This forum is for non aviation related topics, political debate, random thoughts, and everything else that just doesn't seem to fit in the normal forums. ALL FORUM RULES STILL APPLY.
As a frequent dead-header and overall traveler in general throughout the years, I have gotten into the habit of not reclining my seats on airline flights that I frequent. I have found that the improvement in comfort for me when I recline is not worth the pain that my seat will cause to the 6ft plus person that is usually sitting behind me.
Anyway, I have come across an interesting blog post on how to BLOCK the reclining option of the person in front of you and the ensuing debate it caused was quite interesting. Its a simple as shoving a water bottle between the seat back and tray table, the remainder of the details are here:
So what's your approach? Do you just jam that seatback into the knees of the person behind you and maybe crush their laptop? Do you leave it up? Or have a look and politely put it back? Every cattle for itself? Do tell.
Sorry, I'm sure that two flimsy table tray holders are going to be no match for 300 lbs of 'I want to recline no matter what'. The result will be F.A.D., or Fat Ass Damage. Now you have to eat your meal or use your computer on a broken tray table.
The hydro locks that allow the seat to recline hydraulically lock (imagine that) so you don't need to keep putting pressure on the seat back to keep it reclined should someone try to block it.
Now, I do try and be courteous when reclining, but what I hate is the reclines that move the top of the seat back about one inch. I know that seats in front of exits need to be locked... that's why I never sit in front of exits. Sit in the exit row and you don't usually need to worry about people reclining in front of me, or lack of recline.
Fortunately, I have spent my on the dirty side of airliner seats and know the quick solution to a seat that refuses to recline... no tools required! That same knowhow can be used to lock out a seat (and it is usually quite convenient to do it to the seat in front of you), but I'm sure I will get in trouble if I share it here.
I generally keep my seat back upright, especially when in cattle class with minimum seat pitch. Every once in a while I do experience buddy in front who slams his seat back without checking and generally times it so that I'm leaning forward. Makes me wish that I had picked up a set of these when they first came on the market:
I don't know which airlines you guys fly with but the ones I travel on do not have so much travel on the seat that "laptops are crushed". Incidently, technically speaking you are using someone else's seat to put your stuff on so don't be surprissed when something that someone else paid for is used in a fashion other that what you had in mind. Take a peak before you recline, do it slowly, it is a perk you paid for but don't be an ass about it. For those of us that are "big boned" fitting into cattle car class is trying at best and then along comes MR/MRS/MISS stretchy pants and sure enough, you drew the short straw.
I just recline slowly. If it was blocked I'd be calling the flight attendant over to resolve it or move me but it's never been an issue. I'm a tall guy and depending on the cabin setup my knees get close to the guy in front of me but their reclining is never an issue since at knee level the amount of travel is so minimal.
I have, however, nearly had my laptop crushed when it got caught in the tray table stowage area(like the bottle pictured) and the guy in front jammed back quickly, and upon feeling resistance, started bouncing on his seat so it would go back.
