Simitra--I have in the past asked people, as kindly as possible, to stop doing things on board planes that were driving me crazy...and was met with utter and complete hostility, and an intensification of the problem behavior. I have found that people on planes are often like animals crowded too intensively in cages--they are desperately protective of what little space they have, and often are very defensive of whatever it is they are doing. Let's face it, a long flight in economy is miserably uncomfortable, and nobody likes being told to stop doing something that they view as an activity that is increasing their pathetic "comfort" level. On a long-term level, I fervently hope that change is forced to come about, maybe somehow through the health and safety angle. It's amazing more people don't suffer serious adverse health affects from being pinned immobile into their seats for hours. Not to mention the emergency evacuation implications of being jammed into your seat, unable to move, pinned against the wall...