I've been reading the great debate about reclining seats.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2744430/The-infuriating-wars-I-ve-leg-room-planes-BBC-s-battle-veteran-JOHN-SIMPSON.html
The knee defender costs US $21.
The tray table is for trays of meals. When meal are served the flight attendant asks passengers to bring their seats to upright so that ther person behind can eat.
You should not try to sleep with your head on the tray table. You should use a neck rest cushion. I feel that airlines should supply them. It would be cheaper than having arguments between passengers.
Before reclining, look behind to check that the person behind you is not leaning forward to retrieve something from the pocket in the back of the seat so that their head would be hit if you reclined suddenly. If necessary, warn them. Recline slowly, not suddenly.
Do not kick the seat in front. Do not back constantly on your tray table (eg playing snap with cards) because that constantly jolts the person in front. Constantly crossing and uncrossing your legs or getting in and out, using the top of the seat in front for leverage, also jolts the other person. If you start by apologising, and end by thanking them for their kindness or understanding, it helps.
You might also wish to befriend the people beside you or behind and in front. Then it's easier to ask them to move to let you out, and your first conversational exchange is one of friendliness. You also find out what they are going to do on the flight, sleep, watch a movie, read with the reading light on.
If necessary you can ask the flight attendant if you can change seats. That will be easier before people have fallen asleep or started eating or got used to their territory.
Here are my ten commandments of travelling by plane:
1 The plane pilot is God in in fight. You do what he says/she says. (D H Lawrence established this rule after seeing a crash caused by a senior commander on an RAF plane over-ruling the pilot.)
2 His staff are in charge of the plane. If they tell you to recline or not recline or smoke or not smoke or turn off your phone or not eat and drink, or lower or raise the window blinds they have their reasons for the good of all passengers or nearby passengers or that's their decision in a dispute and that's the rule.
(The only time I've ever ignored this was when I left my passport behind and had to dash off the plane to retrieve it.
3 Don't pick a row with the person behind you, in front of you or beside you. If you want them to adjust their seat, or wake to let you out to the toilet, call the airline staff. That way any dispute is with somebody who can walk away or send back a second person so the person arguing has the same argument with different people and not with you, not with somebody who cannot escape, and not over and over with the same person. If the dispute escalates the pilot can take over. With luck, the airline steward has been trained to be awake and smiling and polite at whatever hour they are on duty and can ask more politely.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2744430/The-infuriating-wars-I-ve-leg-room-planes-BBC-s-battle-veteran-JOHN-SIMPSON.html
The knee defender costs US $21.
The tray table is for trays of meals. When meal are served the flight attendant asks passengers to bring their seats to upright so that ther person behind can eat.
You should not try to sleep with your head on the tray table. You should use a neck rest cushion. I feel that airlines should supply them. It would be cheaper than having arguments between passengers.
Before reclining, look behind to check that the person behind you is not leaning forward to retrieve something from the pocket in the back of the seat so that their head would be hit if you reclined suddenly. If necessary, warn them. Recline slowly, not suddenly.
Do not kick the seat in front. Do not back constantly on your tray table (eg playing snap with cards) because that constantly jolts the person in front. Constantly crossing and uncrossing your legs or getting in and out, using the top of the seat in front for leverage, also jolts the other person. If you start by apologising, and end by thanking them for their kindness or understanding, it helps.
You might also wish to befriend the people beside you or behind and in front. Then it's easier to ask them to move to let you out, and your first conversational exchange is one of friendliness. You also find out what they are going to do on the flight, sleep, watch a movie, read with the reading light on.
If necessary you can ask the flight attendant if you can change seats. That will be easier before people have fallen asleep or started eating or got used to their territory.
Here are my ten commandments of travelling by plane:
1 The plane pilot is God in in fight. You do what he says/she says. (D H Lawrence established this rule after seeing a crash caused by a senior commander on an RAF plane over-ruling the pilot.)
2 His staff are in charge of the plane. If they tell you to recline or not recline or smoke or not smoke or turn off your phone or not eat and drink, or lower or raise the window blinds they have their reasons for the good of all passengers or nearby passengers or that's their decision in a dispute and that's the rule.
(The only time I've ever ignored this was when I left my passport behind and had to dash off the plane to retrieve it.
3 Don't pick a row with the person behind you, in front of you or beside you. If you want them to adjust their seat, or wake to let you out to the toilet, call the airline staff. That way any dispute is with somebody who can walk away or send back a second person so the person arguing has the same argument with different people and not with you, not with somebody who cannot escape, and not over and over with the same person. If the dispute escalates the pilot can take over. With luck, the airline steward has been trained to be awake and smiling and polite at whatever hour they are on duty and can ask more politely.
No comments:
Post a Comment