Knee defender speaks out about airline legroom fight

Katia Hetter, CNN
Updated 8:39 PM EDT, Fri September 5, 2014
What are the most annoying habits on airplanes? A series of seat recline skirmishes has passengers talking about the aggravations of air travel. Click through the gallery of 20 top irritants.
20 rudest things people do on planes —
What are the most annoying habits on airplanes? A series of seat recline skirmishes has passengers talking about the aggravations of air travel. Click through the gallery of 20 top irritants.
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You folded your suit coat nicely and placed your hat in the allotted overhead space. Too bad Bin Hog just mangled it all while shoving his suitcase, stroller and shopping bags into a space meant for one personal item.
20. Abusing overhead bin space —
You folded your suit coat nicely and placed your hat in the allotted overhead space. Too bad Bin Hog just mangled it all while shoving his suitcase, stroller and shopping bags into a space meant for one personal item.
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Airplane movies: the opiate of the flying masses. Except when your hyperactive neighbor takes 30 minutes to decide between "Grown Ups 2" or something a little less cerebral. Such behavior earns "passengers who take too long to pick a movie" the number 19 spot on our "most annoying" list.
19. Taking ages to choose a movie —
Airplane movies: the opiate of the flying masses. Except when your hyperactive neighbor takes 30 minutes to decide between "Grown Ups 2" or something a little less cerebral. Such behavior earns "passengers who take too long to pick a movie" the number 19 spot on our "most annoying" list.
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Coming in at spot 18 -- compulsive leg-shaking. The fidgety leg-shaker isn't all that common, but still annoying when encountered at altitude.
18. Compulsive leg-shaking —
Coming in at spot 18 -- compulsive leg-shaking. The fidgety leg-shaker isn't all that common, but still annoying when encountered at altitude.
CNN
Annoying behavior number 17? Boarding ahead of group number. Most airlines have a system for getting hundreds of passengers aboard in the least amount of time. That's why we schlep on as part of Group A or B or C. Just because you drew the short straw on this one doesn't give you the right to pretend to be dyslexic.
17. Boarding ahead of group number —
Annoying behavior number 17? Boarding ahead of group number. Most airlines have a system for getting hundreds of passengers aboard in the least amount of time. That's why we schlep on as part of Group A or B or C. Just because you drew the short straw on this one doesn't give you the right to pretend to be dyslexic.
LAURENT FIEVET/AFP/Getty Images
What's more annoying than people rushing to board the plane? Babies crying. Are we really blaming babies for doing what babies do naturally? Sure, as long as they're your kids, and not ours.
16. Babies crying —
What's more annoying than people rushing to board the plane? Babies crying. Are we really blaming babies for doing what babies do naturally? Sure, as long as they're your kids, and not ours.
AFP/Getty Images
"<em>I'd</em> learn some bladder control if I was in the window seat," runs the unspoken complaint. Number 15 on our list -- those who get huffy when you leave your seat.
15. Getting huffy when you leave seat —
"I'd learn some bladder control if I was in the window seat," runs the unspoken complaint. Number 15 on our list -- those who get huffy when you leave your seat.
CNN
"Hey, we just landed. ... can you hear me? ... we just landed ... I'm on the runway ... can you hear me now? ... We just landed ... " Annoying behavior number 14: Those who can't bear to wait to deplane before yacking on their cell phones.
14. Yacking on cell phone —
"Hey, we just landed. ... can you hear me? ... we just landed ... I'm on the runway ... can you hear me now? ... We just landed ... " Annoying behavior number 14: Those who can't bear to wait to deplane before yacking on their cell phones.
samuel aranda/AFP/Getty Images
We get it -- airlines have cut back on food service, forcing us all to bring our own snacks and meals onboard. But did you really have to clean out the back of your refrigerator? Bringing aboard stinky food isn't just annoying, it's gross too.
13. Bringing aboard stinky food —
We get it -- airlines have cut back on food service, forcing us all to bring our own snacks and meals onboard. But did you really have to clean out the back of your refrigerator? Bringing aboard stinky food isn't just annoying, it's gross too.
CNN
Hey, we're trying to read here. Number 12 on the rude behavior list: people who don't know how to use their inside voices on planes.
12. Loud talking —
Hey, we're trying to read here. Number 12 on the rude behavior list: people who don't know how to use their inside voices on planes.
