[Cajundaddy]

I'm not quite sure why the airlines haven't ruled on this stuff yet. Just make a ruling and make it clear to all passengers. If they don't like the rule, don't fly.

As I see it, a passenger rents a reclining seat and is entitled to the full use of the recliner and all of the space between their fully reclined seat to the fully reclined seat in front of them. If the reclined seat in front of you causes distress, recline your seat to regain your spacing distance. Everybody wins.

We have been on some very long flights and reclining is the difference between relative comfort and major squirm and discomfort. On a flight back from Bejing (16hrs), a woman we knew became agitated at the gentleman in front of her because he reclined his seat and was trying to sleep. He is also a Porsche Master technician. She started pounding on his seat and hollering at him. I wanted to open the hatch and shove her out but someone wisely gave her a valium instead. Yay!

One time on a flight to Atlanta, a fluffy 350 pounder sat next to me and politely asked if we could lift the armrest so he could "relax" all over my seat.

"Uhh, that's not going to happen."