Man Shares His 'Unethical' Hack To Stop People Reclining On An Airplane
Some people think the life hack isn't "unethical" enough and may even be relaxing to the person in front of them!
Andrey Yurlov / Shutterstock Do you recline your seat during a flight? Maybe you do, or maybe you don’t, but most of us who have flown have experienced someone in front of us reclining their chair. Airplane seats are already uncomfortable, especially if you have a middle seat.
So, having your legroom invaded by a reclining seat can be annoying. Some of us may suck it up, and others may be willing to ask the person to move their chair up.
Though, one person on TikTok gave another option that people fiercely debated.
A person shared their 'life hack' for when someone reclines their chair on a plane.
A person known as @theLKshow shares “unethical life hacks” on the video-sharing app TikTok. In a recent video, he gave a tip for those who want to get their personal space back on an airplane.
They wrote that if you’re “on a flight and the person in front of you reclines their seat all the way and leaves you no room. Turn on the air-con above you on full blast and point it at the top of their head.”
Since there’s technically no rule against positioning the air conditioner toward another passenger, likely, you won’t be kicked off the plane for the stunt. However, few people would appreciate cold air blowing on their heads. So, some sort of conflict is entirely possible.
People took to the comments to determine if the method was too “unethical” or just the right amount. “Unethical?” one person asked. “I think this is completely reasonable.”
Some people felt that blowing cool air onto another passenger wouldn’t be so bad.
“This is a joke, right? Like reverse psychology? Cause I can never get enough cool air on a flight so if this’ll get me more cool air I’m all for it,” one person wrote.
The debate over whether to recline or not raged on in the comments. Many people felt that if the seats are built to be able to recline, why not take advantage of the amenity? “If the airline lets you recline, recline,” one person commented.
“How [are] you gonna sleep fully upright on a long flight[?] Pay for my chiropractor bill then,” another added.
Many feel that reclining seats only add to flying discomfort—and that there needs to be a change!
“They should make it so the seats can’t recline anymore when they’re packing us in like sardines,” one person wrote.
One person offered a solution that everyone should collectively recline their respective airplane seats so nobody has to deal with getting their personal space shrunk.
Though, reclining seats on airplanes are not going anywhere for now. So, for those who want to recline their seat, being polite to the person behind you is important. But how do you go about doing that?
A Switzerland-based etiquette coach Julia Esteve Boyd told The Points Guy how fliers can respect their fellow passengers while still getting a comfortable rest.
The first step is to be wary of the person behind you. If they’re eating or drinking, she recommended: “Just wait a few moments until they’re finished.”
But if you feel sleep coming on faster than you can control it and need to lay back immediately, she recommends not to “recline the seat too quickly.”
And for those who feel scrunched by the reclining person in front of them, she said you should just nicely ask for them to lift it up a bit. Boyd’s husband is 6’6, so he asks that question frequently! So, whatever situation you find yourself in--the one doing the reclining or the one dealing with it. It’s always good to approach the situation politely and kindly.
Ethan Cotler is a writer living in Boston. His writing covers entertainment, news and human interest stories.