Knee defenders have been causing chaos at 30,000 feet this week - but what are they and where did they come from?
The device, which is clipped onto the lowered table of an aeroplane seat, was invented to make flying more pleasant for taller passengers fed up with 'being bashed in the knees over and over again', according to 6ft 4in inventor Ira Goldman.
But the gadget is now experiencing a boom in popularity after being appropriated by all kinds of people wanting more leg room, less disturbance and space to work - and Mr Goldman doesn't see that as an issue.
'Either your knees will be the stopping device or you use two bits of plastic to defend them,' he told The Telegraph.
Dozens of the devices are now en route to the UK after sales skyrocketed this week, with internet traffic so high that the website crashed.
However, their increasing use is likely to spark even more angry disputes over leg room.
Last Sunday, a U. S. flight had to make an emergency landing after a fight involving a passenger using his laptop who clipped on one of the gadgets, prompting the woman in front threw a glass of water in his face.
On Wednesday evening, a Miami to Paris flight was forced to turn around after a heated argument over leg room became too much for staff to contain.
Many of the larger U. S. airlines have banned the knee defender, as have Australian company Qantas - and other major firms are being forced to review their policies.
It now appears the device now has an entirely different market to the one it was intended for (and has become one of the most passive-aggressive gadgets ever made.)
The knee defender does, however, come with a courtesy card:
'I realize that this may be an inconvenience,' it reads.
'If so, I hope you will complain to the airline. Thank you for your understanding.'
That'll help.
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