OT: overweight-man-kicked-off-southwest-flight

[Todzo]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/04/24/ma ... verweight/

[DreamStalker]

Uhhh ... crap happens huh?

For example ... "Obama administration bypasses CISPA by secretly allowing Internet surveillance"

http://rt.com/usa/epic-foia-internet-surveillance-350/

And then there is always collapse ...

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/

[chunkyfrog]

If I grew an entire extra person, I would expect to pay for the extra fuel and space.
(Or maybe planes could have a row of extra wide seats for very big people;
or another row of HUGE seats for those other people, should they want to fly)
At what point is accommodation unreasonable?
When the grocery store puts the item I need on the STUPID top shelf,
I would welcome a step stool to reach it safely; sometimes I bring a step over from hardware,
(and leave it there) or knock it down with a broom. I've even stood in the cart.
It would be nice to have things my way--but I'm just not that special-
-and I'm pretty darn significant.

[Todzo]

If I grew an entire extra person, I would expect to pay for the extra fuel and space.
(Or maybe planes could have a row of extra wide seats for very big people;
or another row of HUGE seats for those other people, should they want to fly)
At what point is accommodation unreasonable?
When the grocery store puts the item I need on the STUPID top shelf,
I would welcome a step stool to reach it safely; sometimes I bring a step over from hardware,
(and leave it there) or knock it down with a broom. I've even stood in the cart.
It would be nice to have things my way--but I'm just not that special-
-and I'm pretty darn significant.

Hi chunkyfrog!

I think that both weight and space are very real issues for the airlines. We all need the space. We all will end up paying for the extra fuel.

May you always find a friend to help you with the "top shelf" thing.

Have a great week!

Todzo

[LSAT]

I thought I read something a month ago that a Foreign Airline was charging by weight. ....(Found it)
http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2013/04/0 ... ir-weight/

[Goofproof]

If I grew an entire extra person, I would expect to pay for the extra fuel and space.
(Or maybe planes could have a row of extra wide seats for very big people;
or another row of HUGE seats for those other people, should they want to fly)
At what point is accommodation unreasonable?
When the grocery store puts the item I need on the STUPID top shelf,
I would welcome a step stool to reach it safely; sometimes I bring a step over from hardware,
(and leave it there) or knock it down with a broom. I've even stood in the cart.
It would be nice to have things my way--but I'm just not that special-
-and I'm pretty darn significant.

Could strap him to one wing and his brother to the other. BTW: I'm not poking fun at him I'm in that weight range, but I stay near home where my food is. Jim

[Kiralynx]

I am not as large as that gentleman, but I am plus-sized. At one time, I was rather larger than that gentleman, but then I learned how to heal my gut and lost -- and kept off -- 180 pounds. I just cannot get the remaining weight off. I've damn near landed myself in the hospital a couple of times because I just quit eating in a desperate effort to meet the expectations of society and the medical profession.

I lost a very dear friend to medical fat prejudice. She had had issues with her menstrual cycles for well over two years. Every time she mentioned it to her doctor, she was told, “Just stop stuffing your face and lose some weight and it will all clear up.” By the time her doctors admitted the problem was not weight related, my friend had Stage 4 ovarian cancer. She died, six months after her diagnosis.

I could have died from medical fat prejudice. When I first presented with the symptoms of uterine cancer, my now-former primary care doctor told me to “Just stop stuffing your face and lose some weight and it will all clear up.” With my friend’s experience in mind, I sought a second opinion –– and got the correct diagnosis and treatment. If I had believed “Just stop stuffing your face and lose some weight and it will all clear up,” I would now be dead or dying, instead of being at the five year mark for cancer free.

You wouldn't look at a black passenger and say, "You have to pay extra because you are a n-----."

You wouldn't look at a Jewish passenger, and say, "You have to pay extra because you are a k---."

It's discrimination by physical appearance.

Kids who have a seat don't pay less because they only take up half a seat.

Southwest makes a habit of discrimination -- there was one woman who actually BOUGHT the two seats, and then they came along and said, "Well, you have an extra seat here. We're going to give it to this other passenger, never mind that you already paid for it."

So first they humiliated her into paying extra, and then they were going to take the space she bought and paid for and sell it a second time to someone else.

Skin color, sexual orientation, religious values, age -- can't discriminate on those. But by golly, those fatties are sure fair game! IF only they'd just stop stuffing their faces, and LOSE SOME WEIGHT, they wouldn't be humiliated!

