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And male anatomy makes crossing legs much less comfortable.</p>
<p>coureur, I’m only 5’6" but husband and sons are all 6’5" +. It is painful sometimes as you say if someone in front wants to recline. Husband purposely at 6’7" always tries to stay in his lane but I’m sure people worry he’ll take up more space. Never seen or heard of a problem in the air with him because he tries to be respectful of other people’s space.</p>
<p>^^I try to be respectful and always stay in my lane too. And it’s probably easier for me than some guys because I’m skinny as well. But my point is that the reason why guys are so often are sitting on a plane with their legs spread is not necessarily because they are inconsiderate, clueless louts but because they just lost 1/3rd of their leg space to the reclining seat ahead of them and can no longer sit with their legs pointing straight ahead.</p>
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<p>musicians of that level always buy seats for their large instruments. You don’t want to trust it to the baggage handlers.</p>
<p>coureur, I understand what you are saying. People inconsiderately reclining seats are also a problem,particularly for the tall people potentially behind them who are just trying to get comfortable.</p>
<p>“musicians of that level always buy seats for their large instruments. You don’t want to trust it to the baggage handlers.”</p>
<p>I guess being a piccolo player has some advantages :)</p>
<p>You know those bins that they have where you can place your carry on luggage and see if it fits? If it doesn’t, then you are not supposed to be allowed to take it on the plane. They should have a sample seat to try with the arm down and if someone cannot fit into it, then s/he has to pay for an additional seat. The seat should be in a discrete location behind the wall where the check in is, and the request to try the seat done quietly and with great apology. </p>
<p>MOWC, if you get seated early, just insist that you want the chair arms down. If a person cannot get into the seat with the arms down, then the steward/ess needs to get involved.</p>
<p>Plane travel is like a cauldron of bubbling rage. Women seething at men who sit as if their “junk” forced their legs 4 ft apart; fat people oozing and spilling and morbidly obesing all over their neighbors; clueless and selfish passengers reclining right onto the lap of the person seated behind them; not to mention men snoring loud enough to wake others, people reading a newspaper with arms outstretched, and so on… It’s a miracle there aren’t more passengers taken off in handcuffs.</p>
<p>Don’t forget the passive-aggressive capturing of the armrest!</p>
<p>I spend way too much time on planes. I used to enjoy it. Now it is just uncomfortable lost time.</p>
<p>cpt- EXACTLY what I was thinking – like the carry-on luggage sizer, have a “persons of size” sizer, a sample seat located in a discrete location. If the person doesn’t fit, or “spills over” underneath or above the armrests, then s/he must pay for a second seat.</p>
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<p>Right. I’ve never had to endure spillage from an over-size passenger, but elbow encroachment happens every time I’m seated next to a man. But I get even; when that elbow is momentarily moved – whether its owner gets out of the seat, reaches into the under-seat bag, accepts a drink from the flight attendant – I firmly plant my own elbow on the armrest. It really messes with them. :D</p>
<p>You are entitled to half the armrest. If someone is truly hogging it to the point s/he is making you uncomfortable, it is certainly appropriate to ask if you can have your share of it as you want to put you arm down on it. It’s not always intentional.</p>
<p>There is some give that comes with this sort of thing too. I’ve had to sit next to some people who do take up more space than the seat is designed to accommodate. Some have more luggage, an infant on the lap, extra long legs, etc. I give considerable leeway to these things. But it’s a whole other story, when things are truly over the top, and in those cases, the steward/ess needs to be notified, and that is for any characteristic of that passenger if truly obnoxious. Being too big for the seat is just one thing. I’ve had seat hogs that were not big at all. I’ve had seat partners with insufferable odors. Some who can’t shut up, Some who have little ones who won’t behave. Some with little ones with snotty noses, coughs and sneezes that are being spewed my way. I’ll take a a little bit of over spillage in space over a number of situations. </p>
<p>However, it is the right of a passenger who is truly being squeezed to ask for full use of the seat for which s/he has paid. As with most things life, one has to balance the request taking the true discomfort being suffered. I tend to give in those areas,though I certainly would have to say something if I were truly being compressed in a corner . Not healthy or safe for flights of much duration to be squashed that way.</p>
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<p>I was obese before last year and for a few months this year by BMI standards. I do a moderate amount of weightlifting and other things so I could still run or play tennis or basketball with the weight. I’m down about 45 pounds from my max and and no longer obese by BMI standards. So I have a little understanding of not feeling well knowing that you’re overweight. But I wouldn’t have any problem with thin folks thinking that I should lose weight because I knew that I should lose weight. I was fairly disgusted with myself for being overweight as it is a pain in a lot of areas.</p>
<p>So I finally got around to fixing the problem and it’s been pretty easy losing weight thanks to the good folks at the diet and exercise thread. It’s just basically a matter of fixing body chemistry in a way that the brain responds to well.</p>
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Exactly. This idea is not new. Roller coasters have sample seats for people to try before they get in line.</p>
<p>This reminds me of the time years ago when I was on a business flight to Washington - all dressed up to go directly to a meeting. They served Chicken Kiev for lunch, and when the man next to me pierced his piece of chicken, I got hosed down with a stream of melted butter. He was mortified and offered to have my outfit cleaned, but I was stuck in an ivory silk dress for the rest of the day.</p>
<p>I do agree with the passive/aggressive behavior of some people regarding the armrest. It’s so prevalent that now I assume the other guy will take possession and I wait to rest my arm there until it is obvious that the other person isn’t going to use it. On Southwest, I try to get the first row, bulkhead seats - no one in front of me and much more leg room. Although there is no under the seat storage, I really don’t mind because I’ve had my bag ruined by gunk on the floor under the seat anyway. Domestic airline travel is usually so uncomfortable that it is best to have very, very low expectations. </p>
<p>All I really want is to arrive at my destination in one piece. They could actually torture me en route if they could guarantee that the plane won’t crash!</p>
<p>[clueless louts but because they just lost 1/3rd of their leg space to the reclining seat ahead of them and can no longer sit with their legs pointing straight ahead.
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I understand that, but my feet still have to go somewhere!</p>
<p>^^I understand completely, and the tall guys feet have to go somehwere too. Which brings up another issue - the flight attendants constantly badgering you to put your carry-on luggage under the seat in front of you. I say sorry but that’s where I had hoped to put my feet.</p>
<p>As for arm-rest hogging, in my observation that is usually done, often not maliciously, by the person in the middle seat. The people on the ends each have one armrest all to themselves. They can sit leaning away from the middle and rest primarily on their own armrest. But the poor center person has to share both armrests and can’t lean in either direction. Thus, s/he usually ends up sitting with elbows on BOTH armrests. No neccessarily trying to be a hog, but where else are they going to half-way comfortably put them?</p>
<p>“I understand that, but my feet still have to go somewhere!”</p>
<p>If your belongings don’t fit under the seat or in the overhead compartments we’ll be glad to check them for you.</p>
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So obviously, the answer is to beat the heck out of the super-recliners.</p>
<p>If I was a larger sized person, I would make that extra effort to get an exit row or front row seat for that additional space. If you are a frequent flyer or pay a couple of bucks additional, you can do that easily.</p>
<p>I don’t mind if someone spills a bit onto my seat if they are apologetic and make the attempt not to. What is most annoying to me are people who have the three S habits. Shufflers, sniffers and smackers. Meaning constant loud gum chewing, repetitive sniffling, or these idiots that have to shuffle their cards 10 loud times before every hand, therefore waking up anyone within five rows of them. Give me a obese or tall person any time instead of sitting near one of the three S’ers!</p>