That was her space. She paid for a reclining seat.
EXACTLY!! The lady paid for her seat and should be able to use all of it. The douche behind her should have been arrested for being unruly and disruptive and for harassing that lady in flight, and the airline should be sued for allowing it to happen, the stewardess should have warned him and told him to stop but they didn’t, that lady was harassed the whole flight and no one stopped it. That little soy boy should be doxxed and shamed for his tantrum, and banned from flying.
What we do know, the seat he had did not recline. The space he had at take off, is not the same when she invaded his space. We know he asked her no not recline, so he could eat. So she knew she was creating a hardship. She didn’t care
Exit row and rear cabin seats do not recline. People in these seats have limited room. Most travelers are considerate to others. Most travelers do not fully recline, as it makes the person behind you have limited ability to work on the laptop, enjoy their snack, or simply read
This woman chose to place her wants above someone else’s; and feels entitled to take the limited space he had, and obvious feels entitled to do so.
Moving parts in rubbing contact require lubrication to avoid excessive wear. Honorifics and formal politeness provide lubrication where people rub together. Often the very young, the untraveled, the naïve, the unsophisticated deplore these formalities as “empty” “meaningless,” or “dishonest,” and scorn to use them. No matter how “pure” their motives, they thereby throw sand into machinery that does not work too well at best.
–
Robert A Heinlein
"Time Enough For Love"