So, the woman assaulted him, and he gets kicked off the flight? Nice.
They both got kicked off. Which sounds about right.
The woman was ejected too. And he wasn’t ejected for having a drink thrown in his face as it seems you want to imply. He was ejected for not removing the clips when asked.
I dunno, seems like a good safety-device to prevent the bozo in the seat in front of me from jamming his seat into my leg without even a backward glance. Or wedging the top of my laptop screen. Or shoving the opened table in to my gut. Seems this would be a nice way to force them to actually turn around and politely ask and might prevent unnecessary injury.
I almost never recline if there’s someone behind me who isn’t already reclined–and if I do, it’s after I ask, and don’t go all the way back even then. Just kind of a dick move with coach seats being so small.
Disclosure: I have a set. I’ve used them a few times, always when I need to get work done on my laptop. I’ve nearly had the thing broken multiple times by someone just throwing their seat back at me.
Should he have refused to remove them? Hard to say. If I’m on a deadline, and I need that work time on the plane, why should I have to allow someone to recline into my space and deprive me of my chance to work (or even just entertain myself?) It seems reasonable for the flight attendant to ask if he’d mind allowing the person in front to recline, but it also seems reasonable for him to say “no, I need to use my space.”
I never recline my seat, period, and at 188-190 cm (around 6’2-6’3 with boots on) it’s not at all comfortable in economy or small planes, which I unfortunately fly a lot on. My comfort doesn’t take precedence over the comfort of someone behind me though. The bottom line, though, is that there are a lot of assholes out there who think it’s ok because it’s allowed or because they’re tired or whatever lame-ass reason they have. If you lean your seat back, you’re saying “screw you, I matter more than you.” No thanks.
I wonder if I would be ejected if I simply refused to move my knee from where I have it comfortably positioned lightly against the seat back? Do I have to move? What’s the difference between this hardware and my goddamn leg?
Best fix would be a release button in the back of every seat that the person behind you has control of. This random-jam-it-back anytime crap might have flown (ha!) in the 70’s, but should have disappeared when they made seats so small.
I always carry a pair of useful devices that prevent people in front of me reclining. They are always attached, non-removable and make it completely impossible for the seat to recline from the moment I sit down to the moment I stand. Unfortunately, they’re also my kneecaps. 
You will be ejected if you refuse to comply with a lawful order from the flight crew.
I don’t see what the problem with knee defenders is - it’s great to have that extra leg room, even if the other guy did pay for it. But I’m also one of those people who puts traffic cones in a space in front of his building so no one parks in “my spot,”- it’s great to have a short walk, even if the other guy does have every right to be there. I also hold the open button on full elevators for five minutes so my friend can catch up - it’s great not to have to wait for him, even though it does make the other guy miss his bus. And I squeeze all the fruit at the store really hard - it’s great to get it exactly ripe, even though the other guy gets it bruised. The fact is, I want extra leg room, I deserve it, and there’s no reason I should have to pay when I can make it your treat.
From the linked product website:
Knee Defenders™ are specifically designed to be used with your tray table lowered, while your tray table must be up and locked “during taxiing, takeoffs or landings.”
and this guy was using them in a situation where he could be removed from the flight, suggesting that he had lowered his tray before the flight took off, then was so arrogant to refuse to coply with the flight attendant’s instructions.
Nevermind, I clearly can’t read.
I’ve always been of the opinion that reclining your seat, even if you’re entitled to do so, is an inconsiderate move.
And honestly, once you get used to always sitting upright, you don’t even miss reclining. Just put it out of your mind as an option.
Only if, addition them both being thrown off the plane, the drink thrower had cops waiting at the gate.
One person just didn’t comply with an attendant’s orders. The other committed assault.
It’s not “your” space. Seats are designed to recline so their occupants can rest.
If the person in front of you is an exhausted passenger on the last leg of a 22-hour transcontinental journey why should they be prevented from using their seat as it was designed to be used just because you’re feeling like a territorial jerk?
I paid to travel without my knee being jammed. I paid to be able to use my laptop in a reasonable space.
And someone else paid for a reclining seat.
No you didn’t. If you did, you’d be in business or first class.
But not all seats can recline (those in front of exit rows, or at the rear), yet they cost the same as those that do.
Would that not suggest that the ability to recline is an extra, bonus perk, rather than something you directly paid for and deserve to take advantage of?
No, that’s just the airline screwing you over.
