I wouldn’t normally start a show on a subject like this but I’m compelled.

Apparently it’s become the accepted wisdom that it’s rude to recline your seat on a plane

According to an editorial on the New Zealand Herald, you should never do it because it shows you have no consideration at all for the person behind you.

According to the editorial, if you recline your seat on a plane, you are an ass. 

Now, I would’ve thought most right minded people would read this and immediately write it off as garbage. But you would not believe the number of people I work with who actually agree with it.

These people think you’re the worst kind of human if you put your seat back. They think it’s the height of rudeness because it takes space off the person behind them. It makes them feel uncomfortable, might stop them watching their screen comfortably, might spill their tea.

For goodness sake, are they for real?

Seats are made to recline: that is literally why it has a reclining function. What is rude about making the seat do what it’s supposed to?

And anyway, seats on domestic flights go back what three inches? You’re going to complain about three inches. 

Well, apparently, yes.

• Is it right to recline your seat on while flying?

And then get a load of this: they say that if you absolutely must recline in your seat which you’ve paid for, then you should turn around and see what they they’re doing behind you and then ask their permission.

Ask their permission!? Next you’ll be asking their permission to have a cup of tea on the flight and maybe one of those sweets.

Let’s clear this up once and for all. If you paid for your seat, you can recline that seat. That’s why it’s made to recline.

Because it’s made to be comfortable for you, the person who paid for it.

If they feel angry about losing three inches of space, they can also recline their seat and get that three inches back like that.

A reclining seat is a privilege - on some airlines you pay extra to have a seat that goes back. So don’t take it for granted

Use it or lose it, because if none of us are doing it, then the airlines have no incentive to make reclining seats. And before you know it they’ll be cutting back that cost like they cut back Koru Club newspapers and we’ll all be sitting bolt upright for the entire flight.

Do you want that?