Obesity and paying for two seats.

[Deleted]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2531797/Airline-passenger-complaint-having-sit-obese-man.html

Though he did it with humor, how would you feel if this happened to you.

[Deleted]

I think airlines should start really paying attention to the sizes of some passengers and take not of those who really are going to spill out of their seats and onto others. I don't think they should ignore it anymore. The same thing for those passengers that pay to check their bags but others just go to the gate and hope to get it free because the overhea

[Tennesseer]

Not sure what the man was complaining about. The article title is "Airline passenger's complaint about having to sit next to obese man 'the size of an infant hippopotamus' goes viral"

At birth, an infant hippopotamus weighs between 55 and 110lbs at birth and average length is 4.17 feet.  Not that hard to sit next to during a flight.

[busymom]

During my years living in the city, I used to take the city bus. And yes, I did occasionally get stuck sitting next to someone who apparently hadn't had a bath in awhile. My longest bus ride was 30-45 minutes, but it did seem to take forever.

I do agree that the flight attendants should have found him another seat, if his seatmate was "spilling over" into his seat.

[whoisjohngalt]

OK, so I am a huge proponent of fat people buying two seats, but this guy was mean.  He didn't have to describe the smells, etc

You can be annoyed, you don't have to be cruel though.

[chiver78]

Dec 31, 2013 18:23:12 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

OK, so I am a huge proponent of fat people buying two seats, but this guy was mean.  He didn't have to describe the smells, etc

You can be annoyed, you don't have to be cruel though.

nutty, you call it humor, but I completely disagree. this guy didn't have to go to the measures he did in order to express his displeasure to the airline. his hint at expecting a huge payoff for compensation says everything we need to know about him.

[Deleted]

I didn't say it was humor.

I just said what the article said. Not my personal expression.

Maybe we should have something to indicate we are repeating something, and then something different for our own personal feelings.

nutty, you call it humor, but I completely disagree. this guy didn't have to go to the measures he did in order to express his displeasure to the airline. his hint at expecting a huge payoff for compensation says everything we need to know about him

Why did you feel the need to single me out, why didn't you just ask me if that it was I thought, I can see it may look like that but it can be read other ways too. I PERSONALLY didn't even finish reading the letter because I PERSONALLY thought it was horrible and really mean, and I stopped reading. It wasn't funny OR humorous to ME PERSONALLY, my intro was just what the article stated probably wasn't needed in light of the whole article but I guess HE thought he was being funny.

[Deleted]

"...."

[Deleted]

Yes, I will do that now to avoid further confusion on what I FEEL and what I am repeating. Didn't think I needed it, it wasn't really the main point of what I was trying to discuss.

[chiver78]

Dec 31, 2013 18:43:20 GMT -5 nutty said:

I didn't say it was humor.

I just said what the article said. Not my personal expression.

Maybe we should have something to indicate we are repeating something, and then something different for our own personal feelings.

nutty, you call it humor, but I completely disagree. this guy didn't have to go to the measures he did in order to express his displeasure to the airline. his hint at expecting a huge payoff for compensation says everything we need to know about him

Why did you feel the need to single me out, why didn't you just ask me if that it was I thought, I can see it may look like that but it can be read other ways too. I PERSONALLY didn't even finish reading the letter because I PERSONALLY thought it was horrible and really mean, and I stopped reading. It wasn't funny OR humorous to ME PERSONALLY, my intro was just what the article stated probably wasn't needed in light of the whole article but I guess HE thought he was being funny.

Dec 31, 2013 17:47:49 GMT -5 nutty said:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2531797/Airline-passenger-complaint-having-sit-obese-man.html

Though he did it with humor, how would you feel if this happened to you.

I didn't see this comment in the article, and I went back to reread after your reply. if I've missed it somewhere, my bad.....but I don't see it.

I'm relieved that you don't find this funny.

[zibazinski]

I'm actually surprised the larger man was seated in an exit row. They usually are not allowed because most assuredly they cannot help in an emergency. I've been on a flight where a large person had to move out of an exit row. Also, the new rule seems to be if you are accompanying anyone under the age of 15, so a family man is not allowed to sit there either because its assumed he would go after his family in an emergency. This man was not happy to not be in the exit row as you can imagine. Not that he helped his wife deal with any of their children but that's another issue entirely. So if you're flying with anyone under 15 and admit it, you won't be in an exit row either.

