Ban Reclining Seats, Please!

I've mostly recovered from the tonsillitis and subsequent cold, although I'm still a bit sniffly. And I know that I promised a post on my Lapland Christmas when I got better, and it is still coming! But the other day I read a thread on banning reclining seats on planes, and then today I read this blog post which mentions the same thing. Now this is something I feel really strongly about - I hate it when the person in front of me reclines their seat. So this is the comment I posted on the blog:

the Knee Defender -- a mischievous little gadget that allows you to be a tad more comfortable at the expense of making your fellow traveler a tad less comfortable

Nope, that's the other way round: reclining makes you a tad more comfortable at the expense of your fellow traveller's much greater discomfort.

Try spending a 12 hour flight with your knees jammed up against the back of the seat in front of you, with no room to stretch or move your legs even just a tiny big.

Try reading anything larger than a small paperback - there just isn't room between my body and the seatback to hold it at a reasonable angle!

Try viewing the seatback LCD screen, with the seatback reclined - the viewing angle means that half the screen isn't visible.

Try eating your meal with your elbows bent out to the sides because your traytable is right up close - except that you have someone sitting on at least one side, so you have to try to eat one-handed.

Try getting in and out of your seat when the seat in front of you is reclined - you have to climb over the armrest to do it.

I don't mind as much if the person's actually trying to sleep, but on most of the flights I've been on lately they're just watching the movie or chatting to the person next to them, while I'm getting more and more cramped and frustrated and claustrophobic.

I really wish they would ban reclining seats!