Viral Video of Two Airplane Passengers Arguing Once Again Sparks Seat Reclining Debate

Out of all debate topics that people will never agree on—is a hot dog a sandwich, how to pronounce gif, etc.—perhaps most contentious is the subject of whether or not you should recline your seat on a cramped airplane. And a viral video that originated on TikTok has once again reignited the conversation.

In the video, which has since been removed from TikTok but has surfaced elsewhere (as a very wise man once said: "you can't take something off the internet, it's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool"), two passengers can be seen fighting as the plane perhaps blessedly begins to deboard.

"The whole trip she pushin’ my seat! “No, you seen it! You know she did!" a blonde woman with a thick southern accent yells to the man sitting behind her, referring to his apparent travel companion. When the man tries to interject, "Both of y’all was doing the same thing," the woman was not having it.

"She put—no—I’m allowed to put my seat back! I’m allowed to put my seat back!" she repeated herself before dramatically punctuating each word: "I’m. Allowed. To. Put. My. Seat. Back!"

The clip has since made its way to X, formerly Twitter, where it has been viewed nearly 15 million times within just a few days. "She’s allowed to put her seat back. You don’t get to kick it repeatedly just because you want more space," surmised right-wing blogger Ian Miles Cheong.

Shockingly, that was not the end of the discussion, as others jumped into the fray. As it turns out, most people took the anti-recline stance, siding with 53 percent of travelers in a recent poll who said that the behavior is "somewhat or completely unacceptable."

"Putting your seat back in coach is an unspoken thing most people don’t do," wrote one user. "It’s really the airlines fault because they’ve made coach so cramped and tight that putting the seat back shouldn’t even be an option."

"It’s an inconsiderate thing to do and makes little difference to one’s comfort," added another. "It is crappy for the person behind you, however."

"I’m *allowed* to sneeze on a crowded train and not cover my nose," quipped one user. "Reclining on a plane is selfish. A redeye is the only exception."

"Really it’s the airlines fault for cramming so many people in such a small space. They don’t call it cattle class for nothing," said one person who places the blame squarely on airlines for making seating so cramped.

However, at least one person took the author and woman's side, reasoning: "If you can’t recline, recline shouldn’t be an option."

And while there will likely never be a clear-cut answer to the debate short of airplanes removing reclining capabilities, widening economy-class seating (which will never happen), or issuing a directive—at least one etiquette expert agrees that reclining your seat is rude to the person seated behind you.

"Unless you were sitting in a seat with extra legroom, or in first class, it would be inconsiderate to recline your seat," said Diane Gottsman, who runs the Protocol School of Texas, a company specializing in executive leadership and business etiquette training. "Space is tight, and it's common knowledge and no surprise that you will be sitting in tight quarters."

Travelers take note, next time you're seated on a crowded flight. Otherwise you may wind up as the subject of a future viral video.