In truth, you nailed it; two assholes (three, with the Flight Attendant).
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Which is great until the person behind has longer than average upper legs, and the seat reclines with a crunch into them.
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Have you never flown before? Have you never done a seat map with Flight Guru for the seat you are choosing? Do you ignore the airline tip tool and mouseovers that expressly warn of the conditions of the seat you are choosing?
Multiple seats on airlines come with specific warnings. And even if I could believe this is his first time flying or he got stuck in the last row due to some screw up…it still does not excuse his behavior in any way.
@RickMycroft I am completely empathetic to that sort of situation. And if he was in that boat, the right reaction is to speaking to the person and say “Hey, I’m kind of tall and your seat is slamming into me when you recline fully…can you maybe just go halfway?” If she refused…then yes she is an asshole but it still doesn’t excuse his actions. All that does is set up shit-kicker on shit-kicker crime.
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Free alcohol, huh? Oh yeah, that’ll solve the problem.
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The problem is, if the lady didn’t recline her seat, then she would face the same problem as the last guy had when the seat in front of HER reclines. You just moved the problem from the guy in the back to the seat in front of him. It’s turtles all the way down 
I’ve been in this guy’s situation in the past : last row, and when the seat in front of me reclined I couldn’t even use the tray table as it would bump into my chest. I politely asked the steward for a new seat, which I was lucky enough to get.
That said, I do think that reclining seats should not exist on a plane 
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I’m reading the comments - and watching the video - and the guy had his tray down - and frankly there was about a foot and a half of distance between ‘him’ and ‘her seatback’ - fuck him.
And fuck all of you who think that a foot and a half of distance is enough to ‘breath on someone’s head’ - wow from a community that almost always rejects hyperbole the amount here is sickening - there is not a single airplane where the seat in front reclines so far that you are someone’s ‘dentist’ or ‘breathing on their head’.
Grow up - airplane seats suck - but if I (a 6’1" 375lb) guy can sit in one and deal with someone reclining without dying - then 99.99% of you all can function like decent human beings also.
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It’s been a good ten years since I’ve last flown so I’m not up on all of the latest methods. Then, as every time before, I showed up the morning of my flight and had a person at the counter assign me a seat.
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Well. That’s not how it works. And even then ten years ago you were doing it wrong.
And even then the counter agent would expressly state the special conditions (if any) about your seat.
The only way this guy had no idea is if this is his first flight ever or he literally didn’t listen or read any of the info about the seat.
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Hey there, moneybags, seat selection is a privilege that not all of us can afford.
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This. Number 1.
Plane seats should not recline in the least. There’s no reason for it.
You want reclining seats, but a ticket on a carrier that has first class seats that turn into beds.
Regular schmo seats (both economy and business) should never recline.
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With all due respect, I have to call BS regarding the seating. Most of the times I have selected a seat online when buying tickets, I have been assigned a different seat when I get to my flight.
Also, those of us who are not frequent fliers aren’t necessarily aware of 3rd party services like Flight Guru (this is the first time I’ve heard of it).
Neither of the above comments have any bearing on the behavior of either party in the original story.
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So you are calling bull shit because you don’t do any research into what you are purchasing? ok. Have a nice day.
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Evidence she “slammed it down on his knees”? I guess there’s no way to recline your seat without being an inconsiderate dick. Oh, wait, no, there is. You turn around, and politely ask if you can recline it. Like I did last time I flew. He wasn’t trying to push the seat off his knees. He was just trying to be a nuisance.
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Slammed down on his knees? I highly doubt that. I’m on the slightly taller side and even when my knees are pressed into the seat in front of me before it reclines it’s not like it’s worse after it reclines. Economy class just sucks and I fly it several times a year. The ability to slightly adjust your seat is about the only perk you have. You shouldn’t have to seek permission to utilize it. The recline these days is literally a just couple of inches. It’s not like you’re in the persons lap behind you.
Everybody is the asshole here but I consider the seat puncher, not the recliner to be the instigator. He was having a shitty time and decided everybody else needed to be miserable as well.
If you’re traveling definitely do your research about your seats and the plane. It’s not hard. Just go to a site like seatguru.com, enter your flight and date, and get all the info about the plane and seats. Also use common sense; avoid seats near the bathroom or galley. Sit in the aisle if you’re going to use the bathroom a lot, etc.
ETA I realize things happen - sometimes you need a flight at the last minute or some other circumstance puts you in a position where you need to get what you’re given. And that can mean a shitty seat. Thems the breaks. You need to decide if you can wait for a better option or just suffer.
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True. It devalues the first class experience to see so many underlings imitate their betters.
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Remember the epic tale of Seat 29E from 2004? It was a simpler time, back when everyone didn’t have a camera.
Reading the Twitter comments, it strikes me as odd that so many people suggest things would be different if the person reclining was physically intimidating, because apparently the threat of physical violence is the principle keeping some people from behaving badly…?
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Kind of a dick move to recline when he can’t… but if it can recline I guess it is within her right? It seems to me punching the seat crosses the line for me. Maybe just passive aggressive moans?
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You asserted that the guy must have known the situation, because hey, everyone who’s ever flown must know these frequent flier tricks.
I simply disagree.
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