Obese should buy two plane seats, says Australia survey

I can't believe this thread. Financially penalising others for being fat is discriminatry. Are people expecting airlines to go case by case to see if passengers weight is self inflicted? If there are that many passengers with weight problems they should install wider seats to accomidate them.

Originally posted by Karlhungis


I agree with the survey. When you are paying hundreds of dollars to fly somewhere, I don't think you should have to have someone else half sitting in your seat.

What do you think? Good call, or insensitive and unfair?

www.smh.com.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

I think its a good call. The only issue comes with how do they measure it? How do they decide who has to buy two plane seats? Also is it enforced if you are travelling with people you know? Eg obese mother travelling with her 5 year old son, taking up some of his seat space (which he doesnt really need).

I've had to buy business class tickets for ages now... the leg room in economy makes it impossible for me to sit there. Perhaps they should just consider widening the seats, incrasing the leg room and charging more for all seats.

reply to post by 44soulslayer


Wow, this was one of my first threads. I am surprised to see it back raised from the dead.

It still comes down to economics. More weight on the plane means more fuel used. More fuel used means less profit. People have to pay when their checked luggage is too heavy, so it doesn't seem insane to me to charge people who are over weight.

No, it isn't nice or politically correct but in my mind it makes financial sense. It also makes logistical sense for the people who are so large that they take up a portion of another travelers seat. Again, it may not be nice, but if you are sitting in 2 seats, you should pay for 2 seats.

reply to post by Karlhungis


Oops didnt see the date it was started!

Of course I agree in principle, but logistically its a nightmare.

What if the neighbouring passenger doesn't mind sharing space (ie is family/ friend).

Also what if a passenger is borderline obese and squeezes in during some sort of test, but then spreads out during the journey?

The devil is in the details

reply to post by 44soulslayer

The devil is in the details

Very true. It would be almost impossible for any airline to pull it off. In our society these days, they would probably be sued for discrimination and I would imagine that fear will also keep this from ever happening.

reply to post by benign.psychosis

...there is no rational justification for small seats..

Oh I think there is. Price and Profit. More room per seat = less seats. Less seats = Higher costs per seat. Higher costs = Higher prices. Higher prices = does not equal more profit as demand will drop due to high prices.

I think it is right that people pay more if they cannot fit into the seat and I certainly don't want to pay more because I get a bigger seat so obese people can fit into them How long do you have to sit in a seat per flight, on average? One or two hours? Big deal!

Seat size is not the issue in my view. If you want a bigger seat, go business class.

Originally posted by riley
If there are that many passengers with weight problems they should install wider seats to accomidate them.

Only in America

Originally posted by mattifikation


I am not just generalizing. I have never met a morbidly obese person that I could stand the smell of. EVER. And I work at Wal-Mart so you can bet your bupkiss I meet my fair share of fat lazy people.

Oh my... you made me choke!

Look it's virtually impossible for any of us to LOOK at another human being who is morbidly obese and know from a glance whether they are just a lazy *#*# or whether they have serious health issues.

My husbands sister was morbidly obese and I remember how much crap she got. People were so rude to her laughing, pointing, staring.

She had cushings disease. She passed away at the age of 22.

The people being so rude didn't know, the only assumed she was some lazy peice of offal and proceeded to treat her as such.

unless there is a way to KNOW exactly why a person is overweight, I don't see any solution to the airline problem. If you sensitively accomodate those overwieght passengers with REAL health problems then those who are "just fat" will scream UNFAIR...

it's a lose/lose situation

I read through the thread. Interesting.

I've been watching reruns of Airline on the Bio Channel and they had one like this with an obese lady. Yeah, she kept threatening to sue and did have a valid point that the airline did not notify her in advance that an obese person would have to buy two seats. (She had the ticket bought for her and had no other money).

She was stuck, but at the last moment her father was contacted and he paid for the extra seat.

