http://abcnews.go.com/Trave...ine/story?id=9227535

Theres a bit of an uproar about this guy. Flight crew said blocking the aisle was a bad safety issue. They ended up letting the other people in the row move to other seats and gave him the whole row. Should he have to pay for the seats he occupies in you opinion. I know theres heavy people here too, so not to be demeaning to anyone. For years ive heard people like this say 'I have a thyroid condition and cant control it." Ive long ago decided while that may be true in few cases, its BS for the other 30% of the population who just overeat. The guys brother said on TV that picture was while the plane was on the ground so it was not unsafe. What was he going to do when it took off, jump out or use the transporter to beam out. It looks obvious that hes planning on spending the flight sitting there...duh.

Chicago radio personality Steve Dahl is quite large and he sometimes buys two tickets just for that reason; he can fold down the armrest and be a lot more comfortable. Its funny, because on occasion, on full flights people will come by and want to sit there, but he says, no way, I have two tickets - I'm not moving!

http://www.chicagotribune.c...dec07,0,673593.story

Well, plane seats are pretty narrow, but this being said.... maybe we need a "does your butt fit in this seat" test, like they do for carry-on.

That being said.... some people have to buy tickets for their young children, who take up very little space. What is the answer?

J.

LMFAO........

back in my fligating days, I had NO problem refusing to get behind the stick when somebody was too fat to fit the machine.

Sorry if it offends them, but I would rather be alive to fly again tommorow, than the 1st one at the crash site because the plane was too heavy to get off the ground, because somebody doent have the willpower to put that 4th burger in the fridge.

Sorry (no I am not)...airplanes work on the laws of physics, and those laws are not interested in "feelings"..........a torx driver will never get out a robertson screw, and an airplane will never lift weight beyond what it was designed for.

its just the way things are.

I'm fat and I don't have a problem with paying for two seats so I, and the travelers around me, will be more comfortable.
However, the problem is there's no discrete way to do this. When you buy your airline tickets, there's no option to buy 2 seats for 1 traveller. You have to have 2 travellers. Your only option is to show up, be told you're too fat to fit in the seats and that you'll have to buy another ticket.

It wouldn't take a lot of effort to make the process much less embarassing, and you'd likely find large travelers would be much more likely to buy the extra seat in advance to avoid the embarassment and hassle on the plane.

You'll find a lot of people who want to embarass obese people. They're fat and deserve to be scorned. Maybe that will shame them into getting off their fat butt and into a gym... etc, etc.
Only problem is, regardless of why the person is overweight - even if they decide to lose weight right NOW, it will still take weeks, months, or years before they're the slim, trim person society demands. Meanwhile, people will continue to shame and ridicule them to get them to get off their lazy butt and into a gym... etc., etc. (or just because it's fun)

quote Originally posted by maryjane: http://www.chicagotribune.c...dec07,0,673593.story

The key word there being 'SOME'.

While that may also be true in a few cases, its not a rule. I see them at restaurants daily. Overweight parents both come in dragging overweight kids. I say more than hereditary, it because the kids watch the parents eating habits and emulate them. Ill bet money that the actual number of overweight obese people resulting from a physical abnormality is pretty rare.

quote Originally posted by Formula88: ... They're fat and deserve to be scorned. Maybe that will shame them into getting off their fat butt and into a gym... etc, etc. Only problem is, regardless of why the person is overweight - even if they decide to lose weight right NOW, it will still take weeks, months, or years before they're the slim, trim person society demands. Meanwhile, people will continue to shame and ridicule them to get them to get off their lazy butt and into a gym... etc., etc. (or just because it's fun)

I think it's interesting that obesity is socially acceptable to make fun of.

We don't make fun of anorexics?

quote Originally posted by ryan.hess: I think it's interesting that obesity is socially acceptable to make fun of. We don't make fun of anorexics?

anorexics only harm themselves.........it is sad, and they do need help..........

obese harm everyone around them.......

I am pretty sure you would not be happy with a piper chyane in your living room, just because the fat guy has "legal rights" and the liberal courts think the laws of physics dont apply to them and there are special exemptions.............

And, I am pretty sure I dont want to be the guy going off the end of a runway and trying to explain my way out of attemting to fly an overloaded machine.
THAT just aint-gonna-happen.

If I am extra hungry, I might require two hamburgers instead of just one. They will charge me for two, not one. I view an airline seat the same way. If I require two seats, I should have to pay for it.

I guess it boils down to this, is the airline selling seats or tickets?
Seats = You buy as many as it takes for you to fit or be comfortable.
Tickets = They supply how ever many seats, you pay for just the ticket like a thinner person would.

