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?

Awkward1

You cant say someone is selfishly using their own seat.

You can if they are causing knowingly distress to the person behind, and given that she was asked several times not to, and on one occasion knocked a drink over him, she was being selfish.

She should not have reclined her seat before checking he’d finished his drink. People do these things without thinking and it is highly unlikely she reclined her seat just so he’d get wet. It’s inconsiderate for sure. However I don’t see it as an act of aggression. What is not normal is to then start pushing and shoving the person in front because you don’t want them to do something they’re legally allowed to do.

Just because he asked her not to recline the seat, she was under no obligation to comply. Both reclining and requesting someone doesn’t recline is equally selfish to the other person.

I am really flabbergasted at the amount of people saying it’s ok to act in an aggressive manner because someone else has exercised their right to be selfish.

@CCC1
Your post was disablist and nasty. I am disabled. I am also someone, who can stand up out of her chair relatively easily. Not so a cramped airline seat, where I’ve been trapped for hours and my back has stiffened and set in an unnatural position leaving me in agony. Nasty nasty post.

Two arseholes acting like arseholes, expecting the world to bend around them. Screw the pair of them.

I haven't read the full thread but it seems to me that the real victim here is the plane seat. Is the plane seat going to sue? #teamplaneseat

somanysocks

I like your style! sounds like i found my people on here already!

She had reclined her seat and he was n the back so couldn’t eat his lunch, she initially did but then reclined I again. Both at fault.

Punching? Are you fucking joking, that wasn't punching, her smug face is really annoying. She knew what she was doing. So because she's a woman and he's a man he should've put up with it? I don't think so, that's sexist in itself tbh. I always get selfish picks putting their seats back on me, nearly knee capping me in the process. They know its fucking annoying as I accidently bash the back of my seat when moving around. Seats should only be put back at night time, or at least check if the person behind is asleep before putting your face in someone elses lap. She's a stupid cow. I don't tolerate selfish picks when I'm traveling. Why should we put up with selfish people and make our own lives a misery just so we look all tolerant and woke. No thank you.

Yep Somanysocks is spot on.

She should have reclined

Not while the food service was still going. It's not reasonable to recline during food service. You wait until everything has been cleared away.

And it was a short flight - didn't it say two hours. Once you knock off the 15 minutes or so for take off and landing, then 30 minutes for the food service to be served, eaten and cleared - is there really much point!?

After a quick Google it looks like she just wants her medical bills paid for.

I can see both sides, although sounds like he overreacted a bit. I'm not convinced that he wouldn't have done it to a man, however. Statistics show that men are far more likely to be violent towards other men.

AA serve light snacks on flights 2.5hrs and under (according to their website). I also see no evidence of a drink being spilled.

He is clearly watching his phone, which is on the tray.

The lady said she has a ongoing back issue, which is why she wanted to recline, and his actions caused it to become worse, which would explain the xrays and headaches. I dunno, she may be lying, but why are we so quick to accuse her and not him?

If he didn't want to be restricted in a small space, perhaps he should have booked in earlier or I dunno, that MN favorite of paying for a better seat? At the bulk head, perhaps?

Just because he asked her to no recline her seat, doesn't mean she has to abide by his wishes. She is allowed to recline her seat, he should have dealt with it, not antagonized the situation. That would certainly not make me put my chair upright.

They really need to bring in some airline rules around this.

No seats are to reclined until lights in the cabin are dimmed.

People who do, get a warning and if repeated they are fined and banned for 12 months from flying with this airline.

FWIW they are both in the wrong. And I don’t believe the back issues story. I have back issues and if I was in this situation I would be out of that seat and asking to be moved the moment he started banging it, I would not be risking further injury from an unreasonable and uncontrollable, aggressive person banging my seat. Why on earth would you stay in that situation if you already have back issues!?

If he didn't want to be restricted in a small space, perhaps he should have booked in earlier or I dunno, that MN favorite of paying for a better seat? At the bulk head, perhaps?

You have no idea at the booking time whether or not a seat will recline? It’s a normal economy seat.

Just because he asked her to no recline her seat, doesn't mean she has to abide by his wishes. She is allowed to recline her seat, he should have dealt with it, not antagonized the situation. That would certainly not make me put my chair upright

Why is a polite request refused? Seats can recline far back, because sometimes there’s no one sitting behind you, so you can just recline away. Would you like this option taken away because of arseholes like that woman on AA?

This situation literally happened to me and you can bet I kneed the back of his fucking chair the whole damn flight.

The thing is, sadly, she is such an awful woman, I find it hard to care. We only have her version of events to go by and having seen her show, I don’t trust that she is honest and considerate

She said it was his own food that he brought onto the plane. She gave him 10 mins (her words) to eat his food and drink. Then she wanted to recline her seat. So he was allowed 10 mins out of 2 and a half hours. How generous of her

He wasn’t punching it, he was pushing it. You can also see her doing a smug face whilst recording so she obviously knew what she was doing. Why did she feel the need to recline the chair on a day flight?

I think in all the coverage of this Ive seen ONE comment along the lines of airlines are greedy and should remove the back row. Ive been on the back row once and it is really uncomfortable when the person in front reclines and you have nowhere to go.

rocketfire

What’s interesting? Are we not allowed to defend men on here? Is it against the feminism rules?

Hate people who recline

Hi Wendi

This

He wasn’t punching her and what a horrible woman for reclining on a 2 hour day flight. She spilt his drink then continued to do it. If it was a man who had reclined and a woman pushing his seat it would be seen as ‘yey go girl, you show him, look at that bullying man”. She was deliberately provoking him.

Just watched it and I'm not sure how that can be called a punch! She however was agreed I've reclining her seat whilst the man is eating!

But of course this is MN and she is female, he is male so some MN will decide he is wrong by virtue of being male!

@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

But OP from the video it's clearly not "very hard" and she is just a litigious bitch! Far from backing her, you should be bemoaning her letting down the "sisterhood". Honestly, some women are wrong and she's one of them. You're wasting your energy trying to back her up!

Well, she claims he punched the seat before she started filming and he did the lower level pushing after. Which is possible.

They both behaved badly. And airlines shouldn't jam us in like cattle.