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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

To refuse to un-recline dd's plane seat...

804 replies

MerryMarigold · 12/08/2014 23:24

Dh reckons I am. I reckon I am not.

So, long haul flight. Up at 3am to get to airport. 2 flights, 4 hour transit, bit of a hideous trip.

Anyways, on second flight, dd aged 5 FINALLY falls asleep. Thank God. Recline her seat so she is more comfortable and will hopefully sleep longer. 5 minutes later lady behind pokes my arm and asks me to put the chair up. Not very politely. I tell her my dd is asleep. She says she can't open her table with the chair reclined. (I have done this many times, so know it is entirely possible). I kneel on my chair and help her open table. Says she can't see TV screen. I adjust TV screen angle for her. She then proceeds to kick Dd's chair several times, whilst I get annoyed but decide to ignore.

10 mins later drinks come round and she speaks to the air steward in local language. He says to me. "Can I raise the seat?" and I tell him dd is sleeping. He says, "I'll do it gently" and just leans over me and does it. Thankfully she didn't wake up and managed to sleep in a contorted way for a lot longer.

I am usually the sort of person who doesn't stick up for myself and who doesn't like putting other people out (I didn't recline my own chair for the entire 9 hour flight as her large dh was behind me). I was very tired, I think that's why I was a bit arsey. I am also not being PFB. I have 3 children, but the others were not as tired and were fine.

Dh said it was her 'right' to have the seat up at least until the food is cleared up (this is probably at least 3 hours into the flight as it's a long flight). I said, "Says who?" Does her right to eat more comfortably trump my dd's right to sleep more comfortably?

So who is right?

OP posts:
Flipflops7 · 19/08/2014 15:22

PPS I don't have a child - I referred to a hypothetical child who might want to look out of the window at something - gosh.

indigo18 · 19/08/2014 17:02

Flipflops7 I think Slow did quote that bit; it just suits her to accuse you of inventing something.
I think it's best to leave her in peace now, she sounds a little unhinged.

Flipflops7 · 19/08/2014 18:07

Thanks for the support, Indigo. Yes I believe she did quote it with that bit not in bold. I certainly didn't invent it. Yes, I have metaphorically left the thread (last night actually :)).

puntasticusername · 19/08/2014 18:10

"I have metaphorically left the thread"

Now I've heard it all Grin

MyFairyKing · 19/08/2014 18:39

Some people are being really fucking pathetic on both sides of the reclining and non-reclining argument.

MerryMarigold · 19/08/2014 19:39

Not saying y'all anti recliners ARE JW's, but just similarly evangelical blind.

OP posts:
MaidOfStars · 19/08/2014 20:10

I am too short to be bothered by reclining seats. I can't remember ever being vexed by one, so either I've been really lucky to not have ever been behind a recliner (but I fly several times a year with various airlines...) or I genuinely don't notice or care.

I never recline my seat. Sleep whilst in flight always eludes me. I can usually fit my feet up underneath me. However, my relaxed pose is possibly even more annoying to those passengers in front of me, as I shuffle forward into my seat and rest both knees against the chair in front (I do this on trains too). I guess this means that every inch I shift is transferred forward. Oh well.

MaidOfStars · 19/08/2014 20:12

PS. This also means that longer seat pitches on posh airlines are utterly wasted on me, and worse, don't allow me to sit in maximum comfort...

Sunna · 26/08/2014 06:22

Article in The Guardian today reminded me of this thread -

www.theguardian.com/business/2014/aug/26/plane-diverted-as-passengers-fight-over-seat-reclining?CMP=fb_gu

BringMeTea · 26/08/2014 07:10

Yes, it does remind one of here. .

Pipbin · 26/08/2014 08:19

It's interesting that enough people find it a problem for it to be worth while a company making and selling something to stop reclining.

TheXxed · 26/08/2014 12:01

I saw the article too and thought of this thread. I can't believe he bought a lock to stop someone reclining. He sounds like a joy Hmm

ScarlettlovesRhett · 26/08/2014 12:33

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Pipbin · 26/08/2014 12:41

www.gadgetduck.com/goods/kneedefender.html

Sunna · 26/08/2014 13:42

When unpleasantness starts it's quite often someone who "knows their rights" that starts it, sadly.

KitWillDoodle · 26/08/2014 14:10

YABU, I regularly fly to Australia with my 4-year-old and wouldn't expect someone to eat dinner with knees up their nose so my precious child can have his seat reclined. He's a child, he can deal with it, end of. Reclining the seat makes zero difference. Instead of adjusting your child's seat you went out of your way to kneel on yours and open her table? What a ridiculous scene, how undignified.

TinyDancingHoofer · 26/08/2014 15:42

Yabu. In every way.

PersonOfInterest · 26/08/2014 17:36

An interesting post kit in a thread that I thought couldn't possibly have anything left in it.

Are you saying she is Unreasonable because its a child in the seat? Or would anyone have been unreasonable?

Claybury · 26/08/2014 18:24

Reading with amazement. I always recline. Had no idea there was etiquette involved.
(when I read thread title I assumed you refused to put seat upright for landing ! )
YANBU

ScarlettlovesRhett · 26/08/2014 19:56

Deleted!

I simply pointed out that the ragey one in the article was the would-be recliner, not the passenger behind with the recline stoppers. (Which I am buying btw, they're ace!).

BringMeTea · 27/08/2014 04:08

But scarlett one must remember the recliners' rights to have deleted anything they don't like.... Or something..... I am sure MNHQ thought your rumination on just who the aggressive recliner was made someone feel picked on. And I should know how that feels on this thread. Grin

SelfconfessedSpoonyFucker · 27/08/2014 04:35

I thought the same thing when I saw an article about the flight on cnet.

ScarlettlovesRhett · 27/08/2014 08:17

BringMeTea Grin

GemmaWella81 · 27/08/2014 08:47

Well done that man...

I want a knee defender now.

Flipflops7 · 27/08/2014 09:12

I saw your post this time, Scarlett. It was harmless - I can't imagine why you are being silenced.