To expect people not to take over my seat on the plane

[WhyNotUsehis]

Warning - RANT

If you can't keep your body within the confines of your seat, then either purchase 2 seats or accept the right of your fellow passengers to drop a guillotine between the seats

Why do I have to spend my flight being constantly hit by passing passengers, stewards and trollies as I'm wedged so tightly up against the aisle armrest that my shoulder is hanging out into the aisle and I'm tilted so much into the aisle that my side/back is in agony

I'm not asking you to give me part of your seat, just allow me to have use of my own

My dh is 6'2" and my ds is 6'5". Both have very long legs. Neither encroach on others as they are not gobshites. Dh always books an aisle seat so he can spread a little that way. Ds just suffers unless he's on an airline that doesn't randomly allocate seats.

Have had this on the tube in London and at the theatre. Tube I was already in my seat so i just copied his posture and spread my legs and pushed against his so he moved. In the theatre , he was in his seat manspreading into my area so I just sat down and when my bottom/legs sat on his legs he moved them immediately. So just assert your space If this had not worked I would have just asked him to shut his legs.

I am though a 52 year old with grey hair so appreciate my tolerance is low but also what I can get away with is high.

I would say on a plane you can have a conversation, what are they going to do? Perhaps with a joke, you really like my space don't you.

I would develop similar wide elbows and spread my shit out. Then lock eyes if they push back. A few ...Excuse me could you please not encroach on my seat space ..etc and if ignored then shove back hard..

I'm not one to suffer in silence and have absolutely no problem kicking up a fuss so these types of situations very rarely affect me. I think you must learn to speak up OP.

Last flight I was in middle and both armrests taken up by two average sized women with sharp elbows encroaching into my seat space...always happens, I never get the armrests but defend my seat space territory...it was increasing pressure the whole way...sigh

Someone suggested in a similar thread, that when a spreader's legs enter her seat space she pops her handbag onto his thigh as a handy table...

How can it be both “little known” and a convention. Surely for it to be a convention people need to know about it in order to habitually do it.

Also, I disagree.

Then he needs to purchase seats with extra leg room. They are readily available at a cost. If he chooses to not pay for them then he’ll just have to be uncomfortable and not encroach on other people’s space.

Interesting the way you automatically assume this is about obesity so you can jam your prejudices into the narrative. Larger people aren't the only ones who 'spread' in cramped seating, not by a long chalk.

Which is fine if it is you next to him and you don’t mind.
Or are you saying it’s ok to make another passenger uncomfortable so that he is not?

Maybe, what of the others comfort he takes?

Did you tell them to stay within their space?

My uncle books an extra seat as he can't fit in a standard one. So they book 3 between him and his wife
He's not obese but just so big he can't wedge himself in!

This is the only good thing about perimenopause. I feel like I’ve finally found my voice. I have zero patience for CF’s and will happily tell someone if they are being rude and bothering me.

Well what else is it about?

A mate is 6ft7, lifts weights, VERY muscular (over 20 stone) and can he fit in a standard seat on a budget airline.

Only an absolute minority would fit into a category other than obese that wouldn't fit into a seat, so I am not being prejudice, I am being factual.

And even professional body builders know they need to pay for an extra seat if they can't fit. They choose to be that big so fair enough. And this is only a very teeny tiny % of the population.

My MIL pays for 2 seats as she is obese. She wouldn't dream of spilling over into someone else's seat.

See, you're still missing the point. It's not all about bulk. I don't care what kind of seats your 'mate' can sit in, I know from personal experience that it's also very difficult for people with long legs to sit in a cramped seat without feeling the urge to spread. Personally I never encroach into anyone else's leg space because I know how annoying it is, but many people are less polite.

And I've seen plenty of people (mostly men), who don't have any 'roles' (sic) of fat whatsoever spreading into the next person's space. Indeed, OP has clarified that this has nothing to do with the person's weight.

HTH.

Would a neighbouring passenger really agree that he fits in his seat though? That's a very tall person with an obese BMI. I'd be shocked if he actually fits within the parameters of a standard airline seat.

Fuck that, he doesn't get to make me more uncomfortable because he's failed to ensure he sits in a legroom seat.

Yeah, bog standard manspreading. Nothing to do with being on a plane.
I probably would have asked him WTF he was doing around about the resting-arm-on-top-of-tablet point

Gosh, I guess it doesn’t matter if taking up other peoples space makes them uncomfortable really then.

Sorry been out all day, but yes my tablet was sitting on my seat right up against the armrest, so the passenger beside me had full use of the armrest, I hadn't any access to it

But he still then put his arm on top of my tablet, so very obviously into my space

And yes in theory I know I should have said something, but I will admit that I'm not comfortable asking a stranger to not do something that I feel that they're intentionally doing

Just speak up rather than passively agressively positioning your tablet.

"Excuse me, do you mind keeping your elbow to your space".

It's not hard. Yes, he shouldn't have done it but speak up for yourself, ffs.

@Iamnotabot

Gosh, I guess it doesn’t matter if taking up other peoples space makes them uncomfortable really then.
Direct your anger at the right target. A 6'4" person has no option but to spread their legs as they literally can not fit their legs forwards.

It's not their fault. It's the fault of airlines making seating so small

Demanding someone 6'4" buys two seats is discrimination as it's something they have no control over.

Complain to the airline not the other 'victim' of too small seats

@DazedDragon
No one 6'7 chose to be 6'7

And if your legs don't fit straight ahead then they don't fit. Your 6'7" undoubtedly has to spread his legs

It's nut his fault. It's the airline

@friendlycat

Then he needs to purchase seats with extra leg room. They are readily available at a cost. If he chooses to not pay for them then he’ll just have to be uncomfortable and not encroach on other people’s space.
There are a finite number of seats with more legroom

It's not about being 'uncomfortable'

Very long legs literally will not fit angled straight ahead

Expecting people to pay more for being very tall is discrimination as it's not within their control. It is not their fault they can't fit. It's not their fault the only way they can fit is by spreading their legs.

You may as well have a hissy fit over crying babies and people with disabilities that cause them to shout a lot

You can't go around demanding things that people are unable to control.

Blame the airlines.