A man has been criticised for reclining his plane seat on a short 90-minute flight, despite knowing the passenger behind him was significantly taller.
He shared his story on Reddit, explaining that he was travelling from New York to Cleveland and decided to recline his seat for maximum comfort, even though it was a brief journey. This decision, however, caused discomfort for the 6’4″ man seated behind him.
The man wrote on Reddit: “So about 90 mins. I’m a very small man (5’2). The guy behind me was very tall (6’4 or so). Once we were allowed to, I reclined my seat.
“He immediately started getting huffy, tapping against the seat. “He also made a comment to the person sitting next to him (who was a stranger). ‘Oh, I guess this little guy needs all that room.’ The tapping was annoying but not a big deal. And I put my headphones on and wasn’t able to hear whatever huffy crap he was saying.
“When the seatbelt sign came on before landing, the man returned his chair to the upright position and heard the guy behind him let out a sarcastic sigh of relief.”
He added: “Tall guy, almost on queue, let out a huge fake sigh of relief and said ‘finally’ to the stranger. When we stood to get our carry-on stuff, he was trying to give me the awful stink eye but I just ignored him.”
Seeking validation, he asked social media users whether he was in the wrong for reclining his seat. One user responded: “You had to recline on a 90-minute flight? Plus you don’t need the room and tall guy behind you? Brutal. “
Another user chimed in with a strong opinion, saying: “Hot take but I think anyone who reclines their seat when someone is sitting behind them is an a***hole.”
A third person contributed to the debate, adding: “The seat was probably touching his knees. Did you really need to recline during a 90-minute flight? Once you heard that it was bothering him could you have talked to him and come up with a compromise? Maybe only partially reclining? I’m only 5’6 ish and I know I get claustrophobic and cramped when people recline. I can’t imagine being 6’4 and having it happen.”