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Miss Malsy on
Manners
Q: On a recent flight, I was reclining my seat
when the woman behind me stomped her foot and then
let out a martyred sigh. I immediately put my seat
upright and suffered for the rest of the trip.
Was I a sucker?
A: Forget India and Pakistan. Never mind North and
South Korea. No border is as hotly disputed as the
one that lies between the would-be seat recliner
and the defender of personal space in the row behind.
For those who dare to recline, the response is often
anything but laid-back.
In this atmosphere of animosity, you were perhaps
less a sucker and more a self-preservationist to
remain upright. But since you paid for a reclining
seat, it was certainly your prerogative to use it.
As Southwest Airlines spokesperson Chris Mainz says,
“It is the right of each and every customer to recline.”
Of course, this doesn’t entitle you to touch down
brazenly in someone’s lap; make your moves slow and
easy. During meal service, remain upright so you’re
not pinching the space of a fellow traveler already
feeling pinched by a measly meal. If a lanky basketball
type sits behind you, lower your seat partway — even
if you want to seek vengeance for all those times
a tall person has blocked your view at the movies.
We’re all victims of the airlines’ cattle-car conspiracy.
With a little common courtesy, we should be able
to get diagonal — and get along.
—Kristina Malsberger
Have a travel etiquette question? Send it to Miss
Malsy at highroads@arizona.aaa.com. |