Ozij, from this board, pointed me to a really fine book: Beyond A Shadow of a Diet: The Therapist’s Guide to Treating Compulsive Eating, by Judith Matz and Ellen Frankel. The authors note that “The official policy is that all large people can and should lose weight. Health and medical professionals who promote this view assume that any excess weight over a narrow ‘ideal’ is unhealthy, dangerous, and expensive. They believe that weight loss is always desirable and healthy for persons over this ideal, no matter how it is accomplished, and that all large persons can successfully lose at least 10-15 per cent of their weight and maintain it. These assumptions are not supported by research.”

Take note: “These assumptions are not supported by research.” In other words, thin does not necessarily equal healthy. Overweight does not necessarily equal unhealthy. Medical community caused eating disorders are rampant.

Before you start sneering at this man because he "just won't stop stuffing his face and lose some weight," it's a damn sight more complex than that.

[Goofproof]

If I paid for two seats just to fly on a airplane, they probably would be in different rows or different planes. Jim

[Captain_Midnight]

I won't moralize about what others should weigh.

I will, however, agree with Southwest on this issue.

I have, more than once, had the misfortune to sit next to a (I'm sure very nice) calorically gifted individual, who expanded well into my space. I don't care to be that chummy with most folks, and I spent the whole flight wishing for an empty seat anywhere else on the airplane. I believe that such individuals (as nice as they might otherwise be) should pay for two seats, and stop imposing themselves (literally) on the space of others.

It's not a matter of discrimination if it interferes with other paying passengers. It is simply being considerate.


.

[idamtnboy]

I've even stood in the cart.

Please, please, please, DON'T EVER do that again. We need you here, on this forum. Standing in a cart could easily lead to a disaster, like when you lean over a little bit and the cart goes down the aisle, and you go down into the aisle.

You are kidding, right? I sure hope so!!

I've done some stupid things in my life, and have even stood on a chair with wheels. Now THAT WAS stupid of me. But stand in a shopping cart, with large easy rolling wheels with no brakes or locks?? I don't think soooo!

[Goofproof]

Paying for extra to fly if over a set weight limit is fine, as long as the oversized person is provided with a oversized seat and space. If not the person setting next to them should get a ticket discount for the added strain of overflow into their space. Jim

[ChrisD]

I blame the airlines and the plane designers. Current standard coach seat widths range from 17 to 19 inches between the armrests.

If I built a box 19 inches wide how many of you could fit into it, shoulders and all? Not many but the airlines expect us to and get mad when we don't.

Chris

[Todzo]

I blame the airlines and the plane designers. Current standard coach seat widths range from 17 to 19 inches between the armrests.

If I built a box 19 inches wide how many of you could fit into it, shoulders and all? Not many but the airlines expect us to and get mad when we don't.

Chris

I am sitting on a seat a bit less than 16” wide and am happy with that. I have about a 40” waist so if 16 works for me – 16 one way plus 16 the other way plus 8 = 40. So 19 one way plus 19 the other way plus – oh – say 12 = 50” waist = would be comfortable I think in a 19” wide seat.

Times and people HAVE changed.

I remember bus stop benches. Then seeing some sag a bit. Then seeing the "reinforced" versions hit the street. Then being absolutely shocked to see those severely sag!!!

Most emergency crews now have hoists to help move those super sized people in trouble (and they do get into trouble) – and the special beds and other equipment. I do not know if you have ever tried to move something twice your body weight – most people simply cannot.

This is a whole different “super size” thing. This is two to THREE seats wide. This is three or more times my too much already about 200 pound body weight.

Yes it does take more fuel to move 400 to 600 EXTRA pounds in the air.

Yes it DOES take more room.

Yes it IS a real issue for the airlines.

What is fair?

[mgaggie]

I believe its the norm in Europe for overweight people to have to purchase two seats

[archangle]

How long before they start lowing the definition of "fat?" Will Asians get a better rate because they usually weigh less? Are they going to offer discounts to people who weigh less than average? How about a limited number of seats for tall people and charging them extra? How about "naturally" large muscular people? Don't forget that even "normal" people gain weight as they age. Especially if they become more sedentary due to medical problems. Shall we charge extra for handicapped people in general because they take more employee time?

Stop these bastards from packing people in like sardines. Maybe they'll start putting in even smaller seats and penalizing those who are just a little "overweight."