To think the male American Airlines passenger punching the reclined seat should be charged with assault if legally possible.

[SiousieSoo]

I have watched the video of the man continually punching the seat occupied by Wendi Williams who had positioned it to recline. I am totally appalled that she was not given assistance when she drew the flight attendants attention to her predicament. This mans behaviour was totally unacceptable. I find it hard to fathom his behaviour and really feel a bit disturbed by it. I don't think he would have acted this way had it been a man in front... Am I being unfair in thinking this?

So do you think she refused to keep her seat up after being asked to and then also refused to delete a video after being asked to?

She was a prick, he was a prick. 2 pricks in a confined space is never going to go well. Only a massive prick would think of suing though.

She tweeted that all she wanted was the airline to release his name (which they absolutely can't) and for the flight attendant who replaced the spilled drink and told her to delete the video footage to be fired. The fact her main aim is to get someone to lose their job because they didn't agree with her tells me all I really need to know about her.
Yes he was childish but her claims that she had whiplash are ridiculous. If it was bothering her that much she could have put her seat back up.

@HappyHammy. She said he asked her to put her seat up during meal time to which she obliged. She then reclined the seat so he reacted by punching it v hard according to her. She then started filming and he resorted to his lower level punching. In the midst of this the attendant came offered him rum because his drink spilled and then she was told off for filming and given the notice

As a frequent flyer, I would say the best solution is to stop plane seeks reclining.

I hate it when someone one does that to me, but it is too much hassle to complain.

My advice to anyone on Mumsnet is to never recline your seat.

This happened to me on a long haul flight recently. Just after takeoff guy reclines into my lap and I have no space to fully put down my tray table. I ask him politely to put his seat back up ... not all the way but enough so I have space. He ignores it.

So what do I do? Slide and put my knees on the back of his chair and keep jostling it. He eventually gets that this is on purpose and starts yelling at me. I say don’t have enough room please put it up. Again, ignored.

He doesn’t even put it up when meal service arrives. The flight attendant asks him to put it up as I literally can’t put the tray down, so he complies just enough so my tray can come down but it’s right back down after the trays are collected. I can’t even avail of drink service without standing in the aisle.

So yeah, I made the flight as unpleasant as possible by kneeing the back of the chair and rocking it violently when I get up to go to the loo. Fucker deserved no less.

So that woman is a terrible person and I hope she doesn’t get a settlement from the airline which she is so clearly grasping for.

And some of you defending her merely because she is a woman? I did this to a cunty man because it’s frustrating.

Whatever you see you're going to defend her bad behaviour.

She clearly smirks - You excuse it.

I guess the guy hasn't made a song and dance about it because why does he need to. He certainly doesn't need to defend himself. He did nothing wrong. Anybody can see that.

Nope I don't see this as needing to defend her at all. Think he is aggressive and vile. Anyway night all. We shall agree to disagree

Just watched it - she was an idiot, feel bad for the guy.

He was like playing the drums on the back of her seat not ‘punching it’, basically trying to annoy her into putting it back up just like she was trying to annoy him by having it down.

The flight attendant threatened to get HER kicked off the plane, so she was probably acting like an entitled arse.

&... WHIPLASH?! Hahaha!!! Where there’s blame... $

Honestly they are both acting like dicks, he may have asked her politely beforehand to move her seat. It winds me up when people recline their seats, I don't recline mine as I know it's unfair to the person behind me.

Have you never experienced an involuntary and incongruous emotion or expression?

That involuntary expression is what's called a "tell" - it reveals what you are really thinking/experiencing. She wasn't frightened or intimidated - she was delighted and smug.

People who read body language watch for these micro-expressions (it most often takes film, which can be slowed, to catch them - they can be less than a second). This is when your body.face tells the truth even when you are trying to disguise it.

I also think she was goading for a fight - she now wants to seek the sacking of an airline employee and wants to sue him for assault.

For anyone who’s been assaulted this makes a mockery of the term.

She wasn’t harmed, just annoyed she didn’t get her own way.

Nite OP.

OP your agenda is completely clear from the unnecessary, superfluous and very telling 'male' in your thread title.

Bet he wouldn't have done this to a man.

Stupid daft MN comment. I've seen almost an identical scenario happen with two men. Really the airline just shouldn't let the seats recline. It makes people think they don't need to be considerate. She was being a bitch to recline it and he was reacting obnoxiously. No one was assaulted.

She shouldn’t have reclined, she’s ‘one of those people’ and if you’ve ever worked in customer services you’ll know who I mean

Just incase anyone missed this earlier post.

Ok i have read tons of stuff about this he asked her to put her seat up so he could eat then the minute his plate was removed she put it back down and knocked his drink over and she was laughing about it the flight attendant got him a new drink and asked her to stop filming on an aircraft as against rules she was a bit cheaper to the bloke and he was a bit of a twat but it's her own fault for being rude and laughing at him

She should have reclined. That's what the seats do.

She's a bitch. She would have known full well that he would be likely to be still eating or drinking. Imagine the attitude on her to be knocking someone's drink over them and then laughing about it. What if it had been a hot scald? I would have been mortified and very apologetic, not laughing.

I am normally very placid but I would have been so much less so in this situation. The fact that the stewards sided with the man tells us there is more here than her story.

Then to make a social media fuss when she has behaved badly, more front than Blackpool.

@SiousieSoo
Nope I don't see this as needing to defend her at all.

Yet you are

Think he is aggressive and vile.

and I think she is passive aggressive and vile.

She seems an absolute cunt.

She was completely in the wrong

Pair of arseholes behaving poorly.

I'm quite shocked and saddened by how many people think his behaviour (at face value) is ok.
If you cant cope with people reclining- dont fly. The seats (do shock horror ) recline.
You cannot tell someone else to not recline it's their seat. If too tall pay for extra leg room.
And i hope the jostlers get kicked off/banned.
If it's a short flight even more reason you can put up with a seat too close.
Having a child kick your seat is much worse than a recliner.

Also think men will be more likely to recline in front of a woman.

However people are now taller and fatter. Seats and spacing does need to be looked at.

You cant say someone is selfishly using their own seat.
Similarly if a tall person sat in front at cinema etc i wouldnt kick their seat. (Though i might mention loudly in hopes they move if others are spare) as they dont not have to but could choose to.
I do think the man might have done this to another man. But that often men wont and consider other men more important (even if they arent necessarily taller).

The film watching with another person's child there is much harder - i wouldnt but lots would i assume. Hope that doesnt happn to me.
Maybe films should be only up to say 12.

Actuallt, according to the airline, she declined her seat and caused his drink to spill. The airline then got him a replacement drink (which you can see in the long video) and she's still reclined).

I stil think they're both being arseholes but she comes across worse.