What I don't get its this, isn't a 1st class seat bigger? If you knew you did not fit in one regular seat, would you not get 1st class? Sure you might be poor, if it is cheaper to buy two regular seats more power to you. How about handicap seats, is this a handicap?

quote Originally posted by ryan.hess: I think it's interesting that obesity is socially acceptable to make fun of. We don't make fun of anorexics?

Anorexia is phat.



I'm an equal opportunity offender.

quote Originally posted by 2.5: Wat, you can't buy 5 seats if you want to for one person? That is strange to me, other than wieght distribution on the plane I see no reason.

The last time I was going to fly, I tried and couldn't.

I flew Southwest (plug for them http:www.iflyswa.com )

I went from Chicago to Seattle. There was a Large woman next to me. She spilled over into my seat. I couldn't tell where I ended and she began... lol

She got pissed when I wouldn't let her raise the armrest seperating me from her avalance of adipose connective tissue. She was sweaty and smelled too.

Southwest made me endure this for a 4 hour flight. I did get a free ticket when I asked why... lol

But if you must fly in a fat free enviroment...

www.netjets.com

[This message has been edited by htexans1 (edited 12-07-2009).]

quote Originally posted by AntiKev: Anorexia is phat. I'm an equal opportunity offender.

Not to mention I wonder what the Irish man is drinking....

Ive heard one good solution that sounds perfectly fine to me. If you dont fit into the seat between armrests, you can purchase one or more extra seats for a substantially lower cost. And make that applicable to any passenger. Even if a skinny gal wants 2 seats to lounge out in, sell her one a reg rate and one at say 1/2 price. All those purchased seats would HAVE to occupied by one person. So no trying to get a baby in it. I dont know what airline policy is on infants.

Seriously though I don't enjoy ridicule of overweight people.

quote Originally posted by rogergarrison: Ive heard one good solution that sounds perfectly fine to me. If you dont fit into the seat between armrests, you can purchase one or more extra seats for a substantially lower cost. And make that applicable to any passenger. Even if a skinny gal wants 2 seats to lounge out in, sell her one a reg rate and one at say 1/2 price. All those purchased seats would HAVE to occupied by one person. So no trying to get a baby in it. I dont know what airline policy is on infants.

The problem with this is that the airlines for the most part operate as close to at cost as they can to attempt to price cut the competition. So the rates realistically can't go any lower than they already are(see: Skybus). Now, online you may not have the ability to purchase two seats for one person, but I do know for a fact that if you were to call up the company to set up or travel(yes they still do have phones) you can request two seats.

The only "fair" way that you can do this and be fair to everyone is to treat people as if they were parcels. See airlines operate as the main air couriers for the USPS and charge for each "package" by weight. The fairest way would be to charge each person flying on that airline by their specific weight, which could be set up as a this much weight per seat situation. Now obviously larger people for the most part would have a problem with this because they are being charged more. The ignorant majority in this case will call it discrimination, but in reality it isn't. It may not be the large person's fault for being large but it isn't the airlines either. Since airlines operate solely based on cost = weight of cargo(people/luggage/parcels) transported it is actually the most fair to everyone.

And for the Thyroid thing, its mostly bogus and is an excuse for people to let themselves go instead of actually facing the problem head on. I say this because my mother has said problem and she works out and follows a diet that keeps her healthy. Stop being lazy and do what your doctor says to keep your weight in check.

quote Originally posted by MDFierolvr: And for the Thyroid thing, its mostly bogus and is an excuse for people to let themselves go instead of actually facing the problem head on. I say this because my mother has said problem and she works out and follows a diet that keeps her healthy. Stop being lazy and do what your doctor says to keep your weight in check.

Spoken like someone who has their head so far up their own ass they can't tell if it's day or night.
Ask as doctor about the symptoms of Hypothyroidism, or Google it.

You should pay per seat. If you take up two seats, then you should pay for two seats. The person next to you should not have half of their seat taken up by your body.

I don't think there should be any discount for extra seats. Most flights that I take are completely booked up. Why should someone else get bumped because someone that paid for 1.5 seats takes up two seats?

Airlines should have two adjacent seat seating as an option or go with the cattle call that Southwest has.