My question is two part:

1. Do they tell passengers upfront that they will have to purchase two seats if over a certain weight? (wonder how that works, because a 220lb person at 6'3 is a different shape from a 220lb person at 5'3).

2. Once the overweight person purchases the extra seat, do they actually get an empty seat next to them, or are they still crammed into one seat? Sounds like it happens both ways.




[edit on 10/9/2008 by Badge01]

I've just been thinking about this for the past couple of minutes.

How about an alternative compensation system.

Say you're sitting in a seat next to a really obese person and are uncomfortable. You should be able to complain to the airline and obtain a partial refund. Additionally, the fat person against whom the complaint was recieved would have to pay the amount.

The complaint would have to be lodged discreetly with the air hostess in flight, so that she could (again, discreetly) verify that there is a visible overspill from one seat to another.

Originally posted by riley
I can't believe this thread. Financially penalising others for being fat is discriminatry. Are people expecting airlines to go case by case to see if passengers weight is self inflicted? If there are that many passengers with weight problems they should install wider seats to accomidate them.

Are you insinuating that they got morbidly obese by fat osmosis from the air? Or is it one too many chubby meals at the local McBlubber joint and not enough getting out in the fresh air?

Your call.

reply to post by Badge01


I don't think they have any official systems for this yet. In cases where they do charge someone for an extra seat, I would assume it is when they physically take up another seat and they would probably be obligated to give the passenger the 2nd seat or face lawsuits. I just don't see how they could get away with doing it any other way without getting sued.

Originally posted by C.C.Benjamin

Originally posted by riley
I can't believe this thread. Financially penalising others for being fat is discriminatry. Are people expecting airlines to go case by case to see if passengers weight is self inflicted? If there are that many passengers with weight problems they should install wider seats to accomidate them.

Are you insinuating that they got morbidly obese by fat osmosis from the air? Or is it one too many chubby meals at the local McBlubber joint and not enough getting out in the fresh air?

Your call.

McBlubber? I'm not insinuating anything. What I am saying is that it's no-one else's business as to why someone is fat and it is certainly not their place to say they should be punnished for it. Using the logic of this.. should midgets only pay half price? Ooh! What about floor space.. really tall people should have to buy the seat in front of them so they don't accidently kick the seat..

Originally posted by riley
McBlubber? I'm not insinuating anything. What I am saying is that it's no-one else's business as to why someone is fat and it is certainly not their place to say they should be punnished for it. Using the logic of this.. should midgets only pay half price? Ooh! What about floor space.. really tall people should have to buy the seat in front of them so they don't accidently kick the seat..

What I'm saying is all weight problems are self-inflicted.

If someone's weight is a logistical problem, then yes, they should take a bit of personal responsibility for cramming all those cakes into their gullet, don't you think? Its not like they mystically picked up ten stone of excess fat because of a "glandular problem".

Your glands can't multiply one pound of food into ten pounds of food. It's not like they were born 23 stone and then proceeded to diet down to 21 stone, is it?

Of course it's their own fault. Unlike your examples, where they literally have no control at all over the physical characteristic in question.

Should we have some kind of straw-man argument alarm on ATS or what?

reply to post by C.C.Benjamin


you say all wieght problems are self inflicted??
then please wise one explain to me how someone purposely contracts Cushings Disease...


*shakes head*

Originally posted by riley
I can't believe this thread. Financially penalising others for being fat is discriminatry. Are people expecting airlines to go case by case to see if passengers weight is self inflicted? If there are that many passengers with weight problems they should install wider seats to accomidate them.

I don't think so, our society embraces the obese and it's disgusting...people with weight problems have a choice, people with their genders or race have none. It's completely different. If someone has a legitimate reason for being overweight like a thyroid problem, they should be dismissed from the two seat rule...but otherwise, it's their own fault for being overweight...and they burn more fuel. And I'm not talking about a person who is just slightly overweight, I'm talking obese, like a 5'11" man that weighs 300lbs...yeah, his own fault. Why should my fair have to go up to accommodate someone who is simply lazy?