[Deleted]

Thanks Chiver, I guess I read it somewhere or that was how it was described. I got offended as you could tell that you thought I thought it was humorous, it was not. It was mean and I didn't even finish reading it. That is one horrible person to think that what he wrote was funny. I don't really know why I included it because it really wasn't the point of the thread, just wasn't putting much thought in that it could read like that I thought it was humerous.

My apologies to you Chiver for my post.

[jkapp]

Dec 31, 2013 19:12:39 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

I'm actually surprised the larger man was seated in an exit row. They usually are not allowed because most assuredly they cannot help in an emergency. I've been on a flight where a large person had to move out of an exit row. Also, the new rule seems to be if you are accompanying anyone under the age of 15, so a family man is not allowed to sit there either because its assumed he would go after his family in an emergency. This man was not happy to not be in the exit row as you can imagine. Not that he helped his wife deal with any of their children but that's another issue entirely. So if you're flying with anyone under 15 and admit it, you won't be in an exit row either.

I think that can be said about anyone in the exit rows   People seem to want those seats for the extra room...I don't trust anyone in those rows to have their shit together in a crisis.

As for the guy in the OP...yeah, he's a dick.  I bet if I sat next to him in a plane, I could find several things about him that would piss me off - smells, sounds, annoying habits, etc.  Could I also request him or myself to be reseated?  The worst person I ever sat next to in a plane was a nervous talker with severe coffee breath.  I'd take the fat guy over him any day

[chiver78]

Dec 31, 2013 19:43:43 GMT -5 nutty said:

Thanks Chiver, I guess I read it somewhere or that was how it was described. I got offended as you could tell that you thought I thought it was humorous, it was not. It was mean and I didn't even finish reading it. That is one horrible person to think that what he wrote was funny. I don't really know why I included it because it really wasn't the point of the thread, just wasn't putting much thought in that it could read like that I thought it was humerous.

My apologies to you Chiver for my post.

cheers, we're good here.

[mmhmm]

The guy's letter was asinine.  However, if you're going to fly and you're so large you're "seeping" into the seat next to you, I figure you can pay for two seats.  Your body is in two seats.  Pay for 'em both.

[Miss Tequila]

Dec 31, 2013 22:33:34 GMT -5 jkapp said:

Dec 31, 2013 19:12:39 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

I'm actually surprised the larger man was seated in an exit row. They usually are not allowed because most assuredly they cannot help in an emergency. I've been on a flight where a large person had to move out of an exit row. Also, the new rule seems to be if you are accompanying anyone under the age of 15, so a family man is not allowed to sit there either because its assumed he would go after his family in an emergency. This man was not happy to not be in the exit row as you can imagine. Not that he helped his wife deal with any of their children but that's another issue entirely. So if you're flying with anyone under 15 and admit it, you won't be in an exit row either.

I think that can be said about anyone in the exit rows   People seem to want those seats for the extra room...I don't trust anyone in those rows to have their shit together in a crisis.

As for the guy in the OP...yeah, he's a dick.  I bet if I sat next to him in a plane, I could find several things about him that would piss me off - smells, sounds, annoying habits, etc.  Could I also request him or myself to be reseated?  The worst person I ever sat next to in a plane was a nervous talker with severe coffee breath.  I'd take the fat guy over him any day

The guy was a sick about it but there is no excuse to spill into my seat, either. You know the size of the seat. If you can't fit into it, buy an extra seat. I only had this truly happen to me once (the girl was so huge that she was literally sitting on my leg) but I have had other times where the person was spilling over the seat, which is annoying to put up wih for several hours

[Deleted]

I recently saw someone on a plane that was so big that I couldn't imagine having to sit next to him. He was sideways in the seat with his arm around the lady next to him.

[marvholly]

I would NOT be nice about sharing the seat I PAID for with someone who needs additional space but was too CHEAP to pay for it. I would DEMAND immediate, cash compensation directly from such an individual.

[zibazinski]

Sometimes the people are just big people. Not fat but big. DF likes exit rows because he is tall. Long legs are not conducive  to flying.

[zibazinski]

I used to always get window seats because I'd get stuck next to a constant potty user and its a pita to keep getting up. That is, until I got squished by two very large women. Now I'm an aisle gal. If someone is squeezing into my space, I spill out into the aisle because I don't want some stranger touching me with any part of their body. 