Basically, Airlines are simply moving cargo, charging by weight and volume, from A to B. makes no odds be it humans or freight. Price per unit by weight/volume. And that should include the passenger's luggage. It is really simple, and would eliminate any argument about excess baggage etc. I have been charged excess for being 4 kilos overweight with my baggage (50 euros), whilst the very large person in front of me pays NOTHING extra, even though the combined weight of him and his baggage was probably THREE times the total of me and mine. Weigh passenger/baggage at check-in, and charge a posted rate per kilo/pound. Simple!! AND fair.
Nick

quote Originally posted by fierofetish: Basically, Airlines are simply moving cargo, charging by weight and volume, from A to B. makes no odds be it humans or freight. Price per unit by weight/volume. And that should include the passenger's luggage. It is really simple, and would eliminate any argument about excess baggage etc. I have been charged excess for being 4 kilos overweight with my baggage (50 euros), whilst the very large person in front of me pays NOTHING extra, even though the combined weight of him and his baggage was probably THREE times the total of me and mine. Weigh passenger/baggage at check-in, and charge a posted rate per kilo/pound. Simple!! AND fair. Nick

agreed. Though I think it should be more controlled than that. Flight 5481. This is what happens when you don't take weights and weight distribution on aircraft seriously. Any pilot including myself will tell you that the moment you don't take Center of Gravity(CG) loading and Wing Loading seriously you are playing with your safety as well as everyone around you.

EDIT: I need to add why this is important. The weights numbers and CG location calculations done by the crew before each flight is done based on an average weight per seat taken up on a plane. If there are for some reason many large people on the plane crammed into seats then the extra weight may not be accounted for. Which in some cases could result in an accident.

[This message has been edited by MDFierolvr (edited 12-07-2009).]

quote Originally posted by MDFierolvr: Since airlines operate solely based on cost = weight of cargo(people/luggage/parcels) transported it is actually the most fair to everyone. And for the Thyroid thing, its mostly bogus and is an excuse for people to let themselves go instead of actually facing the problem head on. I say this because my mother has said problem and she works out and follows a diet that keeps her healthy. Stop being lazy and do what your doctor says to keep your weight in check.

It could be the most fair. Since people in great shape with muscle mass would pay more too.

The thyroid problem is real for some people. But yes it is an excuse used by some dishonestly, whether it be dishonest to themselves or just others.

quote Originally posted by Formula88: The last time I was going to fly, I tried and couldn't.

I don't know about 5, but one person can absolutely buy more than one seat on an aircraft. When Charlie Daniels flies commercial, he always buys two seats. Not because he is a large guy, which he is. But he buys an extra seat to put his guitar in because he doesn't want to check it. As someone who had a brand new Martin guitar damaged when checked for a flight, I can't blame him.

quote Originally posted by Formula88: Ask as doctor about the symptoms of Hypothyroidism, or Google it.

I don't have to.



That one right there has Congenial Hypothyroidism. 1 in every 4000 children are born with a severe deficiency like her. She will never out grow it. Her thyroid will never start working. She's to old now for any hope of that ever happening. She is as of now, smack dab in the middle of what her weight should be for her age group, and above the 75th percentile for her hieght. She takes medication everyday and will do so for the rest of her life. Luckily they caught it with her newborn blood screening, so she didn't suffer any mental retardation.

If you take the meds to provide the hormones your body is missing, you should be okay and lead a pretty normal life.

Edited to add: She also has Spastic diplegia, the most common form of Cerebral Palsy.

[This message has been edited by Khw (edited 12-07-2009).]

I wonder if he would have fit in First class.
That is a big safety issue, I wouldn't let him stick out like that. If I was sitting next to that guy I would make them move me.

Bottom line I shouldn't have to have my safety compromised because of common sense. Do you know what they do the sailors that cant fit through the man holes? They don't let them on the ship.

Hmm... this is a tough one.


You've gotta feel some sympathy for people who are fat, regardless of what the reason is, but you also have to feel bad for the people sitting next to them.

Honestly, I've got a few opinions about this:

1 - For the SAME safety concerns that the airlines claim, there should be a federally (or FAA) standard that makes the spacing and size of the seats to a specific standard. Meaning that the seats CANNOT be pushed close together any more than they are. Honestly, I'm 6'3" and there's nothing I can do about making myself shorter. I really don't think the seating in coach is necessarily safe for someone like me. I have more room in a Lotus Exige than I do in an airline coach seat. So if the airlines want to take it in that direction, they need to abide by size restrictions.

2 - For handling obese people, they should REQUIRE them to buy two seats when they are over a certain "BMI". BMI is an excellent calculator for this because it includes both overweight people (from fat) and massive body builders as well.

3 - For people who are clinically unable to control their weight, a simple note from their doctor or something of the sort would allow them to get the second seat for free.


To me, that seems the most fair. I know that most of us want to say... if you're fat, it's your fault, and while that may be true for many, it does seem unreasonable for the people who cannot control it. I dunno, and I being too plain about it?

