Knee defender will cause fights at 30.000ft? (merged)

[AtlPax]

Has anybody seen this: Yahoo News article (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031024/ap_on_hi_te/airplane_knee_defender) ?

By BRAD FOSS, AP Business Writer WASHINGTON -

Every cramped air traveler may have the right to lean his seat back, but Ira Goldman sees airplane justice from another perspective — that of the person behind — and he's found a way to even the score.

Goldman invented the Knee Defender, a beeper-sized block of plastic that lets passengers prevent the seat in front of them from reclining. ... (see URL for the rest of the article)

Wonder how many altercations this will cause? :uhoh:

Although I like the idea . . . :}

[Jerricho]

This will help with the good old air-rage.

As the article mentions, passenger complains to cabin staff seat won't go back, give me another. Inspection of seat reveals "Knee Defender" is in place. Owner of "Knee Defender" goes to hospital to get it removed from anus after forcible insertion by other passenger.

People won't complain....yeah right.

[You want it when?]

Got my own knee defenders - being a bit over six foot I just jam the things in place. Seat won't recline everyone happy but twit in front. No issue.

[PAXboy]

Some time in the past year, there was talk of this problem in this forum. Someone spoke of a utilitarian item that they used to jam the seat in front. I'm sorry that I can't recall the detail but it was something very small and it might go unnoticed - giving rise to the idea that the seat was defective.

The poster said that, at the end of the trip, they remove the wedge and slip it in their pocket and all is well. Sounds safe than a large wedge that only works when the your try table is down.

[Memetic]

PAXboy

Wine bottles?

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=89730&highlight=memetic+wine

[747FOCAL]

http://www.kneedefender.com/

:E :E :E

[Front_Seat_Dreamer]

Being somewhat over 6' and not liking to part with money (and travelling cattle class mainly) this may well find it's way onto my christmas wish list.

Still I do enjoy sticking my knees into the back of the chair in front and accidently catching the person in fronts hair between hand and seatback when getting up to stretch my legs.

[747FOCAL]

I have never tried it, but I heard once that a nice wet sneeze will also cause the person in front of you to sit their chair up straight. :E

[strafer]

Wonder how many fights at 30,000 this will cause?
My money's on the big bloke who needs to use knee defender.

[Final 3 Greens]

My money's on the CC who have the plasticuffs.

[A1 Cyclops]

Since this guy has invited comments on his website, here was mine -

"If you're deformed, buy a business class ticket you cheapscate"

I await his reply. :E

[broadreach]

Gadzooks, there's a market for everything! At 6'4" I'm acutely conscious of it all, have used the sharp knees into the back of the seat, the wet sneeze and the catching of hair as well as the top of newspaper carefully draped over the offending party's head, gently swoozed backand forth to irritate the hell out of him/her.

Nothing as depressing on a long flight as that sudden whump when the seat in front of you whacks back, almost as if syncronised with the gear lifting into place. Funny, isn't it, the speed of reclining is inverse proportion to the height of the occupant. If there's anyone behind me I never recline.

But I don't think I'd buy one of these gizmos. Much more satisfying to knee away and all the other things, until the message hits home.

[PAXboy]

Memetic - Bingo! :D Although, if I drank both the bottles of wine, I might not notice too much what the person in front did with the chair.

Oo-eer, we have duplicated threads. I'm sure Xenia will be along shortly and sort us out. ;)

[strafer]

If you're deformed, buy a business class ticket you cheapscate

A1 Cyclops - was that a touch of SMS?


(Small Man Syndrome for the uninitiated)

[zed3]

Once again , the only winners here will be the lawyers!!!

[Jerricho]

Oh, there will be some doctors who win out of this as well!

Proctologists who have to surgically remove them from people's *sses after the resultant altercation.

One of the dumbest inventions I have ever seen.

[Memetic]

Pax - Not as much as the numerous can I take my GPS / Scanner questions. :)

Xenia - how about a sticky for "Can I take this on a flight" post the usual q's and link to the answering threads.

