Travel tip: if you want your neighbor to stop reclining his seat, you do not punch the seat. For when you do, you might find your laptop broken.
Passenger Punches Airplane Seat, Prompting Man In Front Of Him To Slam Seat Back…Breaking Laptop Computer
While on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Canadian martial artist Firas Zahabi shared of an incident on an airplane. The man behind him punched his seat, probably because he was reclining. Zahabi reclined further, breaking the man’s laptop computer (inadvertently, he claims).
My takeaway is clear: do not punch the seat in front of you.
Trust me, I feel like doing so from time to time. While I generally believe that a person has the right to recline their seat on an airplane, I make an exception for meal times. On some carriers, it is nearly impossible to eat your meal when the seat in front of you is reclined. As a matter of common courtesy, everyone should raise their seatback during meal times, even if they are not eating.
So yes, if someone punches my seat, I will keep my seat reclined or recline it further. I do not reward petty behavior.
I don’t think Zahabi meant to smash the guy’s laptop. Part of me is glad he did, though, because it will be a lesson to the guy behind him not to hit the seat.
Typically, if the person in front of me has his seat reclined during the meal service, I will politely ask if there he can hold off on reclining until the meal is over. That always does the trick, though one time the passenger was in such a deep sleep I did ask the flight attendant to wake him up. Again, this was not to be petty, but because it becomes very difficult to eat when the seat is reclined, even if you recline yours.
My laptop almost broke once when the person in front of me rapidly reclined. That was many years ago and from that point on, I always angle the laptop screen in such a way that it will not get “caught” and therefore snap and break should the person in front of me recline without warning and in a rapid fashion.
Furthermore, when I do recline I always recline very gradually, so that if there is a laptop or other electronic device being used, the person has time to move it.
CONCLUSION
When you bang on the seat in front of you, it makes the person (no matter their disposition) more likely to recline their seat more or keep it reclined. If you ask me nicely not to recline I will consider it, but if you hit my seat there is absolutely no way I will consider your request. And if I have to break your laptop, I won’t do so deliberately, but I won’t shed tears if I do…
Obviously, you want to treat people how you want to be treated, but there are always certain people out there who aren’t considerate to others and the best thing you can do it just to minimize damage on your side.
Typo: you can do is* not “you can do it”
I rarely recline in coach… maybe I’m one of those (un)lucky folks whose back does not care for the angle and upright feels better (I actually like Spirit’s seats… at least for my back, my bottom not so much). But if I do, I try to take a glimpse behind at what’s going on or at a minimum if the tray is down. I have given warning to those with a laptop out that I’m going to recline. Now, that is not invitation for you to tell me not to recline or get pissy with me – be glad you were given fair warning.
After twice watching the video, Zahabi first states his seat was punched. Then also refers to it as the seat being palmed and pressed. While both are unacceptable, they are quite different. I have been reclined upon that required a repositioning move that could have interpreted as pressure to extract an item in my lap. Hopefully someone could be understanding in that scenario
Man-babies still crying about someone reclining in front of them. I feel no pity.
If it reclines, I’m reclining everytime, no exceptions. The traveling public does not give two shits about you.
Actually you don’t care about anyone but yourself
Wow, that Zahari guy comes off as a truly epic douchebag. I am singularly impressed. It’s unfortunate that you’re defending someone who obviously relishes being a bully.
I read his bio. Dude is degreed in philosophy which seems at odds (to myself) for a MMA career. But who is to know the actual truth?
His threats indicate a person who relishes injuring people. That ain’t exactly Descartes.
Yup. Or anything I could figure as well
No pity for those who slam their seats back or just move them back so my knees get hurt. I ask politely to get relief (usually only partially back can be a compromise), but if none comes, I will try to find their kidneys with my knees. With the seats so thin and not hard everywhere on the back, it is not hard to do. With some shifting, most are more willing after a bit. Yesterday I was on JetBlue. Nice pitch so no hurt knees.
Singapore Airlines flight attendants always asks passengers to straighten their seats during meal times.