The knee defender approved by the FAA

According to Smarter Travel it is. I use it always and have never been asked by a steward to remove it, they patiently explain the passenger in front that their recline 'must not be working'.

http%3A//www.smartertravel.com/photo-galleries/editorial/nine-unusual-travel-tricks-that-really-work.html%3Fid%3D362%26photo%3D46932%26max_photos%3D7

Better just to ask, as the writer suggests.
In my experience asking leads to a seat back jammed in your knees.
Maybe it's about how you ask.
I need one of those. I am sick of having the pasty white man in front of me (and it's always a man) push his seat back all the way, not only banging into my knees, but forcing me to look at his hair follicles and dandruff for the rest of the flight.
R4 they are great devices.
Spraying aqua net (tipe #9) on the offending person would be more effective. Plus, who doesn't keep aqua-net in their man purse?
Someone's comment from another forum about this device. Cracked me up. "To use or not to use the knee defender is mechanically irrelevant if you're tall enough. I'm a 6'0 lady and when sitting upright, my knees already press against the back of the seat in front of me, preventing it from reclining fully. I've been on numerous flights where the person in front of me slams their chair repeatedly into my legs, trying to recline it fully. I have passengers turn around and yell at me every time I shift, thus bumping the chair pressed down onto my lap. There's a certain beauty to the idea of a piece of plastic taking the hit, vice my body. I hate the whole mentality of 'I bought a ticket, so now I can do whatever I want.' It leads to random dudes plopping themselves down into my lap, not caring if they hurt someone else. Ouch. I never recline my chair for that reason, unless the seat behind me is empty. The only time I've ever resolved this kind of situation to my satisfaction was on a bus in Cairo. No flight attendant, so things can turn into a knock out drag down fight. That was a spectacle."
Don't even get me started on this. How they manage to make seats that barely recline at all but manage to wind up in the lap of the passenger sitting behind is something I'll never figuere out. I think they should just make seats that don't recline. As if reclining your seat that one centimeter makes the whole in-flight experience SO much more comfortable. If someone in front of me reclines all the way, I just kick their seat until they lose their shit.
Frequent Flyer
[quote]I just kick their seat until they lose their shit. Please do. That usually results in a free flight for me. It also usually results in the kicker being lead off the plain by security and detained. Kicking the seat is assault. If you don't like the seating complain to the airlines of fly first class, but don't take it out on the person who just happens to be in the seat in front of you.
Yes%2C%20I%20am%20an%20Uber%20School%20Marm/%20Martinet%20
r9, you could NOT recline your seat instead.
I had no idea this was such a huge deal. When the person in front reclines, to me, it just means it's time to recline as well. Like a domino effect.
[quote]you could NOT recline your seat instead. Why? Reclining seats are an amenity for which I have paid. I could also not eat the food, or not use the headphone jack, or not use the toilets. If I did not want a reclining seat, I would have booked the last row in the plane. Generally, those seats don't recline.
R12 shows us why the Knee Defender is a great idea.
The fact that R9 is both a "schoolmarm" and doesn't know the different in "lead" and "led" goes far to explain the education crisis in this country.
I admit I get a little irrational in my anger about this issue, but I surely wish I could ((((SLAP)))) our smug schoolmarm right in the chops.
R15, I am sure you do. But, without people like me, the bullies would run the world. And, yes, if you think you are entitled to prevent the person in front of you from reclining (while very likely reclining your own seat, I might add) you are a bully.
You guys are gay - you should be able to fly in business or first. This problem should not affect us.
Business class has gone downhill over the years. It's the new coach. Coach is the new...torture?
First Class Flyer
r14, we see you are also a school marm.
I will passively-aggressively cough on your head, r16. I will bang against your seat "accidentally" throughout the entire flight. I will rattle my newspaper on top of your pate.
Why are seats able to recline if that isn't the purpose?
R21...missing the point entirely.
Which is not surprising for an automatic seat-recliner....
Only a passive-aggressive coward would use those things.
[quote] It also usually results in the kicker being lead off the plain by security and detained. Oh, dear.
Sarah%20Plain%20and%20Tall
R24, seems to me it would take a "passive-aggressive coward" to choose to recline his seat into the lap of the person sitting behind him.
R26, how does a person just using his seat the way it was designed "passive aggressive"? The knee defender user is the one who is silently and without permission trying to change the mechanism of the plane. If I didn't want someone to recline into my aisle, I'd "man up" and ask them nicely.
R27, we've seen how well that would work from some of the posts in this thread. The only reason I can see for airliners having reclining seats in the sardine can section of planes is for when flights are not full. If no one is sitting behind you, reclining makes sense. If someone is sitting there, you're in his/her lap.
[quote]I will rattle my newspaper on top of your pate. They serve goose liver in coach?
I wish the airlines would develop reclining seats like that on Amtrak, when reclining, the seat scoots forward as to not effect the person behind, only the person that reclined loses space. The oblivious people on planes that fully recline their seats then, would understand cause and effect.
They are too selfish. They simply don't think about anyone else but themselves.