[mmhmm]

Jan 1, 2014 7:44:23 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Sometimes the people are just big people. Not fat but big. DF likes exit rows because he is tall. Long legs are not conducive  to flying.

That's a different problem completely, zib.  My husband also had long legs.  We always flew either business or first class if we were going to be in the air for any amount of time.  It was just too uncomfortable for him otherwise.

[zibazinski]

Thats so spendy, though. The aisle works for him. When we do Italy this spring, I'm gong to see how much an upgrade is. It's gotten crazy, I've been told. Paying for exit row may be our best option.

[mmhmm]

Yeah, zib.  I understand the prices have really skyrocketed.  It was expensive when we did it, but I imagine it's even worse now!  The exit row is a good alternative.

[swamp]

Jan 1, 2014 8:52:39 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Thats so spendy, though. The aisle works for him. When we do Italy this spring, I'm gong to see how much an upgrade is. It's gotten crazy, I've been told. Paying for exit row may be our best option.

Isn't your DF pretty much on deaths door?  If so, he's not capable of assisting other passengers in an emergency and shouldn't be sitting in an exit row. 

[zibazinski]

I'm sure none of those people would ever assist in any emergency. Seriously, if the plane is going down, who is gong to survive to assist anyway. His health comes and goes. Believe me, if there's any chance of surviving a plane issue, I can get that damn door open if necessary.

[gooddecisions]

I've sat next to people who spill over before and they have always been very considerate with minimized movement and sitting still.  I have never shamed them or been annoyed and in fact feel really bad for them. I know they have to live with more discomfort than I will ever experience. My friend told me a story about how he told a big guy he must sit with his arms crossed over his body the whole flight so as not to impede on his space. The guy did it. I did not find that story funny at all.

On the other hand, it infuriates me when people put their chairs back. I'm tall and my knees are already pushing into the back of the seat when it's upright. I was so glad when I read the some airlines are redesigning their chairs so that they can't be reclined.

[zibazinski]

If its in your space, the seat is poorly designed. A few inches shouldn't make that much difference. I've had people recline in front of me and in no way did it interfere with my tray or my space. Lets face it, we're all sardines in the can. Best to just get through it and land in one piece and hope the luggage did as well!

[Shooby]

Did you ever watch "Air Disasters"? It is a series on plane crashes where they dissect what happened. On one episode, the plane was heavily loaded with cargo and passengers. When the pilot took off, they raised the landing gear, when they did, when the landing gear docked ,it caused a shift in the plane's center of gravity. The plain was overloaded! The tail plummeted down and the nose of the plane when up 60+ degrees. The plane then stalled and crashed and everyone died. The pilot had no ability to recover.
When all was said I done, what was learned was that pilots do weight "estimations" on passengers. And, at the time, the estimated weight per passenger was 170lbs. The investigators then pulled all the medical records of the passengers and obtained their real weights. It was found that the 170lb estimate was exceeded and the plane was over the weight limit. As a result the estimated weight limit was then increased to allow a greater cushion.

But, yes people are getting bigger. The airlines need to realize and accept this new reality.

[Miss Tequila]

Jan 1, 2014 9:06:25 GMT -5 gooddecisions said:

I've sat next to people who spill over before and they have always been very considerate with minimized movement and sitting still.  I have never shamed them or been annoyed and in fact feel really bad for them. I know they have to live with more discomfort than I will ever experience. My friend told me a story about how he told a big guy he must sit with his arms crossed over his body the whole flight so as not to impede on his space. The guy did it. I did not find that story funny at all.

On the other hand, it infuriates me when people put their chairs back. I'm tall and my knees are already pushing into the back of the seat when it's upright. I was so glad when I read the some airlines are redesigning their chairs so that they can't be reclined.

So I can't put my seat back the three inches because it will annoy the person behind me but I should sit and smile when someone is freaking SITTING on me?? Really? Not going to happen. If someone is if orang and selfish enough to put their cheapness over my right to not be sat on, you can bet that I will be complaining.

[gooddecisions]

Of course you can put your seat back. At 5'9" I'm not freakishly tall. I'm just saying that action probably causes more discomfort to more people than the few excessively overweight people on board, and I'm thrilled airlines are removing the recline option as they redesign their seats.  Problem solved.