China fines man $478 for reclining railway seat

• A man was punished for reclining back on a train.
• It reignited the dispute over reclined seats.
• Wang was using his new laptop on a foldable seat-back table when Liu reclined.

In China’s Hunan province, a man was punished for reclining back on a train, reigniting the dispute over reclined seats.

In March 2022, a student named Wang had his laptop destroyed on a train to Wuhan, according to court documents.

Wang was using his new laptop on a foldable seat-back table when Liu reclined, smashing the screen.

The Xiangyin County People’s Court in Hunan determined both parties were partly to blame: Liu 70% because he reclined his seat and Wang 30% because he should have been more vigilant.

Liu was sentenced to pay 70% of Wang’s lawsuit, or $478.15.

The court noted that train passengers were reminded to check with the individual behind them before reclining their seats.

This case seems rare, although seat reclining etiquette has always been controversial.

It’s been limited to planes until now.

More airlines are discontinuing short-haul flights and encouraging customers to take the train, which could lead to airline-style behavioral problems on the tracks.

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