Want to know just how bad it's gotten up there? Two words: Knee Defender.
The devious pocket-sized gadget, available on the Internet, locks onto your lowered tray table so the passenger in front of you cannot recline in flight.
Oh, dear. Remember when flying was fun?
Christopher Elliott does. He took his first flight in 1969, from New York to Munich, Germany, with his well-traveled parents. A mere tot, he relived the adventure through photographs that we'd now have to see to believe: Travelers dressed in suits and their finest dresses, meals served on china, abundant legroom.
Today, Elliott is a syndicated travel writer who flies as little as possible.
"The thrill is gone," he says. And the shrill is growing. Who can blame us?
Canceled flights and mergers. Endless security lines, cattle-call waiting areas, mishandled or lost bags, sardine seating, passengers bumped at the last minute. And please don't use that bathroom. It's reserved for first-class passengers.
"They took what was left of our dignity when they took away our meals," said the 6-foot-1 Elliott, noting that they also took away as much as 8 inches of "seat pitch," the space between seats. "They shouldn't be surprised when people lash out."