Originally posted by undiscoveredsoul
reply to post by C.C.Benjamin

 

you say all wieght problems are self inflicted??
then please wise one explain to me how someone purposely contracts Cushings Disease...


*shakes head*

As I said in my post, people who have diseases that CAUSED them to be overweight should be dismissed from the two seat rule. The Majority of people are just simply eating too much...frankly screw inflating tires or drilling to solve an oil crisis, if all Americans were simply at a healthy weight it would cut our oil consumption drastically.

[edit on 10-9-2008 by yellowcard]

Treat people like they treat baggage - have mock-up seats in check-in, and if you can't fit into the seat properly, you either pay for a slightly-larger seat in your original class, or pay for an upgrade. Our carry-on luggage has to conform to size constraints, so why not us? Is it fair someone who ways 70Kg pays the same for a ticket as a person who weighs twice as much? And why should they get their baggage allowance? Why not just have a "customer allowance", which covers the person *and* their luggage - if your weight and the weight of your luggage is under X Kgs, fine. If it's more (through you being a porker or deciding to take your lead weight collection on holiday), you pay more.

Of course it could lead to offending people, but then it's pretty offensive to be crushed by a man-whale. I'm sure the larger among us would rather sit in comfort without worrying if their jelly-rolls are smothering the life out of their neighbour while they sleep.

Originally posted by yellowcard
I don't think so, our society embraces the obese and it's disgusting...

Well I think jet fuel and pollution is worse.. can't get on the moral highground and complain about fat people when the mode of transport is actually contibuting to global warming and putting toxins into the enviroment. Yeah you made the point about fat people burning more fuel.. utter bs. Do you even know how much your average jet weighs? The average fat person is not going to make any difference.

people with weight problems have a choice,

I'm sure you believe that but there are several health problems that cause weight problems.. in fact I'd say most fat people would have something that is not "working" properly whether it be physical or emotional.. and others might just be naturally overweight. Humans were never meant to have access to rich foods 24/7.

people with their genders or race have none. It's completely different. If someone has a legitimate reason for being overweight like a thyroid problem, they should be dismissed from the two seat rule...

Why? Being fat is not a criminal offense so why should they get "pardoned" for it?

[edit on 10-9-2008 by riley]

Originally posted by riley

Originally posted by yellowcard
I don't think so, our society embraces the obese and it's disgusting...

Well I think jet fuel and pollution is worse.. can't get on the moral highground and complain about fat people when the mode of transport is actually contibuting to global warming and putting toxins into the enviroment. Yeah you made the point about fat people burning more fuel.. utter bs. Do you even know how much your average jet weighs? The average fat person is not going to make any difference.

people with weight problems have a choice,

I'm sure you believe that but there are several health problems that cause weight problems.. in fact I'd say most fat people would have something that is not "working" properly whether it be physical or emotional.. and others might just be naturally overweight. Humans were never meant to have access to rich foods 24/7.

people with their genders or race have none. It's completely different. If someone has a legitimate reason for being overweight like a thyroid problem, they should be dismissed from the two seat rule...

Why? Being fat is not a criminal offense so why should they get "pardoned" for it?

[edit on 10-9-2008 by riley]

Blah Blah Blah, you completely ignored my post and twisted my words around...and yes actually fat people do burn more fuel, it's a known fact, they burn more fuel in cars, they burn more fuel in jets

www.msnbc.msn.com...

www.usatoday.com...

Now go eat your twinkie, you'll need the energy to read and comprehend.

I did not need to twist your words.. your ignorance as to the causes of obesity is obvious.

Eat a twinkie? I shouldn't be surprised that you'd incorrectly presume I'm fat and stoop to stereotypical insults. Grow up. :shk:

[edit on 10-9-2008 by riley]