Pulitzer Prize Winner Gene Weingarten's 'Remain Calm' Advice Card

by Kate Auletta Subscribe to Kate Auletta's postsPosted Jul 29th 2011 09:45 AMUpdated Jul 29th 2011 10:54 AM

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Gene Weingarten, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist for the The Washington Post, took to the skies recently for a conference and reports seeing a man on a flight go into fits of rage over a reclined seat in front of him.

Weingarten wrote on his blog, Chatological Humor: "On my flight, I watched a tall, elegant man of the cloth become a frothing, muttering, sputtering maniac when a woman reclined into his knees. This mild looking St. Francis of Assissi didn't say anything to her – but spent the whole flight in a state of moral outrage and indignation. I think part of the problem here is that we don't know whom to be furious at – the recliner, or the evil airline forcing us into this absurd spatial situation."

This is definitely a feeling many of us share, after all, a man was kicked off a Horizon Air flight for being too tall this spring.

But what did Weingarten do about it? He created a little card readers can actually print out to fly with to remain calm during the most challenging of airline experiences. Check it out below. (via Chatological Humor)

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Chicago

Can you please create one for the kicking child in the seat behind?

August 01 2011 at 12:48 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Jojo Shen

Who didn't experience it yet? But again it also depends on the circumstances and what if everybody is doing it then? You can experience and discuss this also with other fellow people with whom you can share the flight experience on WECLIC http://bit.ly/mT8G4k

August 01 2011 at 4:27 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

What is the proper etiquette here? Never put your seat back at all? So, suffer yourself in a very uncomfortable position just in case you might offend the person behind you? Should each passenger stand up, or try to do some awkward in-seat turnaround, to ask the person behind if they would mind if you recline at least part way, or maybe the full 6" allowed? And if they mind, but are just peevish rather than extra tall? Shouldn't each passenger expect the person in front to put their seat back? I understand some people are so tall there really is no room to recline. I feel sorry for them, as well as the 300lb person having to buy an extra seat. There's no obvious, simple, elegant solution here. Sure we should all be civil, but passing notes back and forth, or everyone going through some verbal rigermarole before each seat recline seems a bit absurd doesn't it? 1) Get a bulkhead or exit row seat if you can handle a seat being reclined ahead of you. 2) Never put your knees in a position where you'll be injured or terribly insulted if the front passenger reclines. 3) Recline slowly, and even in steps, to allow the behind person to adjust. 4) Complain to the airlines if this is a big deal for you. Actually use seatguru.com to choose airlines with more legroom, or take the train. I'm open to ideas and perspectives.

July 30 2011 at 12:51 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Thedor Earty

How conjusted space tell me the name of the airways
http://skinnyfiberpills.org/

July 30 2011 at 6:33 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply