You’re on a crowded airplane. Which person are you more likely to be?
1-You want to recline the seat to get more comfort.
2-You’re trying to work and the person in front of you bangs into your knees or laptop
Some airlines make it impossible to recline. Some passengers have purchased devices to prevent the person from reclining. Who’s more inconsiderate?
Wheat & Tares 
I guess it is true that sites like this site spends too much time on the deep mysteries of the gospel. 🙂
I’m 6-6 and always getting my knees smashed. But I’m also a recliner. The curvature of the seats hits me just wrong and forces me to lean forward when not in a reclining position. Holding that position can become more uncomfortable than having my knees smashed. So unless the guy behind me is as tall as I am, I recline.
As a tallish woman, the reclining seat is an annoying minor issue. The bigger problem is the man with the large belly sitting next to me in an economy seat who takes one look at me and immediately raises the arm rest so that his body can expand into my seat space.
My seat was bought and paid for. If he needed a wider seat, he should’ve booked himself into first class.
My idea of hell is sitting in a middle seat between two guys who have each lifted the arm rests and allowed their “love handles” to land on my lap. Add a recliner in front of me and a seat-kicking child behind me and the suffering feels eternal. Screaming babies would complete it.
Ummm… where’s the option for “I’m the one working to keep my kids from kicking the seat in front of them, which becomes doubly hard when that person decides to recline”?
I recline a little. Not all the way back, about half way. I don’t want to crush the person behind, but there’s no way I can stay upright for a 12 hour flight.
I was on a flight from Denver to Salt Lake with a near empty plane so I got to lay down for the flight. That was a rare treat. Like last lemming, I’m tall 6-4, and usually working on my laptop and getting my knees smashed. I have a policy never to recline without checking behind me first but most people just bang into my knees without checking and I find that really annoying.
Love the graphic!
Not a big flyer, and have only ever flied economy, so my tolerance, whilst sorely tested at all points as I’m arthiritic, just about holds. A means to an end.
Having flown so much for business, nearly all in first or business class, coming back to coach was a big come down. I try to be reasonable for the people behind me, but yeah, I recline. Those seats are terrible, and domestic airlines are the worst.
Short answer: yes, I recline. I paid for my seat and the accommodations provided on the flight, so I employ them within the bounds of common courtesy and following in-flight rules. Somebody reclining a seat in front of me has never, ever caused the slightest difficulty for me. Complaining about seat reclining is a recent thing, as far as I can tell. I think complaining about minor inconvenience is often because folks feel powerless and need to strike back through passive-aggressive behavior. What the world needs right now is a little more grace and a lot less whining. Given the scale of problems in the world today, I can’t believe reclining an airline seat even registers.
anon, I paid for my seat and didn’t pay to have you invade my airspace on a crowded airplane. I find you reclining very discourteous. Hope you don’t mind me or Mary Ann’s kids banging on the back of your seat.
@tall guy
“I paid for my seat and didn’t pay to have you invade my airspace”
If you don’t have enough sense to pick a seat behind one of the many non-reclining seats available on the plane or pay for a seat with more leg room to accommodate your unusual height, then you get what you deserve.
“Hope you don’t mind me or Mary Ann’s kids banging on the back of your seat.”
I do mind, and if you bang on the back of my seat, I’ll have the flight crew deal with you accordingly.