I agree Chris. I'm flying tomorrow, Tired, working late tonight, I plan to recline and relax.
If the guy behind me has one of those (d-bag, I'm better than you so I deserve more space) devices, I will do the same as the original article. I will ask for it to be removed, and if they refuse, well, I'll make the spilled water look like an accident......
And if the person in front of me reclines, no problem. Their seat is made to recline. I'm 6-1, and can deal with it for a few hours. As others have said, if I move my stuff under the seat in front of me, I have enough legroom. And I realize I could spend more and upgrade, but it's my choice not to.
So my flight tomorrow would have cost about twice as much in 1980. For the savings, I'll deal with the legroom.