anti-recline device causes fight on plane/2 kicked off
I agree with you - reasonable people should compromise and not act like jackasses.
Of course the person behind has no more right to be comfortable than the one in front - and no less. That's exactly my point.
Your statement: "It's more inconsiderate/selfish to force someone else to be uncomfortable so that you can be comfortable." applies equally to both the person in the back as well as in the front.
Reclining becomes inconsiderate when the person behind you is made uncomfortable by the reclined seat. Nobody has questioned that the "jerk" in this story was uncomfortable, they just had an issue with how he dealt with the situation. (I would not use the "Knee Defender" myself). So, is the solution just that he should be uncomfortable so that the person in front can be comfortable?
Reminds me of the old saying, "Your Liberty To Swing Your Fist Ends Just Where My Nose Begins"
And worth repeating - reasonable people should compromise and not act like jackasses. (If only we didn't have to deal with the unreasonable people!)
I agree that BOTH people have a right to be comfortable.
But it really is not either of their fault that the planes are packed like sardines. It's the plane manufacturers and airlines who are responsible for the passenger layout.
I read an additional article yesterday about this that stated that BOTH of the passengers involved PAID FOR ECONOMY PLUS. So both did pay to be more comfortable than the standard coach fares.
Now it also said that the airline does not support the use of the "knee defender". That being said, the airline should have taken more strict action against the guy who refused to take the knee blocker off the seat. If they would have taken care of the situation properly, the woman wouldn't have needed to throw the water on the guy to prove her point. She did try to address it properly through the flight personnel, they failed to remedy the situation and enforce the rule that the knee blocker is not allowed.
So I place the blame on those involved in this order:
1. The jerk who refused to remove the knee blocker has most of the blame here. 50%
2. The airlines should have used their authority to enforce the rules. 35%
3. The woman who threw the water on him after the airline personnel could not enforce the rules properly. 15%
We all know that if you screw around on a flight there can be serious consequences. The guy had no right to refuse to remove the knee blocker when the attendant asked him to.
If the knee blocker is not approved to be on a flight, then why didn't the security inspection catch it and not let it go on the plane in the first place?
The knee blocker is a useless product if it is not allowed on the airplane. Why are they being sold to the public if they are "illegal" to use. It does not support the purpose that it is made for and should not be sold in the first place.
The frustrated woman actually got more results by throwing the water on him than the airline employees did. If she didn't throw the water on him, he would have gotten away with it.