lex KrausBloomberg/Getty Images
Coming in at number 11 -- elbow wars. Do you often find yourself elbowing someone else's arm off what should be a shared space? That's armrest hegemony. And it's annoying.
11. Establishing armrest hegemony —
Coming in at number 11 -- elbow wars. Do you often find yourself elbowing someone else's arm off what should be a shared space? That's armrest hegemony. And it's annoying.
CNN
Praise God, the middle seat is empty! Til the guy next to you employs annoying behavior number 10 and lays claim to the no man's land of the middle seat with a book, coat or inflatable neck support. Or long appendage.
10. Poaching shared middle seat —
Praise God, the middle seat is empty! Til the guy next to you employs annoying behavior number 10 and lays claim to the no man's land of the middle seat with a book, coat or inflatable neck support. Or long appendage.
From Shutterstock
Thanks for sharing your globules of diseased saliva. This lonely gentleman may have the only sensible approach to dealing with those who practice annoying behavior number nine -- germ sharing.
9. Coughing, sneezing, germ sharing —
Thanks for sharing your globules of diseased saliva. This lonely gentleman may have the only sensible approach to dealing with those who practice annoying behavior number nine -- germ sharing.
Natalie Behring-Chisholm/Getty Images
Bleep, bloop, blorp. Funny how some of the most irritating things on the planet can be called "games." Even more irritating are people who play them, on a plane, with the sound turned on.
8. Playing games with sound on —
Bleep, bloop, blorp. Funny how some of the most irritating things on the planet can be called "games." Even more irritating are people who play them, on a plane, with the sound turned on.
MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images
"Sir, is that a ... <em>carry-on</em>?" Annoying behavior number seven: Wielding huge suitcases as carry-ons.
7. Wielding huge suitcases as carry-ons —
"Sir, is that a ... carry-on?" Annoying behavior number seven: Wielding huge suitcases as carry-ons.
CNN
Here we've regressed to the time before the invention of the queue. Don't you just hate people who rush from the back of the plane in an attempt to disembark first?
6. People behind trying to disembark first —
Here we've regressed to the time before the invention of the queue. Don't you just hate people who rush from the back of the plane in an attempt to disembark first?
Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
Another annoying behavior that also falls into the gross category -- cutting fingernails inflight. Toenails are also trimmed at 30,000 feet, but that would have been a <em>really </em>offensive picture.
5. Cutting fingernails —
Another annoying behavior that also falls into the gross category -- cutting fingernails inflight. Toenails are also trimmed at 30,000 feet, but that would have been a really offensive picture.
CNN
"Feet nudism" is a common complaint, earning it the number 4 spot on our list. Appalling side note: people who actually go to the bathroom on the airplane in their bare feet.
4. Baring feet —
"Feet nudism" is a common complaint, earning it the number 4 spot on our list. Appalling side note: people who actually go to the bathroom on the airplane in their bare feet.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
We've all encountered the toilet hogger. What are they doing in there, you wonder as you hover cross-legged by the door. Certainly not being considerate of other people.
3. Hogging toilets —
We've all encountered the toilet hogger. What are they doing in there, you wonder as you hover cross-legged by the door. Certainly not being considerate of other people.
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images/File
Annoying travel behavior number two: recliners. Aviation engineers, listen up: No one likes the recline button! Time to reinvent the plane seat.
2. Reclining seat —
Annoying travel behavior number two: recliners. Aviation engineers, listen up: No one likes the recline button! Time to reinvent the plane seat.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
"He kicked someone's seat-back." Airplane Irritant No. 1 -- seat-back kicking -- invites a violent response.
1. Kicking seat-back —
"He kicked someone's seat-back." Airplane Irritant No. 1 -- seat-back kicking -- invites a violent response.
Erik S. Lesser/Getty Images
20 rudest things people do on planes

Watch James Beach on CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront” on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.

Story highlights

Colorado businessman feels "terrible" about mid-air dispute

He used the Knee Defender to stop a fellow passenger from reclining

She threw a drink in his face

The passenger said he may continue to use the device

CNN  — 

The man who got kicked off a United Airlines flight because of a fight over seat reclining says he’s sorry about his behavior.

Sort of.