a aircraft seat contunously for 7 hrs (never mins 12, or 24) it can be done for some of the flight (as I SAID, since we DID get ds his own seat at 10 months - now he is old enough to actually use his seat) I would HATE to imagine the pain, and potential long term dmaage to small spines. Thus the child has to be held for much of the time.

OF course the person in front has the right tto recline their seat, but a small amount fo consideration all round would not hurt much would it?

Blimey, I thought I was being reasonable, but apparently it is better to kick the person in front than it is to ask for a LITTLE consideration SOME of the time in one POTENTIAL scenario?

Some of you people are odd!

susitwoshoes - but if I can safely and legally go at 120 why shouldn't I? Because the person in the car behind me's eyes hurt if car's move too fast?

If you kick someone in the back instead of asking them politely to pull it up a bit, you're asking for an argument. I find it uncomfortable sitting bolt upright although I never put it all the way back.

If you cannot cope with someone doing what their chair was designed for, ask for a seat next to the exit, which has more legroom, make sure you're at the front or fork out for a better airline.

but that's the point - legal or not you can't drive that fast without compromising someone else that you're sharing roadspace with. Same as if you recline your seat you compromise someone else's space. You're not living in a bubble.

Except for take-off, landing, eating or if obvious it would create a problem (e.g. if child on lap), I will recline if I'm trying to sleep. I don't know which airlines you fly on, but seats on the (various) ones I have, don't recline that much anyway, just enough for your head not to keep falling forward once asleep! If asked to move upright, I would, but I definitely wouldn't think I've done anything wrong, just that the person behind has some issue, most likely health related. The attitude on here, that it's "inconvenient", would really annoy me, and I'd prefer to thick someone really do need more space vs the fact that they want premium space at economy price. And no, don't throw a tantrum about me saying that - I'm obviously with you in economy if this is an issue.

at posters being so vocal about the "selfishness" of using a product as designed, yet feeling perfectly entitled to kick or knee the person if yo feel inconvenienced. What are you, five??

3Threes - cross post so I didn't know you had booked a seat. Wasn't there a bassinet available? They're at the bulk heads for exactly this reason.

In my experience, the vast majority of children on laps are on laps because the parent(s) haven't booked a seat. I'd show a lot more consideration for a child that needed to be held to be given a break from a child seat.

I just had to do two 9 hour flights (with a 10 month old) for the sake of 48 hours on the ground for a family emergency. You're honestly saying I should just happily accept not being able to recline because someone has decided to save some money and not book a seat for their child and didn't get themselves organised enough to get the bulk head they're entitled to? (This is long haul I'm talking about where all mainstream carriers have specific seats for infants).

If it was unfeasable (and child was crying etc) then yes a solution would be found but I would kick up be upset if I wasn't moved to a seat where I could recline. If the plane was completely full, I'd put up with it but I'd be shouting at the airline for compensation.

I'm not even going to start on the person behind me being tall!

susitwoshoes - what a daft comparison - there is no law re reclining your seat on a plane - there is a law against you driving at 120mph. Your comparison makes absolutely no sense.

3Trees - if you want the extra space, pay for the extra space (which you seemingly do), then turn side on and you have two seats worth of space - plenty.

(FWIW if I did have a baby/child behind me I would be considerate and not recline my seat on a SH and be less inclined than I am normally to recline it for an entire LH flight (bar meal times), however, I am arguing against the principal that the person using the seat correctly should be uncomfortable to make the person behind them more comfortable. Also, if the person in front of me reclines their seat, then I will recline mine to get a bit of space.)

Bedubabe - that's what pissed me off about the AIRLINE, we booked with them becasue they had bassinets and we actually had a bassinet on the way over, and it was awesome, ds slept most of the way, we ALL had enough space, etc etc.

fast forward 10 days, and on the return journey apparently they "no longer use them", so we couldn't have one!

I would, especially long haul NEVER expect the person in front to not recline their seat at all, but I WOULD expect that there would be SOME degree of give and take.

susitwoshoes: people can and do on the autobahns without any apparent problems. If's if safe (and legal) why not?

the reason why small children are on the laps of their parents is because it is the law in europe. under 2 year olds are not allowed to sit on their own seat during take off or landing and some airlines (talking easyjet and ryanair) do not allow you to book extra seats for small children.
easyjet and ryanair also have planes (at least for short flight around 1 hour) that have seats that do not recline.
I don*t find it OK for people to just recline the seat without checking first if it is ok, but kicking seats is just not on.

OH and as a family I like to think we are generally considerate, DP is 6'4, and doesn't recline his seat without checking that the person behind will be OK with it.(I'm short, so really don't mind one way or the other for myself.)

Just becasue you HAVE to share space with people for sometimes many hours, you might as well make it as positive as possible all round.

I don't think peiople realise that if they recline then the person behind has to recline to be comfortable etc like a deck of cards, unfortunately you get to the back row where we were and those seats don't recline and you are stuck. I am only 5'2 and I don't like being behind someone who reclines.
Why would you delirberately do something that you know causes a lot of annoyance and causes everyone discomfort, just because it's there
It's something the airlines should do something about ie take away the ability to recline