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| The writer working on her thesis |
I don’t know about you, but flying cross-country isn’t my favorite way to spend an afternoon. Squealing babies, the persistent hum of rumbling engines and, my favorite part — a bathroom the size and smell of a single in the Quad. But you can’t exactly walk from Philly to San Francisco, and anyway, I was excited about my destination.
Armed with a pile of articles and my laptop, I figured that I’d make the best of the six-hour flight. Surely, it would be the perfect place to add some final touches to the good ole’ thesis. And for once, there would be neither Internet nor instant messages to distract me.
Suddenly, the man in front of me decided that he needed additional space, and I watched in horror as his seat tumbled towards me. My laptop was instantly wedged into a perfect 75-degree angle (yes, I carry a protractor on every cross-country flight). In order to even see the computer screen, I had to pull my tray-table as far out as possible, with the keyboard digging into my lower abdomen. Now that’s a comfortable writing environment, a way to beckon the muses and feel the juices flow.
But that’s not the point. When traveling by plane, people need to have some better etiquette and respect for others. Is it really necessary to recline your seat as far backwards as possible? Trust me, the seats don’t get anymore comfortable no matter how you bend them. Anyway, sitting in an upright position is much better for your back, posture and overall physical health.
Airlines should seriously consider disabling the reclining feature on their seatbacks. Because let’s face it, not everyone is lucky enough to sit in an exit row, and passengers would be much happier with some additional room to breathe.
Though traveling is a privilege, we must maintain our rights to privacy and personal space. Clearly, an airplane flight is not the ideal time and place to find a stranger’s head in your lap.
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March 19th, 2007 at 10:28 am
“Is it really necessary to recline your seat as far backwards as possible?”
Is it really necessary to write your thesis in coach? What did you expect?
And since when is it bad etiquette to utilize a convenient feature provided by the airline? It’s not like the person in front of you unbolted the seatback when the flight attendant wasn’t looking to make it recline.
March 19th, 2007 at 10:55 am
I totally agree, “Suck it up!” What is wrong with these plebeian students flying coach? If they can’t fly first class, they should be banned from flying altogether!….The fact is that it’s pretty uncomfortable for anyone over the age of 12 sitting behind a reclined seat. Every other flight I take, I see passengers arguing about seat reclining. If I see someone in front of me about to recline, I put my knees against the frame of the seat so that it doesn’t move back. Eventually they give up. Down with seat reclining! (BTW, I’m 6 feet tall and I never feel the need to recline.)
March 19th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
And what’s the deal with those airline peanuts?
March 23rd, 2007 at 7:27 pm
They should make people who recline too far buy two tickets, just like fat people.