Althouse: "Middle seat gets both armrests. This way, everybody gets at least one armrest, and it best equalizes everybody's space."

December 24, 2012

"Middle seat gets both armrests. This way, everybody gets at least one armrest, and it best equalizes everybody's space."

"If you think that the shared armrests are for whoever first claims them — a rule that frequently would leave the middle-seater wedged between two elbowy people — you have entitlement issues."

#8 on a list of 12 rules for airports and airplanes.

And this post is following a rule for blogging that I just noticed: If you find something to blog about via a blog that deserves a "via" (or "hat tip") link, you can better fulfill your obligation by finding something else on the hat-tippable blog and doing a separate post about that. This post represents the something else, and the next post will be the thing I found via this blog, and I'm not going to put a "via" link on the next post.

The idea is that the blog I'm linking to here will get far more click-through readers from this post than from a "via" link that telegraphs its obligatory quality. I'm going to follow this rule in the future — and by the way, I think Instapundit follows it — but I'm not going to keep pointing out that I follow it. And I won't follow it unless I genuinely would have chosen to blog the something else, in accordance with the longstanding Althouse Principles of the Bloggable.

27 comments:

jr565 said...: The window seat gets the window and the aisle sat gets the aisle. Te middle seat should get the arm rests. Only, its not often the case that there are oly three seats in an aisle. What if there are five? Or two?; 12/24/12, 10:05 AM
Bender said...: What if there are five? Or two?

No need to reinvent the wheel here with all of these "rules" -- and as a rule, we have too many rules -- how about you just do what you do at a movie theater? You share. No one gets exclusive ownership whether in a movie theater or middle seat. You share. One person's elbow can go to the back and the other's to the front. If perchance, horror of horrors, your elbows should touch, too bad, put up with it.; 12/24/12, 10:24 AM
the gold digger said...: If perchance, horror of horrors, your elbows should touch, too bad, put up with it.

I don't care if our elbows touch. What I care about is if the person next to me, on a 13-hour flight, has claimed the armrest and is leaning toward the middle and is splaying his legs - and sleeping. He is in my space, for which I paid $1,200, and is touching me. In my space. I want him out of my space. I don't want to touch his arm, his torso, or his legs. I don't care whether he's comfortable or not. I care if I am comfortable IN MY SPACE.; 12/24/12, 10:30 AM
Wince said...: From the comments:

Adlai • 3 days ago −
Also, men? Keep your legs together. I don't care what's going on in your pants, there's no reason to splay your legs out into the adjoining seats.

Adlai? Or Larry Craig?

Notice, too, the blog author seems to be very familiar with the Minneapolis airport.

If you meander in front of me while I'm trying to hustle from G-20 to A-20 in Minneapolis, I will enjoy running you over.

...on the way to the men's lavatory?; 12/24/12, 10:37 AM
Anonymous said...: I hate to say this, but I really don't understand the primary point you're making about links and clicking through at all. Normally your writing is stunningly clear, but this one time I'm just not understanding what you mean. Unfortunately I can't even pin down exactly what it is that's making me not understand; I could say "AU: Please clarify," but I don't know how to suggest clarifying the intended point.; 12/24/12, 10:38 AM
Bender said...: What we really need is a rule against nannies on the plane dictating rules to other people, when common curtesy and an awareness that people other than you exist in the universe are all that are necessary.

But live by the rule, die by the rule, and end up making these actually harder, not easier, for everyone else. For example, no. 12, wedding recessional exiting, which is superceded by the rule of you snooze you lose. If people are taking their sweet time getting up out of their seats and moving to the aisle, such that the lane is empty, then traffic should proceed and relieve some of the congestion at the back. The people behind you deserve as much consideration as those in front, whether it is on a plane or in traffic.

As far as escalators and moving platforms go, and this isn't a rule, only commonsense. When you step off the escalator or platform, don't just stand there - move the hell out of the way. Other people are fast coming behind you and they can't stop and they will crash into you, and people will crash into them., if you don't keep moving.; 12/24/12, 10:44 AM
traditionalguy said...: The armrests rule is a metaphor for life. But how do you enforce it... with elbows.

Would always picking the center seat and being serial confrontational make you a narcissistic traveler.; 12/24/12, 10:48 AM
traditionalguy said...: And how will Miss Panama travel.; 12/24/12, 10:50 AM
traditionalguy said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 12/24/12, 10:50 AM
Tank said...: I can't recall ever having a "courtesy" problem with someone sitting next to me on a plane. Just lucky?

I admit, prior to boarding, if there are really fat people waiting, I pray that they do not sit next to me.; 12/24/12, 10:50 AM
the gold digger said...: Would always picking the center seat and being serial confrontational make you a narcissistic traveler.

