Man feels sleepy and reclines his seat on flight to Germany, then the passenger behind him speaks up: ‘You didn’t ask permission’

A passenger on a flight to Germany started reclining his seat after the cabin lights dimmed, prompting the woman behind him to stand over his seat and object. Mark Roberts, who posts on TikTok as @mmarkroberts, said in a video that has gained tens of thousands of views that the woman told him, “You didn’t ask permission.” He described the moment as happening roughly an hour into the first leg of his trip.

Roberts stated that he took the dimmed lights as a suggestion to rest and began lowering his seat without speaking to anyone first. He said in the TikTok that the woman then positioned herself above him as the seat moved back. According to Roberts, she addressed him directly about the recline and indicated she had limited space behind him.

He then explained that he responded by saying he did not know permission was required and suggested she recline her own seat as well. He said the woman then left after what he called a huff. The interaction continued shortly afterward when she spoke with a flight attendant, he stated.

Flight attendant relays the request and passenger reacts during the rest of the flight

Roberts said in his TikTok that the flight attendant offered to ask him whether he would raise his seat. He described the attendant approaching him politely and relaying that the woman behind him felt uncomfortable. According to Roberts, he asked the attendant if he had to un-recline, and she told him he did not. He said he then decided to stay in the reclined position.

He stated that the attendant returned to the woman with his answer and that she reacted strongly. He said the passenger began speaking in German and appeared upset while remaining in her own reclined seat. Roberts noted the detail after turning around to look, adding that she wanted him upright even though she herself was leaning back.

Roberts claimed the passenger continued to kick his seat for the remainder of the flight. He described the interaction as frustrating and said the woman had insisted she lacked space even after the attendant confirmed he was permitted to recline. In the video, Roberts maintained that he had not been required to seek approval before adjusting his seat. Tensions over cabin space have boiled over before, as in a shouting match over a seat swap on a United flight.

The TikTok caption stated that reclining plane seats exist for a reason so passengers can use them. Roberts framed his account as a response to the idea that travelers must ask before reclining once a flight is underway. He pointed to the window of the plane in Germany as evidence of his location while recounting the earlier leg of the trip.

Viewers offered differing views on the situation in the comments. One commenter suggested reclining can leave the person behind with almost no room and wrote, “i kind of agree with the woman tho, you already have very little space and if the person in front of you reclines that person is almost on your lap, besides it being really uncomfortable you can’t do anything. i dont agree with the rest she did.”

Another commenter argued that passengers who want more space should pay for it and wrote, “If you want more space you pay for a seat with more space.” A third commenter stated that reclining is allowed but still considered it rude and wrote, “you can but it is not ethical. it’s just rude.” Disputes over seats are common in the air, including one woman refusing to swap seats for a couple on a Jetstar flight.