The Man Reclining in an Airplane Seat Is Not Your Enemy
The passenger on the plane in front of you slumped back roughly in your already cramped legroom. You grumble and passive-aggressively kick their place. They yell at you: they are tired, they just want to sleep during the flight, so live with that buddy! Which one of you is the bad guy here? Neither one nor the other, says Mike Ragnetta. The bad guy is the airline that pushed the two of you into this fight .
This situation is being designed by airlines. Perhaps not out of a direct desire to see you smoke, but nonetheless, personal space along the way is sacrificed on the altar of profit. Since you cannot resist the circumstances that lead to being thrown back or thrown for exercising the airline’s right to recline … it’s easier to argue with [one] person and still give the airline something like passes.
The airline (and the manufacturer) decided how many seats to fit on this plane and how much to charge for them, and developed a system that brings low-paying passengers together to make more expensive seats more attractive. To maximize profits, the airline sacrificed the happiness of its customers. This is a common corporate choice. And that choice is probably at the heart of most of the petty grievances you carry with you as you go about your business.
This happens when someone reclines the seat. This happens when your overworked bartender still hasn’t served you a drink. This happens when your coworker gets a raise and you don’t. This happens when someone passes you one seat in a crowded subway. This happens every time you raise your voice to a customer service representative. Power structures, especially corporate ones, set you against each other, and you forget that they are the real enemy.
Sometimes you can fight the system; you can unionize, you can develop your business elsewhere. Sometimes you can’t, but you can at least not fall on another victim. By being kinder to the person with whom you are temporarily in conflict, you achieve two things:
- You are not a jerk.
- You are more likely to come to an agreement.
So the next time someone makes you angry or you are about to make them angry, stop and think about who it is – the enemy or other victim. And in the long run, think about how you can team up with this person – against the Human. This is fair.
Seat Back Problems | drip