Oh and don't eat me started on those assholes in the middle and window seats that insist on getting up to go to the bathroom! Forcing me to get up and put aside my laptop while they use the toilet, once when they leave, and again wen they return! Just because there's a toilet on the plane doesn't mean they have to use it. Some people are so fucking selfish! They simply don't think of anyone but themselves.
R31
Again missing the point.
"They are too selfish. They simply don't think about anyone else but themselves." Sounds like that applies equally to those who recline without asking and those who use the knee defender.
R32, just because I have a gun doesn't mean I have to use it.
Why does r4 only care if white males recline their seat? Some people need to make everything racist or sexist.
To me, tall or long legged people are just as much a problem as fat people, but instead of taking excessive space sideways they try to fit their legs into a seat with a pitch that is not designed for them. Just like fat people they insist that they have no choice but to fly (in a single regular economy seat) and so the necessity of it forces them to pretend they can fit into the seat designed for a smaller person. I can appreciate how terrible it is not to be able to fit comfortably in an airplane seat, (seriously, I do), but cramming your body into it like a person jamming an oversized bag into the overhead compartment is just ridiculous. The answer is going to have to be that taller people buy a seat with greater pitch, and it needs to be determined before the passenger boards the aircraft. The airlines should have a mock set of seats at the gate that indicate that if you can't fit comfortably in them you are not going to be able to fit inside the plane.
a%20person%20who%20fits%20in%20any%20airplane%20seat%20with%20plenty%20of%20room
R37 better be a fucking joke. What a fucking asshole. I hope tall people are jamming their legs into the back of his seat for the rest of eternity. Your lack of empathy is astounding.
Aw.... Poor poor tall person had the sadz....
My philosophy is you have to take a "we're all in this together" attitude...we all know the planes have reclining seats but we all know there really isn't enough room to recline said seats because the airlines are squeezing every penny they can get. So in the spirit of cooperation pretend the fucking seat doesn't recline and LEAVE IT AS IS!
My back goes into severe spasms if I sit in a straight backed chair for more than 20 minutes. I had to have my neighbor break into my apartment to take me to the ER the last time I tried to write at my desk. I'll be continuing to recline my seat. If you're too big to fit into an airplane seat, make other arrangements.
R41 you need a shrink for your hysterical 'severe spasms'
Reclining seats are an artifact of a long ago time when rows weren't jammed together. Seats need to redesigned to either not recline or to have the seat slide forward as suggested above.
r43 is 100% correct. r41 shouldn't fly if he/she can't afford first class.
Actually, R44, if you're so large that the person in front of you reclining a couple of inches is intolerable to you, you're the one who shouldn't fly if you can't afford first class. I've never been bothered by someone in front of me reclining, but I'm neither fat nor incredibly tall.
Just incredibly stupid, R45.
The militant-reclining types are tedious.
As are the militant knee-defender cowards.
Here's an innocuous question on the subject: how does that "knee defender" work? Looking at the linked picture, I can't see how attaching it to your tray table would prevent the seat in front from reclining. P.S. - the tray tables are what you really need to look out for, btw. They are the germiest surface on the plane next to the toilets; they're never cleaned except when they actually LOOK dirty (this applies to pillows and blankets too, but the germs are less likely to survive there).
Enjoy%20your%20flight%21
I have them, use them and don't understand how they work, but they do. Maybe if you write the inventor he can explain.
Perhaps people will now realize that reclining inappropriately can be an issue, and they will think about their fellow passengers now.
R45, if I reclined my seat it would only go back two inches, but I'm a 120 lb. short female. When a 225 lb heifer of a guy does it, the seat leans back substantially further than that because there is a certain amount of give in the seat in Addition to the recline. Not to mention that half the time the guy thinks it's appropriate to stretch his fucking arms back and dangle his hands in the "space" behind him.
Hasn't anyone employed the "knee-grinder" method? As a rather tall person, if it's not during a meal (when I'll ask), and the person has the seat back at maximum and seems to be otherwise a douche, I simply keep my knees forward and grind them into the back of the person's chair, and then move them around a lot. I may be uncomfortable, but I guarantee you will be too.
[quote] Perhaps people will now realize that reclining inappropriately can be an issue, and they will think about their fellow passengers now. I guess I wish I lived in a perfect world, but it would be nice if people were ALREADY thinking about others at all times, not after reading about it here
Etiquette 101
http://www.independenttraveler.com/travel-tips/travelers-ed/the-etiquette-of-seat-backs-and-elbow-room
R55, great article. And no where does it say that knee defenders are good etiquette.
So there!
r53 i do that too, to some extent.
The article says recliners aren't exercising good etiquette. No mention of knee defenders. I've ordered the knee defender so I can be ready for my next flight after reading this thread.
If you are an L or XL sitting in a standard S/M economy seat, the onus is on you to make arrangements or seating changes before the airplane door closes. All of the suggestions of what to do mid-flight are crazy. It's like people enjoy some sick thrill from waiting until the person in front reclines. It's no different than people changing seats before the flight to sit together, or someone asking to take the aisle if they are feeling like they will be running to the restroom a lot. If you have a problem with me reclining, tell me BEFORE we are in the air.
