'Person Of Size' Angry About Need For Spill-Over Ticket

Sacramento Bee via Scripps Howard ^ | June 18, 2002 | Bob Shallit

[mvpel]

Sure, she was big, but was she cute? The world wants to know! :-D Copiously proportioned women have an undeniable appeal to many of us. Reuben was not alone in his appreciation for the zaftig (Yiddish for "juicy") feminine figure.

[evolved_rage]

They are the food contingency, in case the crash site is deserted...pork rinds I think...

[Danielle]

This thread is disgusting. Some people are large people. I don't think they should have to buy two tickets, especailly since I don't think I have ever flown where the plane is fully booked. Maybe they should make the seats a bit larger. The majority in this Country are overweight according to recent government studies, since we as taxpayers are already subsidizing the airlines I don't see why they can't accomodate people when they do buy passage. No, I am not a big person, but I know a lot of big people, and I don't like to see them made fun of. They are people just like all of us.

[dutchess]

Congratulations on your weight loss. Mr. Dutchess struggled with his weight all his life and was always overweight. At 40 his sugar was elevated and that did it for him. I came home as he was typing in a diet in the computer. I got into cooking, he took it seriously and he lost 100 lbs. which remains off 10 years later. I'm pretty proud of the guy!

[Ron in Acreage]

The Fatkins diet they call it!

[flair2000]

She was very friendly and talkative (not like I could have ignored her, she was squishing me). As for cuteness, I'll leave that one alone.

[DontMessWithMyCountry]

dang you, i've got tears in my eyes from laughing so damned hard. JUST finished washing my spectacles, too!

[libravoter]

I'm a person of size, too - small and skinny is a size

Right on! My sister is forever complaining because the extra-large section in women's clothing stores is called the "Women's" section.

Wait a minute, she says, am I not a woman?

[timestax]

since I don't think

Try thinking for a change!!--Almost ALL flights are full!

[Mamzelle]

I guess Hillary would be known as a Person of Thighs.)))

*choking on my diet DP* LOL!!

[alaskanfan]

Tell your solicitor I'm in on the deal too.

[Kozak]

They should have spillover test seats, just like they have test frames for carry on luggage.

Yup. They have exactly that at some amusement parks. I was at Great America last week and they had a seat outside some of the roller coasters so you could test the fit!

[Tennessee_Bob]

Go on, admit it, you got a secret little thrill when I did that...

[LasVegasMac]

It's not THAT funny. Have you ever been seated next to a double-wide on a flight? Makes me claustrophobic - not to mention that I'm then paying for less than a full seat since the out-sized one takes up some of my space.

Bingo!

I'm a big guy - 6'6" and only 240 lbs. I get very verbal right off the bat when a fat one wedges their butt into the next seat.

The routine is the usually the same - they wedge in - my arm rest gone - leg into my leg space, etc. I then ask them why they did not buy two seats, "because obviously you can't fit into one." I get nasty, "if their is an emergency, please expect my my foot prints on your fat ass as I climb over!"

Here is my take - if you got a fat ass - defined as spilling over into the next seats space - further defined as when you set your double wide butt down your arm is now over the arm rest and into the next seats space - you need to buy a another seat. I'll be the first one to tell ya that.

Fat people have rights, too. The right to buy two spaces and not crush the passenger next to your ass.

LVM

[Snoopers-868th]

Tell me you also defended the smokers when the "do-gooders" decided to take their rights away! What about the insurance costs for these over-weight folks? Last I heard the Surgeon General says they are taking a bigger toll on the costs than smoking related illness.

[LasVegasMac]

I can't imagine what torture it must be for the big sized folks and now they want them to pay double?

Double your pleasure.

Double your size!

Double your seating requirements!

LVM

[Ditter]

There is no doubt the airlines have made the seats smaller & closer together. I have sat next to people who spilled over onto me. I don't like strangers touching me but there was no place else for them to put their fat. If I had been them I would have bought 2 seats without being told, or I would not fly. Surely you understand this.

I have never complained to the airlines but there was one time I was able to move from beside a huge fat man. (Most of the flights I take are full with every seat taken.) I'll bet lots of people have complained, thats why this is happening.

[Doc On The Bay]

"AU Contraire..."---Whatever THAT means; the "Airlines would NEVER "Make a Fuss" about an "Overly Large Passenger" UNLESS they were "Booked!!"

This "Controversy" is a "Good Sign;" "Air Travel" is Back to "Nearly Normal!!"

An "Individual" Large enough to occupy two Standard Airline Seats OUGHT TO PAY for their TWO Standard Seats!!!

I VERY MUCH DOUBT that "Fellow Passengers" would object to a "SurCharge" for "Oversized Passengers!!"

Doc

[DontMessWithMyCountry]

The majority in this Country are overweight according to recent government studies, since we as taxpayers are already subsidizing the airlines I don't see why they can't accomodate people when they do buy passage.

Danielle, i recommend that you be the first to send your increased charitable contribution to the U.S. Government so that you may put your money where your mouth is. You are free to think and say what you wish. Don't expect or demand the rest of us (many of whom the government forgot to include in the stats you read) who are not overweight...or oversized...to subsidize someone's weight-problem to pay for your hypersensitivity--or their obesity (no, MOST are not fat because of genetics). The fact that the gov't subsidizes the airlines is *not* necessarily a *good* thing, to begin with. (I had this silly notion that we lived in a republic and not a socialistic nation.) They subsidize druggies' needle exchange programs, too. Yea, that's a beautiful (and sensitive) thing, too, isn't it?

You must not fly often, either Danielle, if you've never been on over-booked flights. And, maybe you like the close contact with someone sitting ON you, and not NEXT to you? Will you subsidize (personally, of course) those of us who have bruises from someone sitting on us, or subsidize our dry-cleaning bills we incur for re-pressing our clothes when we reach our destination? Just wondering, of course ;-)