Since we are voicing seat related complaints, I want seats that don't recline. I don't want that asshole in front of me ruining my flight again.
To be fair, I have actually once seen someone not recline, but they had four or five visits from cabin crew before the lights went off making sure they were okay, or if they wanted to be moved, or if there was a fault with their seat. Like, even the crew thought it was an unusual occurrence.
Yet every thread that touches on this on HN, there are people saying "I never recline, what about the person behind me?". And then they complain about being uncomfortable!
There are definitely airline seats where the reclining seats impact the knee room. I'm 6'2" but I seem to have more of it in the legs than typical, which really shows up in non-extended legroom airlines. I buy the upgrade whenever possible, but sometimes it's just not available.
In a regular (not extended) seat, I have two positions that work: my ankles crossed and tucked up close to my seat with knees spread, and nothing in the underseat in front of me and then putting my feet there, with my legs straightened (wedging my thighs into the edge of my seat). Even then, my knees are high enough that usually the person in front of me reclining will recline the seat back into my knees (best case) or those metal side rails into my knees. Especially enjoyable when the suddenly recline the seat.
Not everyones body geometry is the same. My son is around the same height as me, but when we sit in the car he's like half a head taller than me, he carries a lot of his height in his trunk where I carry it in my legs.
It is more difficult to use a laptop on a tray table if the person in front of you is reclining; you often end up having to angle the screen down to the point where it's not great. In that case I often have to ditch the tray table and put it on my lap, which is less comfortable, but at least lets me angle the screen how I prefer.
It feels like the same phenomenon when people bitched and moaned about having to take even the slightest COVID precautions.
For short flights I will just tuck my legs awkwardly when necessary and have to get up to stretch regularly.
In other words, you are inconsiderate.
If you're tall, pay for economy plus or premium economy. If that's not offered on your route, that sucks, but getting pissed that someone will use their allowed recline space isn't fair of you.
If you want to get mad, get mad at all passengers collectively for treating ticket cost as their only criterion when booking flights.
Sometimes the seat design is such that my knees block the recline. If I'm unlucky it sucks.