Prevent the dude in front from reclining
Written By
bird crick
wonderhowto.com
Views 2,271
Last edited last month
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Don't want a reclining seat in your lap?

Solution: Zip Ties

Our thanks goes out to Evan Roth for his covert film illustrating the process.

Ingenious and moderately stealth. Never to have to deal with post-flight knee bruises again!

Prevent airplane seats from reclining

Comments

+1
Banjoboy 1 year ago
The reality is that the person in front of you probably paid alot of money for his seat, and could consider this tactic "harassment'. All he would have to do is notify the steward or stewardess (who knows the workings of that seat very well), and you could be ejected from the flight at the next stop. In these post 911 days, you have to be careful!
+6
Bryan Crow 1 year ago
Only if he figured it out. Chances are he'll just assume the seat is broken.

Even if he does figure it out, just plead ignorance....
"What? Seats tied together? What are you talking about? Oh, that? Huh... it must've been here from before..."
+1
ryan 5 months ago
you are ok
+2
martin67 2 months ago
agree with Evan Roth and not the willy nilly nanny goats commenting above. It is very inconsiderate in a cramped space to lay your seat all the way back on the passsenger behind's lap - as many seats on buses and planes actually do.
+1
casey321b 2 months ago
or you could say you were preventing injury from your dammaged knee that was hit by the flight attendants cart and they wouldn't mess with you after that...
+1
4uidrum 1 year ago
This is pretty criminal.
+1
Nutrition 1 year ago
not cool, be nice, just ask, flying is hard for everyone now.
+2
casey321b 2 months ago
flying isnt hard... its hard to walk or bike to places but flying is probably the easiest method of transportation...
+1
hendjah 2 weeks ago
that should really be but it becomes hard when money comes in
+2
silvac 1 year ago
How is the mater#$%@er on that plane that day?
-10
FLYME 1 year ago
As the chief steward for a major airline, I would welcome this prank! This would give me the chance to charge the passenger with "Tampering with a aircraft component", and have him detained by the police at the next stop. I am in total control of the airplane cabin, from the cocpit door, to the rear lavatory. And if I catch you messin' with any component, no matter how Ancillary (look it up...), I'll have you for breakfast in court!
+3
Grammar Nazi 1 year ago
I'll bet you were a hall monitor back in high-school...

It's rather ironic to see someone who get's their rocks off from power-trips (no matter how mundane) stuck in a job waiting on people. Chill out.

Also, ancillary is not a proper noun... no need to capitalize it. ;)
+3
shirth 1 year ago
and "I'll have you for breakfast in court" is a full sentence. His run-ons are abhorrent.
+1
xpez2000 4 weeks ago
blah blah...they cant even catch someone listening to their ipod.

That radio thing is bull#$%@.

electronic devices HAVE to be designed (by FAA rules) so they cant give off interference, BUT can recieve interference.

Look on the back of every tape player, radio ecetera.
+4
FLYME_IS_DUMB 2 months ago
Sort out your grammar FLYME. You call yourself a Chf.Steward of an airline? With grammar and language like that, they probably only hired you because they need as many dumb people, like yourself, to be employed as of post 9/11.
First of all it's 'Tampering with AN aircraft component' and..
Two it's spelt 'Cockpit'.

Seriously sort your grammar out you idiot and stop putting us REAL stewards to shame.

You wouldn't have any power over the situation unless the passenger confessed to the doing. If the passenger did not confess then you cannot prove it was he/she that did it and simply just have to remove it. Police wouldn't get involved, seriously..who are you trying to impress? It certainly hasnt impressed a fellow steward...that's if you are what you say you are.
+2
agree with the guy above 2 months ago
niceeeeeeeee i like the response above
+1
agree with the guy above 2 months ago
FLYME_IS_DUMB you the mannnn
+1
agree with the guy above 2 months ago
and #$%@ THE POLICE
+1
xpez2000 4 weeks ago
I like calling people out on grammar who are calling other people out on grammar!!!
It's not "Tampering" it's tampering (not a proper noun or start of a sentence). Also, single quotation marks are for quoting someone within another quote..
Two should be two. Both of you need some refresher classes on grammar.
+2
Nabooru 2 months ago
Wouldn't it be easier and more cost effective to to just cut the damn thing? Plus it would not be harming you, so your position in court would be pointless.
+1
fubrewer 2 months ago
check any hall passes lately. chf steward, please! i'm sure the terrorist threat of a zip tie will earn you your rep. as a hero. get a life
+2
foreverendgreen 2 months ago
I work with an international aviation authority and something as juvenile as this would be laughed at. Get a proper job before you start on the power trip
+2
MtlDeath 2 months ago
Flyme, you're a schmuck(look it up)
+3
dd284 1 year ago
Oh how I wish there were something less obvious. I always get stuck behind a reclining person, no matter how short the flight. My long legs just can't take it.

