Reclining [Moving to an empty seat with another behind to do so]

[suze2000]

You people must be mad if you think that I am not going to protest about my personal space if you move from 5C to 5B when I am 5A.

It IS equal to standing right next to someone in the lift or choosing to sit next to the lone person in an empty train carriage. I would immediately assume you were some kind of weirdo or worse and be afraid for my personal safety, particularly WRT the possibility of being sexually assaulted when no-one is looking! (and before you start scoffing, there have been instances of children being fiddled with on full flights, I have been assaulted on a bus in Turkey and I don't think I need to go on)

THAT is why you should not do this. Not because of someone's right to their WP shadow, but because they have a right to (attempt to) enjoy the flight without fear of what you might do to them given the chance.

(and I'm speaking of a generic you in this case, not anyone in particular. I'm not accusing anyone of being a perv)

 

[Pushka]

Sorry but I think that's taking the issue much too far.

 

[boomy]

My problem wasn't the airline, which was fine in a low-cost kind of way, it was with the bogan passengers who probably hadn't been out of their suburb before, never mind on a plane.

Sounds like Tiger & Jetstar in OZ... Welcome to bogan paradise

 

[Kieran2274]

What if 5A is a WP1 or CL? IF the person in 6A is a WP1 then the person who has taken 5B and reclined has taken 5A's shadow and then reclined into 6A's shadow. A terrible affair.

Oh, the humanity!

 

[legroom]

I somehow don't think the person now sitting behind your reclined seat the rest of the flight is going think you are saint for your actions. And rightly so.

My Friend

One cannot hope to please everyone.

The pax behind the now-vacated middle seat (in my little example) will thank me, so in a way that will cancel out the silent cursing from the pax behind my newly relocated seat.

But even on a 6-8-hr INT flight, I do not recline so I carry a lot of good credit (chits) in my carry-on.

 

[JohnK]

The pax behind the now-vacated middle seat (in my little example) will thank me, so in a way that will cancel out the silent cursing from the pax behind my newly relocated seat.

Sometime the silent cursing could be the worst. Especially when you start to feel ill. When you experience it you will realise.

But even on a 6-8-hr INT flight, I do not recline so I carry a lot of good credit (chits) in my carry-on.

Well you are one of the better ones and deserve those chits then.

 

[UP4014]

I would not be worried by someone moving next to me to save the person behind from being reclined into.

I think it's the smart thing to do and shows some thought. The person next to me has no more rights than the person behind.

Matt

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I would not be worried by someone moving next to me to save the person behind from being reclined into.

I think it's the smart thing to do and shows some thought. The person next to me has no more rights than the person behind.

Matt

I can understand that you personally wouldn't mind if someone moved from C into an empty seat beside you, but the same does not apply if you are the 'mover'. You can't assume the person sitting in A would welcome you moving to be beside them because of the personal space issue.

What if the person sitting in A was a minor?

 

[legroom]

I can understand that you personally wouldn't mind if someone moved from C into an empty seat beside you, but the same does not apply if you are the 'mover'. You can't assume the person sitting in A would welcome you moving to be beside them because of the personal space issue.

What if the person sitting in A was a minor?

+1

I feel we are conflating two distinct issues into one subject.

One is of 'rights to move seat in your allocated cabin' while the other is the desire (by many) to have a bit of 'personal space', if possible, in the event of an adjacent empty seat.

While you can move, it looks weird and should IMHO require the gentlemanly consent from the affected pax.

Matt wouldn't mind, good on you but I do, so please refrain from moving too close to me.

 

[boomy]

The OP was referring to seating on QF737. I'm doing most of my Dom flights on this type and I must say I never saw anyone moving to the middle seat from the window or the aisle. I think it's a very weird thing to do and I hope this thread doesn't give anyone any ideas that it's OK to do that.

 

[RooFlyer]

Reclining threads never end well

Agree, so here goes

<snip>.

And so it comes to pass:

You people must be mad if you think that I am not going to protest about my personal space if you move from 5C to 5B when I am 5A.

It IS equal to standing right next to someone in the lift or choosing to sit next to the lone person in an empty train carriage. I would immediately assume you were some kind of weirdo or worse and be afraid for my personal safety, particularly WRT the possibility of being sexually assaulted when no-one is looking! (and before you start scoffing, there have been instances of children being fiddled with on full flights, I have been assaulted on a bus in Turkey and I don't think I need to go on)

THAT is why you should not do this. Not because of someone's right to their WP shadow, but because they have a right to (attempt to) enjoy the flight without fear of what you might do to them given the chance.