I think it's amusing that our resident seat-recliners automatically assume anyone who is suggesting they are being selfish is overweight. Dude. Your reclined seat invades the space of even the thinnest among us. And again, I do not want to have your disgusting scalp/hair or bald pate right in MY face for an entire flight! Nothing to do with weight.
Dealing with the complexities of white inventions got you down, R4? I'm sure you can find a more suitable means of transport, like a donkey, or an elephant. Watch out for low-hanging fruit(and snakes!).
White man, who prefers sitting upright, defaults to common courtesy.
I did not say ALL white men are seat-recliners. In my experience they are men, and they are white.
The seats are designed to recline. What part of this don't you understand? Next time, take the bus.
[quote] The seats are designed to recline. What part of this don't you understand? So this is case closed to you? They're designed to recline so to help with any other variable? Wow. Sometimes I wish I could go through life so unaware and indifferent to others.
[quote]They're designed to recline so to help with any other variable? Wow. Sometimes I wish I could go through life so unaware WISH GRANTED!
I paid for the right to fly there, the seat reclines and I will use it. If I am prevented from using my seat the way it was INTENDED to be used, I will call the attendant and have them clear up the problem. I once was on a long trip from L.A. to New York and the guy in back of me prevented me from using my seat (pushing and kicking the seat). He was yelled at by the attendants that it was my right to recline and I ended up in business class for free, while that asshole was stuck in the last row. If you need the extra space, pay for it or ask for the exit rows. Don't tell me I don't have the right to use my seat.
Jerk
So this is case closed to you? They're designed to recline so to hell with any other variable? Wow. Sometimes I wish I could go through life so unaware and indifferent to others.
Ignore R67. He is just trying to stir people up. He couldn't be that clueless.
This thread is full of pussified precious little flowers.
I agree with the principle of trying to keep your seat back up out of courtesy, but there are exceptions. If someone has been flying from Sydney to LA and connecting to Chicago, they are probably going to need to sleep LA-Chicago. You don't know if the person reclining has been flying for 16 hours already, has been bitten by a Tsetse fly, or is ill, versus being a douchebag who deserves to be tasered. Most of you assume the latter until proven otherwise. Try assuming the former unless proven otherwise. As an American living overseas (where this is generally more relaxed), this thread demonstrates that the problem with US air carriers is indeed US customers. When did 'land of the free' become 'home of the asshole'? If the person reclines their seat and is then out cold, they probably need the sleep. Slide down and endure a little and the airline karma will come back to you.
200K/year%20flyer
hmmmm
link
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/travellog/2007/09/reclining_seat_wars_1.html
next time I fly and the person in front of me slams their chair back all the way i am going to direct the airflow valve above my seat directly at their head and turn it on high.
[quote]I am going to direct the airflow valve above my seat directly at their head and turn it on high. That's the first thing I do when I take my seat on an airplane, opening the air valve and turning it to point at my head. I keep my home 68 degrees year-round because I hate heat. Airplanes are always too warm for me, especially when I recline and take a nap. So if you point your air valve at me, thank you. As r67 indicates, if the person behind you is causing a problem or disturbance, always call a flight attendant to handle it. Passengers have to comply with flight crew instructions, so let them deal with the troublemaker.
If you need the extra space, pay for it or ask for the exit rows. Don't tell me I don't have the right to use my seat. by: Anonymous\treply 67 R67 IF you are lucky the flight attendant will cater to you. I am a knee defender user. It is adjustable so you can allow a slight recline for the person in front which I always do. Many many times they have screamed about their broken seat, one looked back and saw I had a device but did not know what it was and they caterwaul for a flight attendant. NEVER once have I been asked to remove the devices, never once has the screaming banshee been moved to a better class. I typically get a wink and they tell the passenger there is nothing they can do.
awesome, r77!
Bring it, R67. What's the flight attendant going to tell *me*? Lose inches? Maybe *I'll* get the move to first class.
R53
R77 is a wimp and a coward.
R80 call me anything you like just don't jam you seat in my knees.
I always spill my drink on the guy's head.
r81 is a brute and a bully
correction r80
83
There is a direct correlation between automatic seat-recliners (who don't even think for a SECOND about the person sitting behind them) and poor tippers.
You%20know%20it%27s%20true
"I wish the airlines would develop reclining seats like that on Amtrak, when reclining, the seat scoots forward as to not effect the person behind" That new Airbus has seats designed to do this. It works.
R61 I thought the same thing. More likely than not, the recliners are the fatties who are so used to their La-Z-Boys that they can't handle their stomach rolls resting on their thighs for the flight.
Good point.
[quote]Spraying aqua net (tipe #9) on the offending person would be more effective. Plus, who doesn't keep aqua-net in their man purse? Long time since you've flown, huh grandpa?
I noticed this is the blurb United Airlines has on their twitter page: ""Welcome aboard. We ask that seats are in a fully reclined position and all personal electronic devices are turned on. Welcome to our official Twitter page." @United We see which side they're on.