I don't know why they even make chairs that recline anymore. It makes the space behind impossibly small.
-2
farmboy 1 year ago
if you choose to fly ,play the game. these people have a hard enough time serving us. i fly twice a week. without them I would not be able to live 1100 from my job. Thank you flight and ground crews.
+7
TXOgre 1 year ago
@FLYME - Chill out air waitress. While I disagree with this practice, it's a bit of overkill to have someone arrested and detained. This is why people don't respect you. Deliver our drinks and stop pretending you're important.
+2
shirth 1 year ago
i'm glad our ''national security alertness'' has truly eroded all remnants of logic
+2
Wrench 11 months ago
Hahaha! I could not agree more!
+2
dawsintron 1 year ago
rofl, genius!
+2
antony123 1 year ago
brillient ive gota try this one
-3
Roachez 1 year ago
The seats don't lean back THAT far anyway!
+2
cgersh 1 year ago
quite ingenious!
pretty criminal?
+2
Flyingnowsucks 1 year ago
More annoying is being in the middle seat and having two fat people's jelly bellys oozing into your seat under the arem rests.
+2
Flyingnowsucks 1 year ago
and people who bring pets. A lardass had a cat under the seat. I was allergic. Thansgiving flight home from Cinti back to SF. Why can't people leave the pets at home. I'll never fly delta again
+1
sorse 1 year ago
I tink its really stupid. I would figure it out quickly and probably just have them cut. I would then lazyboy my ass the whole trip.
+1
LiuMeien 1 year ago
hmmm...not too long ago I was on a flight to Japan. A brutal 11 hour flight with a seat that wouldn't recline. I wonder...lol
+1
dogdog 1 year ago
FAA should make a minimal seat distance rule which all the airlines have to follow, that way, airlines can still compete on a level field, and we are not treated like sardines.
+2
mactown 1 year ago
last time a flight attendent started bitching at me with a power trip, i knocked her out and put her in the restroom...nobody saw nothing!
-1
TheJacktion 1 year ago
I call bull#$%@. Both seats are hooked together the same way, but the other one can recline? I don't think so.
+1
haxorhaxhax 1 year ago
as if flying isn't hard enough
+1
MelinaH 9 months ago
Ingenious!! Bet the Chinese passenger in the front seat didn't take too kindly to
the prank. But, I'm sure you got a kick out of it. So, where were you flying from/to? Hong Kong? I hear the Cantonese in the background.
+1
Xoebear 3 months ago
You are a COMPLETE #$%@!+*.
+2
martin67 2 months ago
I agree with Evan Roth and not the willy nilly nanny goats commenting above. It is very inconsiderate in a cramped space to lay your seat all the way back on the passsenger behind's lap - as many seats on buses and planes actually do.
-1
chanse117 2 months ago
For a more elegant method, check out Kneedefender website. I bought a pair and they are much harder to detect. They slide onto the bottom of your tray tubes. Nice. Before that, I literally kneed the hell out of the inconsiderate bastards in front of me. They got no peace.
+2
agoodman 2 months ago
I will beat the hell out of anybody if he tries this F****tarded trick of his on my seat!!! i paid for it and i can't sit straight for 17 hrs in a flight without laying down a bit!!! How can you stop someone from having some comfort just because you want your full comfort. why dont you recline your seat as well and then pull back a bit and lay relaxed?
+1
bc5 2 months ago
The thing I don’t get is what if both people in front put their seats back??? Surely that would work, as most people if they notice the person’s seat next to them doesn’t recline will try theirs. Then they would be both stuck reclined, so even if the person in front of you wanted to sit up they wouldn’t be able too – I guess that’s karma for you.
+1
Nyarla 2 months ago
or you can just say "hey, y don't u come and sleep on my lap, pal?" like i once said.i was very angry with something else and i exploded on him when he laid his seat down on me without even asking permission for the sake of politeness... guy understood that i was looking for trouble and corrected his seat without saying a word.
-1
d33f4wl7 2 months ago
I'd just pull out my shotgun and blast the mofo in the face if I couldn't recline comfortably or I'd crush his knees with my laptop.
+1
ssbb 2 months ago
Agree with this, I had some **** and his buddy thought it was funny to push their seats back as far as they could and keep rocking it into mine and the guys knees next to me. (I'm 6'3) After about 10 minutes of a 10 hour flight and we hadn't even took off I waited for the opportune moment when he rocked back grabbed the head rest and flung it forward as hard as I could. Needless to say the rest of the flight was a breeze.
+1
net28573 2 months ago
because some of the people that are on the plane are on there for business trips! so if we need to get our work all ready for a quick and efficient meeting then were screwed arent we? and all because someone who doenst want to share the space fairly reclined. sure if your reclined you dont mind if someone in front reclines but some people have the decency to tough it out and sit in their chair like everyone else. I HAVE ADHD, but i put up with it!
+1
xpez2000 4 weeks ago
I hate to be on the wrong side..but no being able to recline is messed up.

I need to stretch my legs recline and kcik on a plane. next time my seat is broken I am going to reach over the seat and feel around for whatever it it and take it out.

too bad fools...I am reclining.
+1
abquid 2 months ago
Just put a C-clamp on your tray table arm with the body of the clamp against the seatback. This will prevent the seat from reclining. However, this must be removed at any time when it is required to have "tray tables up", such as takeoff and landing.
+1
orangesherbert 2 months ago
The last time I flew, 2 dykes dropped their seats as soon as we were airborne. I have another flight coming up and if it happens again, I'll be kicking the bottom of their seats for the whole trip! Dykes or not, they'll be hearing, "Gosh so sorry about having my leg twitch like that! Must get it checked out sometime."
+1
xpez2000 4 weeks ago
Welp...I will figure it out or break the chair...one or the other. Then my rubber arm is going to swoop behind my head and smack the joker who tried to block my chair.
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