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?

well of course she didn't sleep, I couldn't sleep either if someone was continuously punching my seat.

I've just watched the clip again, she's having a great laugh and smirk at the beginning of the video. I'll say it again litigious bitch!

Whiplash and bad back my arse, her smile shows no show of pain.

So she didn't sleep and therefore didn't need to reclined her chair.
Despite the internet being littered with versions of be kind of seems people still rush to defend someone's selfish actions.

Sorry this is an absolutely ridiculous notion. He should have 'been kind', respected that she, for whatever personal reason, be that exhaustion, hidden disability or just plain comfort, wanted to recline her seat. Yes he had every right to politely request she didn't but its just that, a request that she is well within her right to refuse. He then should have 'been kind' in the situation, accepted it and got on with what he was doing. Jostling someones seat doesn't make you any more comfortable and just annoys the person and occupies your time and mind with anger and annoyance. There was nothing kind about his actions.

Why all the angst about reclining seats? Surely if you recline your seat the person behind you reclines theirs and that person then has the same amount of space as before

Not all seats can recline - often the very back row of a cabin can't recline. You don't always know this when booking though or you are just allocated a seat at check in.

A reclined seat in front of you makes it difficult to use the table to do things such as crosswords, puzzles, colouring etc. You can't lean over the table as the front chair is in the way. Hence why they should, at the very least, be raised for meal times.

It often depends on how a seat reclines. The one I was on this morning, when you reclined the back moved but also the seat moved forward too - so you reduce your own legroom slightly but have less leg room impact on the space behind you. This was a much better system. Although, I was surprised - no one in our section of the plane reclined last night (7 hour flight) Everyone just slept sat up.

Some seats however, just the back reclines including quite low. If you've long legs do your knees are already touching the back of a seat then recline makes this much worse, even if you recline your own.

A reclined seat makes getting in and out of the seat, such as standing to stretch your legs, go to the toilet or going to get some water more difficult. It's impossible to do from the window or middle seat without knocking the back of the reclined seat often.

There are many reasons you may need to get a couple of hours sleep.

On a two hour flight once you've knocked of the time for landing and take off, you're only left with 1.5 hour max which is reduced again if there is a meal service in between.

@blueapples how about she "be kind" and not make a fellow passenger uncomfortable? Couldn't she have been kind and made sure he didn't have a hidden disability and her shoving his tray into him wasn't hurting, maybe he was exhausted and he couldn't recline his seat so she was making it more uncomfortable by not being kind and straightening her seat.

Are you KIDDING me? I got to page 7 of this before I watched the video.... in which literally NOTHING happens. They both need to grow up and so do you, OP. Claiming this is assault is an insult to people who have actually been victims of assault. FFS.

@Bikerider2020, if you,d RTFT you would see that my post is in response to @Rosebel saying about 'be kind'.

I was pointing out that applying the 'be kind' notion to this argument is stupid as a) it's not remotely related to what the whole movement is about and b) you could (quite rightly) argue they both need to 'be kind'.

Aside from that I still think that ultimately the man was in the wrong. Seats recline, people have a right to use that function. If you want more room/not to be reclined on cough up the extra for front row/bulkhead/first class. Furthermore he in no way benefited himself with his actions. He just looked like an arse and wasted his time when he simply could have adjusted himself and continued what he was doing for the hour and a half maximum that was left of this flight.

@blueapples she's smiling and smirking, she's a complete bItch and shows herself up spectacularly! Yes seats recline, but an hour and a half and she can't sit upright as she has a "bad back", she should pay the extra and upgrade and ensure her "hidden disability" is catered for.

Well it doesn't matter about the scenario we could all do with being kind. She was unreasonable and selfish. How,was he meant to adjust himself? He couldn't go anywhere. Maybe he has a hidden disability and was exhausted.
I can't get over how she was able to film and smile but apparently has whiplash and a bad back. I've had both and you don't smirk when you're in that much pain and filming someone is,the last thing on your mind. She shouldn't have filmed him anyway.

She claims that she was 'scared to death', yet didn't consider putting her seat up to relieve her of that overwhelming fear? And she claims that she was suffering from whiplash, yet appeared on numerous news outlets (notably, Fox an Friends) without any apparent injury, neck brace or any signs of discomfort.

It just sounds implausible - she's clearly enjoying the attention and has no concept that her side of the story doesn't portray her in a particularly pleasant light.

Whiplash and an x-ray?

@FenellaMaxwell calm down and stop frothing. She m sure you would not like this bullying man behind you punching at your seat.

I’m not certain what She m sure means, but you know there’s a difference between not liking something and it being assault, right?

I would have been sympathetic to her, but if all this whiplash, x-ray nonsense is true, she's not doing herself any favours.

Er yes.. I have no problems whatsoever with my comprehension skills thank you. my view is that he used the chair as the method to attack her, directing his physical ire and at her via that chair to make his point. The punches you see on the video followed several hard punches which he stopped when she started to film him.

@FenellaMaxwell You do know the meaning of the word "literally", right? it means in that exact sense. Are you really stating that nothing happens in the video? In which case it's you who needs to brush up on your comprehension skills.

SiousieSoo

It is funny that you are picking someone else on their use of language when you don't seem to know the word allegedly.

Not sure what your point is there? Where have I misinterpreted that term?

You have no idea if he punched her chair hard or not. I'm not sure I believe a single word she says.

YeaH yeah ,of course she will whine ‘ he was punching harder before the filming bla blah’

What a moaning Minnie she is!

I’ve seen the footage and she seems quite pleased as punch to be filming it. Ideally she should have politely asked him if he minded. It’s just good honest manners.

I wouldn’t believe a word she says either, it was likely staged, she’s probs even tried reclining before just for a reaction....hence the smug look!

Interesting that he has not denied it. You don't have to believe her you can just look at the video and read the statements from the airline. I really have made it clear that she has stated he made those punches beforehand so didn't feel the need to reiterate with the use of the word "allegedly for the snippy amongst you.

Get real @SiousieSoo why is she smiling during the filming? Does she look scared? In pain? Worried?

Or does she look like a litigious bitch?

As said down thread you're Wendi aren't you?