Happy to hit the search to pick out some candidates for you.

Memetic.

[PAXboy]

Mem - BRILLIANT idea. :ok: How about another sticky for "How do I weasel an upgrade that I haven't paid for (by the way, I only fly once every ten years)?" :yuk: Of all the questions - that's the one that irritates me more than anything.

[newarksmells]

The veiled threats from guys over 6 feet plus mean nothing.

I, much like you want a comfortable flight and if I decide to recline the seat on a flight from Newark to Phoenix (almost 6 hours), I will do so. If you decide to block the seat with your knees because you chose or were forced to choose coach over Business Class, that is your problem..not mine.

While I understand that larger people need more space, don't take your frustrations out on the other passengers. take it out on the airlines who choose not to provide the space or buy a ticket where you can ride comfortably.

When eating, I'll bring my seat forward. When sleeping, I WILL recline it. End of Discussion.

I have no idea why the minority feel they have the right to control the majority.

Newarksmells.

[Evening Star]

Marvellous attitude newarksmells, a real 'I am alright so sod you because you are over 6 foot' attitude. Well, I too like a comfortable flight, and do not see why somebody else, who is also too tight or unable to afford business, should ruin it. So, seeing as I am over 6 foot, I will make myself as comfortable as possible, and if the seat in front comes near me I will, because of the seat frame, have no space to sit other than slightly turned. Now if my knee, my nice strong, bony knee, should dig into the small of your back, that would be terrible, but if you do not like it you should have bought a business ticket. Too tight or unable to, oh well, never mind, to get comfortable in my hunched position I will probably have to wiggle and move, which means I will spend the flight jabbing my knee in the small of your back. So newarksmells with your veiled threats mean nothing thinking, how is your back?

PS PAXboy, totally agree with you about the sticky!

[strafer]

Evening Star's hit the nail on the head Newarksmalls.

Why should we suffer the wretched resentment of the beta males just because our superior gene pool has enabled us to rise above the little 'uns?

PS I've got a fine head of hair too.

[747FOCAL]

Had a guy use his knees to block my seat going back once......Took my shoes and socks off and tossed my socks over the back of the seat and let them hang there in his face until he got the mssg. :E

If that don't work, a simple smack when the stew ain't lookin oughta do the trick. Just kidding........ :}

[Evening Star]

tossed my socks over the back of the seat and let them hang there

... until they mysteriously go missing :E :E :E

[46Driver]

I'll agree with Newarksmells. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Semper Fi.

[Jerricho]

Ah yes, we're all big and tough on the internet aren't we........

I'm off to hug a tree!

[newarksmells]

And you're saying I've got a bad attitude !!! What gives you the right to stick your knees in anybody's back and keep wriggling them?

Just to because you can't get comfortable in coach, even if you recline your seat, doesn't justify your behaviour in trying to make everybodys life a misery too...just because yours is.

What point are you missing?

Newarksmells

[Chef]

The answers simple, fly ryanair, on their new aircraft its leather trim and NONE of the seats recline. Problem solved:ok:



Its grand on those long (ish) flights, Good old MOL cheaper option.

[davethelimey]

Can't help but think that this will only be bought by idiots who don't fly very much.

At 6' 4" I am well above average height, fly coach all the time, and don't want a seat stopper.

Apart from being more than slightly confrontational and making one person's misery into two people's, reclining seats don't affect leg room - if your feet are under the seat in front, the seat going back doesn't do anything.

Now laptops on tray table + seat in front reclining suddenly = a well learned lesson... :ugh:

[Bob Upndown]

newarksmells - perfectly put!

Evening Star - When you buy your ticket, you buy your seat. Let's just check that statement - that's YOUR seat. Not the one in front, not next to you, not behind you. Your seat comes with features that you may or may not elect to use, one of them being recline. If the pax in front wishes to use their recline, then so be it. It's not their problem that you're (in your words) too tight or unable to afford business class.

