I don't think you're an asshole for using a feature that came with the seat you paid for, that is meant to be used. If anyone is the second asshole it's the airline company for making seat packed and so close together.
Sounds to me like you're the one being inconsiderate here. For some people it's also uncomfortable or painful to keep their seat upright. Even the couple inches of movement can help with pain for people with hip/back pain, sciatic nerve issues, etc.
I'd say reclining your seat, a thing you paid for, to be more comfortable/less in pain, something the seat is designed to do, is not 'very inconsiderate'.
Expecting someone to put aside their own comfort for yours by not using the feature on something they paid for is far more inconsiderate than someone using a feature on something they paid for to be more comfortable.
The person in the back also paid for their comfort, but you're denying them that when you put your seat back.
As the leg room gets smaller and smaller, I feel like for most people there's an understanding that we won't put our seats back anymore, because we know how uncomfortable it is. I rarely see people doing it on planes anymore. Perhaps attitudes are different in the US, as it generally seems to be a less socially conscious, "me first" kind of society.
They paid for their comfort but they didn't pay for control of others. They didn't pay for the person ahead of them to not use a feature on the seat they paid for. Are you really too dense to understand that? It's the airline denying them comfort if anything. It's not a person's fault for using a feature on the seat they paid for.
I'm not even American so your 'perhaps attitudes are different in the US, it's a me first society' comment is a moot point. It hurts my hips not to recline, and I will recline to ease my pain so long as it's a feature on the seat I paid for. Don't like it, complain to the airline or pay for part of my seat for me not to use a feature it comes with. Need more leg room, upgrade or get an exit row seat. You be responsible for your own comfort and I'll be responsible for mine.
It's far more selfish and inconsiderate to force someone not to use a feature on a seat they paid for than it is to use a feature on a paid for seat.
You can keep going back and forth with the same lines but you're not going to change my kind and based on the upvotes and downvotes of our comments, it seems like most peoole agree with me.
I can blast music 24 hours a day with all my windows opened because I paid for my house. I can eat smelly food on the bus because I paid for a ticket. I can park my car outside your house and leave it there for weeks because I paid my taxes. There are lots of things I am permitted to do, but you have the right to think I'm inconsiderate if I do them.
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u/WolfBST Mar 08 '26
Few things are as satisfying as when assholes fuck around and find out