Upright and uptight

By B.R.

THERE is an element of game theory to reclining an aeroplane seat. As long as there is equilibrium—either everyone in your column of seats is upright or everyone is reclined—no-one is disadvantaged. But the person who reclines when the passenger behind does not, wins a benefit directly from his opponent (and, for anyone who has spent a flight battling with the person in front of him, opponent is the correct word).

Equilibrium, though, breaks down in the face of a disruptive technology. Enter the Knee Defender. The Daily Telegraph has an article about a small contraption—little bigger than a key—that, it is claimed, can prevent the passenger in front reclining his chair. The two plastic clips are attached the top of the arms of your tray table and are adjustable, so that you can decide how may inches you are prepared to cede to the person in front. They cost $21.95 (£13) and were invented by Ira Goldman, a 6’ 4” Washingtonian, who was fed up with having his knees squished.

The gadget comes with a euphemistically entitled “courtesy card” that…

…can be given to the passenger in front of you to tell them you're using the clips. The note card provides an extensive explanation including why you are using the Knee Defender, how much (in inches) you are willing to allow the seat to be reclined and to notify you if they need to recline their seat at any point during the flight. The card ends with a call to report any complaints of inconvenience directly to the airline in a bid to convince them to “provide enough space between rows so that people can recline their seats without banging into other passengers.

No-one in their right mind would use this card. Just put yourself in the place of the recipient. It would be impossible to receive a courtesy card without viewing it as an outright act of aggression. And air rage is enough of a problem. You would certainly expect a steward to intervene on your behalf and confiscate the clips.

So they can only ever be used surreptitiously. And in game theory terms, the logical conclusion would be that, in time, everyone would fly equipped with Knee Defenders, and the advantage nullified. No-one wins in the long run, except Mr Goldman. Given that airlines are unlikely to increase the pitch of their seats any time soon, better that all planes come with fixed, non-reclining chairs in the first place.