Perhaps you need to go to the school of diplomacy and making friends that davethelimey has attended!;)

[newarksmells]

I think the thing that Evening Star needs to realize is MOST people don't recline their seats to upset the passenger behind them. They do it to be comfortable in a minimal space.

Rather than taking his anger out on fellow passengers, may I suggest Evening Star contact the airlines and express his disgust at the lack of room towards them as opposed to other passengers?

Newarksmells

[Jerricho]

Perhaps you need to go to the school of diplomacy and making friends that davethelimey has attended!

And, while at same school, ask for the lesson on "looking behind you to see what the passenger is doing before throwing said seat back in their face without warning" (as with the laptop example)

Christ, is it any wonder people start wanting to have a go at each other strapped in a jet for 12 hours plus. My advice, get p*ssed and pass out.....that way you won't care (No "real mature, drunk on an aircraft" comments required!). Actually, I'll rephrase that, the attitude's displayed here, perhaps you shouldn't drink.

[Mike Blackburn]

I suppose it goes without saying (although, bizarrely, I'm going to say it) that all that is required is a little bit of consideration for those around us. We are all in the same boat (??). To say that someone is too cheap to fly business class is unrealistic, when you consider that for those extra inches one could easily pay nearly double the airfare (esp on longhaul like LHR-JNB) and this is way beyond the pale for most of us hard working plebs who buy our own tickets. To those who have tickets provided by companies etc, I mean no disrespect - take the company travel budget for all it is worth, I'd do the same ;)

I wish that someone would install a feature on aircraft seats that did not allow reclining until everyone had had their dinner trays collected. I also get peeved if the muppet in front of me reclines my dinner into my lap, so I ALWAYS check behind me to see what is going on before I recline. Those who are so against reclining - I suppose you never recline your seats?? HMMM?

[Crepello]

Mike B, I think the point was that countless thousands endure economy seats daily, without problem or complaint. If a minority are unsatisfied with the space, they CAN obtain more - at a price. If they can't afford it, tough. Take the economy package, or wait till they can afford their self-imposed minimum.

Agreed, if everyone was more considerate, there'd be far fewer problems, and not just aboard planes. I no longer look behind before reclining, largely due to the looks of incomprehension I've received in the past. However, I recline very slowly to avoid spilling drinks, decapitating laptops, etc.

If I find a knee-defender installed on 'my' seat... well, it's my seat, so I'll be taking it, and thank you very much. I won't create a scene, but if there's a problem I'll be informing the cabin crew.

Finally, the alcohol issue's very moot. Many problems wouldn't occur if booze was banned from airports & craft, but there's too much cash at stake. Ok, I'm being disingenious as I enjoy an airside pint as much as the next man. It rarely makes me violent, but when I see the prices at the bar... :mad: :eek: :ouch: ;)

[Benjurs]

The only time I've ever seen a problem on a flight was in June on BA ex-IAD.

I was sat 3 rows back from the bulkhead in Y and there was a little old couple in front of me. The bulkheads were occupied by a loud mouth American family (50's and their daughter) who were contanstly dropping the fact that they were SILVER card holders and that's why they 'scored' the bulkheads :yuk:

Anyway during the final cabin check the old couple asked the FA if the person in front wouldn't mind not reclining her seat all the way back as she had a broken foot and needed the space. Needless to say as soon as seatbelts went off - Whoomp straight back into said lady.

More shouting of it's my seat, it's my right to push back:yuk: :yuk:

A great case for a Knee defender, I only wish I had one as I swapped seats with her and had the pleasure of her seat in my face all flight even during meal times! Still I'm sure she had the pleasure of my knees and my hands above her head all flight whilst reading a book! As for the fact that I became very incontant all flight and kept having to pull myself up (I'm 6'2 and 225lbs) I'm sure she didn't get much sleep! I mean she had acres of leg room herself and really didn't need to inflict all that misery 'just because I can'.