In a recently concluded travel controversy, a man was fined for reclining on a plane. The ongoing argument over whether it’s appropriate to lean back in your seat while traveling has changed course. This occurred in China’s Hunan province after a man received a fine for doing so.

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The March 2022 event in which a university student, named only by his surname Wang, had his laptop destroyed while riding a train to the city of Wuhan was seen negatively by officials according to court documents unsealed in November.

 

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Man was fined for reclining on a plane: the verdict

Wang was using his just-acquired laptop on a foldable seat-back table. Liu, the person seated in front of him, reclined, smashing the screen of Wang’s laptop.

Wang sued Liu for RMB 4788.50 ($685) to pay the cost of repairs and his travel. He went to the police station to report the incident after having his laptop mended.

The Xiangyin County People’s Court in Hunan determined that both parties had some culpability for what occurred. Liu held 70% of the blame since he initially reclined his seat. And Wang held 30% of the blame because he should have been more cautious.

Liu was consequently compelled to pay RMB 3341.45 ($478.15). This is 70% of the total sum Wang sought in her lawsuit.

The court ruled that signs were put on the train urging people to check with the passenger behind them before reclining their seats. This was mentioned in the court’s verdict.

Even though this instance appears to be an exceptional one, there has long been controversy around the proper way to recline a seat.

And until recently, it was mainly restricted to aircraft.

However, as more airlines discontinue short-haul flights and promote rail travel as a more environmentally friendly option, additional disputes about proper rail behavior may arise.