(and I'm speaking of a generic you in this case, not anyone in particular. I'm not accusing anyone of being a perv)

suze2000, I'm so sorry about your experience in Turkey and regret your suspicions on fellow members of humanity. Must make for a awful travelling experience, always living in fear that some-one might sit next to you. Rest assured most people on public transport / planes are not there to commit assault and the chances of you being assaulted on a plane by some-one sitting next to you is very low.

So when you get to your seat, what do you do when some-one sits next to you on public transport / planes? Not being nasty here, just wondering? Do you ask them to move away? Do you ask them to keep their hands where you can see them? Do you look around to see if there is any alternative seating for you?

Again, really very sorry that you live with constant concern when seated next to some-one else; must be horrible, especially if that some-one wants to look past you through the window. Creepy!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

And so it comes to pass:




suze2000, I'm so sorry about your experience in Turkey and regret your suspicions on fellow members of humanity. Must make for a awful travelling experience, always living in fear that some-one might sit next to you. Rest assured most people on public transport / planes are not there to commit assault and the chances of you being assaulted on a plane by some-one sitting next to you is very low.

So when you get to your seat, what do you do when some-one sits next to you on public transport / planes? Not being nasty here, just wondering? Do you ask them to move away? Do you ask them to keep their hands where you can see them? Do you look around to see if there is any alternative seating for you?

Again, really very sorry that you live with constant concern when seated next to some-one else; must be horrible, especially if that some-one wants to look past you through the window. Creepy!

there is a difference between a controlled and uncontrolled encounter.

if the flight is full and you sit next to someone that is different to the flight being empty and a total stranger proactively moving to sit next to you, ignoring an empty seat in between.

it comes down to choice and no choice. a man choosing to sit next to a girl on an otherwise empty train carriage is completely different to a man sitting next to a girl if that is the only seat available. on the latter there is little or no question of motive.

 

[RooFlyer]

I am sorry for those people who see life through the lens of suspecting malevolence on the part of others. The simple act of sitting in a vacant seat on a plane to not inconvenience some-one sitting behind them is being equated to situations giving rise to possible sexual assault on a train.

Getting too weird for me.

See you all next time I see a vacant middle seat on a plane. Its mine.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I am sorry for those people who see life through the lens of suspecting malevolence on the part of others. The simple act of sitting in a vacant seat on a plane to not inconvenience some-one sitting behind them is being equated to situations giving rise to possible sexual assault on a train.

Getting too weird for me.

See you all next time I see a vacant middle seat on a plane. Its mine.

suspicions aside, it is a well recognised psychological concept: personal space.

there are some people who have difficulty recognising concepts of personal space, and generally others don't take too kindly to it because leads to questions why someone would want to get in to your 'intimate zone' if they have a choice otherwise.

if person in A complained to cabin crew that person from C moved to B and they felt uncomfortable because of that, and B proffered some excuse like 'i was thinking about the person behind and didn't want to recline' i hope the answer would likely be a swift Judge-Judy-style 'NO! - I'm naht (sic) buying it'...

If a parent was to hear a strange man moved to sit next to their child for no valid reason it would be a natural instinct for that parent to question the motives.

It's not normal.

 

[boomy]

See you all next time I see a vacant middle seat on a plane. Its mine.

You don't have to wait until you're on board, you can pre-select your favourite middle seat online

 

[TonyHancock]

As a result of this thread I have updated my QF preferences.

QF will now block the seat next to me, behind me, and in the unlikely event of me not being in a bulkhead or emergency exit row, the seat in front for me. Prior to boarding these seats will be taped off using red and white warning tape with the words "Bugger off this seat is a shadow for Tony Hancock you can't sit here"

I think everyone will agree this is an excellent outcome.

 

[Kieran2274]

As a result of this thread I have updated my QF preferences.

QF will now block the seat next to me, behind me, and in the unlikely event of me not being in a bulkhead or emergency exit row, the seat in front for me. Prior to boarding these seats will be taped off using red and white warning tape with the words "Bugger off this seat is a shadow for Tony Hancock you can't sit here"

I think everyone will agree this is an excellent outcome.

Hmm, whole cabin shadowing - I sort of like that

 

[dodgeyhack]

And then the person in 6C moves into 5C so they can also recline into an empty space?

 

[JohnK]

I think everyone will agree this is an excellent outcome.

Can you please put in a good word for me? :mrgreen:

 

[Pushka]

We studied proxemic behaviour at Uni. It varies significantly with culture. Hence international travel becomes stressful when people put different values on space.