Is there anyone who picks the middle seat? If I'm there, it's because I had no choice.; 12/24/12, 10:51 AM
traditionalguy said...: Gold Digger...The Narcissistic need to be the center of attention, so center seat with armrest control for extortion could meet that need.

Gold Digging is just to money centric.; 12/24/12, 11:01 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "I hate to say this, but I really don't understand the primary point you're making about links and clicking through at all. Normally your writing is stunningly clear, but this one time I'm just not understanding what you mean. Unfortunately I can't even pin down exactly what it is that's making me not understand; I could say "AU: Please clarify," but I don't know how to suggest clarifying the intended point."

I recommend rereading until you understand it. It would be too tedious to be all explanatory about the point I'm making, and I'm running on the theory that the compressed form of expression is amusing. If the kind of thing I'm talking about -- "via" links -- isn't in your background experience, you'd probably be bored by a long explanation of what it is and why it can be a problem and what this solution is. You can safely ignore it.; 12/24/12, 11:10 AM
Lipperman said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 12/24/12, 11:19 AM
edutcher said...: First I heard of rules.; 12/24/12, 11:20 AM
bagoh20 said...: OK, but it would still be better if you would all just find another planet. Merry Christmas!; 12/24/12, 11:23 AM
Amexpat said...: The walk left, stand right rule is one that frequent fliers abide by, but is often broken by infrequent fliers.

Slow walkers should also stay to the right, just like slow drivers should on the freeway.

The other rules are good except for the armrest for the middle seat - I agree with Bender that common sense sharing is best.; 12/24/12, 11:26 AM
bagoh20 said...: What about those people - and you know who you are - who have body rolls that occupy the armrests?

I would be willing to sacrifice all other amenities for a little more space in the seats. Take out all the inventory and equipment required for beverage service and snacks, and the personnel to serve them. I just need a USB outlet for power and a wifi signal, and then I'm fine with a flying bus.; 12/24/12, 11:30 AM
SteveR said...: Another one, if you are in a bulkhead seat, the underside of your seat belongs to the person behind you, not you.; 12/24/12, 11:34 AM
Michael said...: Bender. You would be correct if even a fraction of the traveling public knew the meaning of the word courtesy or that it could apply to them. I travel a hundred thousand miles a year by plane and am constantly amazed at the cluelessness of many of my fellows. From the giant fatties lapping into the space of others to those who stop cold at the end of the jetway to examine their tickets, the sport of travel is littered with those who give not a thought to the fact that there are other actual humans in transit with them.

I can deal with it because i am calloused and because i wear noise cancelling headsets attached to an iphone blasting Wagner; 12/24/12, 11:50 AM
Michael said...: Steve R. Ah, the bulkhead. Would it be impossible for the designers of airplanes to consider carving a bit of space in the bulkhead itself? But then I am convinced that the designers of aircraft interiors are not permitted to actually travel by plane so that they could learn the needs of the users of aircraft interiors.; 12/24/12, 11:53 AM
Michael said...: Bender. You would be correct if even a fraction of the traveling public knew the meaning of the word courtesy or that it could apply to them. I travel a hundred thousand miles a year by plane and am constantly amazed at the cluelessness of many of my fellows. From the giant fatties lapping into the space of others to those who stop cold at the end of the jetway to examine their tickets, the sport of travel is littered with those who give not a thought to the fact that there are other actual humans in transit with them.

I can deal with it because i am calloused and because i wear noise cancelling headsets attached to an iphone blasting Wagner; 12/24/12, 11:54 AM
Aridog said...: If you meander in front of me while I'm trying to hustle from G-20 to A-20 in Minneapolis, I will enjoy running you over.

Is this guy following me? I feel exactly the same way at MSP ... on my trips west/east, I invariably come in on an extremity of G or F, and depart out of far end A...with maybe 45 minutes max to connect. Do not get in my way. I can redefine rude to the 10th power.

MSP is designed by demented little hobbits in the first place, with a shitty little long hall mall of generic airport crap in the middle that impedes your connection walk unnecessarily. No really, I'm not in your crappy little airport to shop. Really.; 12/24/12, 12:06 PM
Anonymous said...: I once had to fly back from Vegas in the middle seat between an enormous bricklayer and a corn-fed youth fresh from boot camp.
By the time we landed I felt like I had been folded lenghthwise.; 12/24/12, 12:23 PM
Methadras said...: The hell with that. I'm an aisle guy. Period. I've traveled long and hard enough in Southwest airline coach to know that the aisle on either emergency exit are the two best seats on the plane. 727.; 12/24/12, 1:44 PM
Methadras said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 12/24/12, 1:44 PM
traditionalguy said...: @ Michael...I used to use that i-pod ear piece trick playing Wagner too. But changing to Mozart made me more a peaceful and loving person...not much, but a little more.; 12/24/12, 6:56 PM