------------------
Todd,
2008 Jeep Patriot Limited 4x2
2002 Ford Explorer Sport 2dr 4x2
2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6
1973 Volkswagen Type-2 Transporter

quote Originally posted by Jake_Dragon: I wonder if he would have fit in First class. That is a big safety issue, I wouldn't let him stick out like that. If I was sitting next to that guy I would make them move me. Bottom line I shouldn't have to have my safety compromised because of common sense. Do you know what they do the sailors that cant fit through the man holes? They don't let them on the ship.

"I'm not too big, the plane is too small!"

lol

quote Originally posted by Jake_Dragon: I wonder if he would have fit in First class. That is a big safety issue, I wouldn't let him stick out like that. If I was sitting next to that guy I would make them move me. Bottom line I shouldn't have to have my safety compromised because of common sense. Do you know what they do the sailors that cant fit through the man holes? They don't let them on the ship.

Exactly this. I am positive this man would have serious trouble getting through the emergency exits, if he could at all. Problem with that? Well he may not have one but the dozens of potential deaths caused because he plugged up an exit might bring up an interesting scenerio. I mean I feel for you because you are overweight and I understand it can be a huge mountain to climb to change, but I won't risk my life to make you feel better. People that size shouldn't be flying.

quote Originally posted by rogergarrison: Should he have to pay for the seats he occupies in your opinion.

Simple. Each airline gets to decide this policy for itself. If you don't like a particular airline's policy, don't fly with them.

I have two daughters, one is obese and the other is not. The obese one always purchases two seats when she flies. It is just too uncomfortable for her to try to fit into one seat. That probably should be mandatory since not all people can be counted on to use good judgement.

I can’t explain obesity it in any way but it is no easy life for her and yet she is unable to change. We recently went with her to a Mexican restaurant. The servers must have assumed that we gringos didn’t understand Spanish and were laughing about the gordo. They were very embarrassed when we told them we understood what they were saying and didn't appreciate it. Many people are very insensitive about the obese and I admit I once was too. Now I know it is not a simple problem with an easy solution.

quote Originally posted by Chump: Simple. Each airline gets to decide this policy for itself. If you don't like a particular airline's policy, don't fly with them.

This is best, and it is capitalism.

quote Originally posted by Chump: Simple. Each airline gets to decide this policy for itself. If you don't like a particular airline's policy, don't fly with them.

I like it, but sooner or later obesity will be classified as a handicap and the airlines won't get to decide for themselves.

FWIW, I have Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism. Basically my immune system attacks my thyroid. I was diagnosed when I was 12, and have been on medication since then.

Because it was diagnosed relatively late in my growth, I am shorter than what I should be. However, I have never been "fat". I think I'm 135lbs and 5'7 currently.

quote Originally posted by Jake_Dragon: I wonder if he would have fit in First class. That is a big safety issue, I wouldn't let him stick out like that. If I was sitting next to that guy I would make them move me. Bottom line I shouldn't have to have my safety compromised because of common sense. Do you know what they do the sailors that cant fit through the man holes? They don't let them on the ship.

It is important to note that the picture in question was taken prior to the A/C taking off. The person next to the large guy was asked to take a later flight and given a free trip. If I understood the story correctly. Yes, being that size would pose a safety issue during an emergency but, don't let someone of that size be next to the emergency exit. Weight and balance of A/C is critical but, I seriously doubt this gentleman would dramatically effect an A/C of the size shown in the picture.

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 12-07-2009).]

quote Originally posted by Chump: Simple. Each airline gets to decide this policy for itself. If you don't like a particular airline's policy, don't fly with them.

While that sounds simple, what if all them do like they do with pricing and all make the same guidelines. And if they all decide not to let you fly at all if you take more than one seat, that pretty much grounds you unless your willing to charter your own plane

quote Originally posted by MDFierolvr: And for the Thyroid thing, its mostly bogus and is an excuse for people to let themselves go instead of actually facing the problem head on. I say this because my mother has said problem and she works out and follows a diet that keeps her healthy. Stop being lazy and do what your doctor says to keep your weight in check.

For some people, thyroid problems are very real. But I agree, some people use it as an excuse. It's hard to take obese people seriously when they're complaining about not being able to lose weight, when their only exercise is to walk out to the car to head down to the McDonald's drive-in to get a large-size combo meal for dinner for the 4th time that week.

quote Originally posted by GT86: For some people, thyroid problems are very real. But I agree, some people use it as an excuse. It's hard to take obese people seriously when they're complaining about not being able to lose weight, when their only exercise is to walk out to the car to head down to the McDonald's drive-in to get a large-size combo meal for dinner for the 4th time that week.

I'll take a diet Coke with that.

Ron