<p>I yield armrests to people who seem considerate and nice.</p>
<p>My shoulders are 23 inches wide.</p>
<p>The seats are 17-18 inches wide.</p>
<p>I don’t aggressively try to poach the armrests, but with my arms against my sides they are over armrests.</p>
<p>That means that in order for my arms to not be over the armrests, I have to either lean to one side if I am on the aisle, or fold my arms over my body if I am in the hell of a middle seat. It’s not very comfortable holding either one of those positions for hours at a time.</p>
<p>^ I feel your pain. I am a small guy and I cannot imagine how people with average or above average weight could sit in the airplane. I guess you have to wait for an air travel reform.</p>
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Wow, notrichenough, thanks for bringing this to our attention! Never considered this aspect.</p>
<p>As much of a PITA as I am about reclining, I don’t care about armrests. I won’t use either one. I’d have to lean over uncomfortably to reach them. I can see why it would be uncomfortable for people with broader shoulders to not have them. Sit next to me, you can have them!</p>
<p>I am able to comfortably fit into airplane seats, as is H, D and S. We are all on the slender side and short topping out at under 5’7." We really feel for folks who are any larger, as it can’t possibly be comfortable, especially for 5+ hour flights that we often take. </p>
<p>In the economy flights, no one can pick up anything dropped on the ground, even if the tray table are lifted and you have to wait until the plane lands to dive under and search. It is NOT pleasant or comfortable for anyone.</p>
<p>The inability to pick up what I’ve dropped is the one thing that drives me bananas. Take the armrest, recline your chair, whatever. But if my phone slips off my lap, it’s like it’s vanished into the abyss.</p>
<p>It can be a safety issue when we are unable to retrieve what we drop, especially when we may drop medical devices or similar.</p>
<p>Just ask the person sitting in the back of you to kindly pick it up. Most recently,I dropped things on different flights and both times, the persons in the back dove down to pick them up for me. In such a close environment for 5 or more hours, one can’t afford to make enemies.</p>
<p>I usually try very hard to end up in an aisle or window seat, in which case I gladly yield full custody of the shared armrest to the whomever is in the middle seat. I figure I’ve got the outer or inner armrest all to myself, so the least I can do is not take any armrest space from the unfortunate person sentenced to sit in the middle.</p>
<p>I was on a plane once when a baby dropped some sort of toy near the front of the plane while we were taking off, and it rolled ALL THE WAY to the back. I remember thinking “NOOOOOO!” When the seatbelt sign turned off, almost everybody stood up and was trying to find the baby’s toy. It was kind of cute. At least people are nice to babies.</p>
<p>I love sitting near little children and babies on planes. It is the absolute best. </p>
<p>I am not kidding. </p>
<p>Even fussy ones. It doesn’t bother me, and makes the trip faster. Kids are funny to watch.</p>
<p>In the newer economy seats, it is very tough for ANYONE to reach anything that is dropped on the ground. I love economy plus for those extra inches–it’s the spacing I remember in economy decades ago. </p>
<p>I’m divas long as no one is kicking my seat. Especially love long flights with H and don’t mind middle seat if H is at window or aisle but love when we have just window and aisle in seats for just two. Sort of spoils you for regular economy seating. :)</p>
<p>I like kids and haven’t had many issues with them on planes. Well, one, but it was clear that the problem was the parenting, not the kids.</p>
<p>But I can’t say that the one flight where I sat near a shrieking, SCREAMING infant went “faster”. In fact, I thought it would never be over. Poor thing, probably an inner ear problem, but no, that was no fun for anyone. I felt for the Mom; I’ve been in the position of trying to comfort a distressed infant to absolutely no avail. She clearly felt bad for her child and also for those around her. Fortunately everyone seemed to be very understanding. Glad to have it over with by the end, but understanding.</p>
<p>A baby with an inner ear problem would not be fun to sit by on an airplane. I haven’t sat near any truly suffering infants, I guess. most of them are ordinary fussy, I guess. That is excruciating pain. For years, I had that kind of pain when I flew. I had to take decongestants ahead of time. It is like an ice pick in your ear.</p>
<p>Plug your ears…and I never even talk on my phone, it is in my car 100% of the time. I just do not see any reason for compalining about others, it will not change them. If I do not have any ear plugs, then it is my own fault, that is how I feel. Noise pollution is everywhere. There are people who cut grass at 7am on a Saturday morning, then what you do? Call police on them? How about a dog barking at 2am? Who we going to call? Gost busters…oopsy, mean police again?</p>
<p>I was on a flight from Spain to the US that featured a 2 year old who screamed virtually the entire flight.</p>
<p>And the mother did… nothing. She didn’t try to comfort the kid, walk him around, read to him, play with him. She just stared blankly ahead the entire time.</p>
<p>I’ll admit, there were some dark thoughts running through my head…</p>
<p>It was an impressive display of endurance by the kid, though. :)</p>
<p>Yes, kick this screaming brat out the window…But then, maybe humanity will miss having another very persistent and enduring and stubborn person like …maybe …Bill Gates…or…R. Reagan…or another one who just care so much about things that he personally interested in…
Well, we either live in a woods or adjust to others whatever it takes. Compromise would be nice, like talking only about important things while in public…but even co-workers discuss football games right next to you, while you are way way deep into resolving some very pressing and urgent issue…who you are going to call - Gost busters,…oops, your manager, and get a status of intolerant non-team player who do not understand the importance of working in a team?<br>
I can continue with examples forever and ever, the fact, we are not living in a woods, some have more sensitive ears, others have more sensitive noses, sometime lights in a work places / public places are bothering our eyes much more than tolerable level, other are afraid to touch anything in public thinking who else touched this and what else they could have touche before and did not wash their hands…I am glad that at least I do not live in NYC, very wise choice for a person with low level of tolerance for many things that are associated with the crowded places.</p>
<p>A sense of humor goes a long way. It makes everything easier.</p>
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<p>I need to look for SamuraiLS and switch places esp. on red-eye flights where I thought I could catch some sleep even for a few minutes.</p>