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

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

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

Maybe they should make the seats a bit larger.

I hope you don't interpret my comments as offending. Like I mentioned, I was heavy once. 228 pounds, at 5'10" tall. Not morbidly obese, but not all that far away.

The things that can change are (1) Cost per seat, and (2) Seats per plane. My arguments are based on the assumption that (2) is non-negotiable, i.e. there is a given amount of 'passenger volume' per seat, that being demarcated by an imaginary plane which runs through the center of the armrests, to the seat in front, and extending to the ceiling and floor. When you buy a ticket, you are buying use of that space (it can be argued, anyway). If you can not fit within that space, you are either (a) costing the airline money because they are forced to give you the adjacent seat for free, or (b) infringing on the rightfully paid-for space of someone sitting in the seat next to you because the airline wants to fill that seat, or (c) paying for the extra seat outright, which is the issue at hand.

One could argue that it discriminates against people who DO fit in that space, to charge them the same fare as those who 'spill over'.

I realize this is a sensitive topic, but because I was once pretty overweight I thought I at least had a bit of moral authority, so to speak.

Essentially, there are two camps. One camp says people are people, and all get charged the same. The other says people are cargo, and should pay by some weight or volume occupied criteria. If the airline sets the second policy as their choice, is there a legal precedent for a passenger suing? I can't say, I'm not a lawyer. But that's what it really boils down to. I'm sorry if I offended anybody. I was speaking about heavy/thin people in the abstract, from a profit perspective. There may be no one-size-fits-all (pardon the expression) solution based purely on avoiding offending anyone. So I think maybe the abstract approach may be the path of least resistance, and the most defensible. But again, the airline ought to balance profit with not driving away customers (and the two are interrelated concepts, hence there is a tradeoff)

By the way, I was born with one leg shorter than the other. I hate it. I wear a heel lift. I can't jump off my right foot because my Achilles tendon is too tight. I was also born prone to depression. And my right eye is practically blind. So I know all about being dealt a genetic wild card. I try to focus on my many genetic and learned talents (patting self on back), such as inciting controversy on FR, albeit unintentionally.

[Paul Atreides]

They need to fine those people, you know the ones; rolls of fat, who insist on going out in spandex. Also, the gals who insist on going out in hip-hugger jeans with a foot of flab hanging over the waist.

[wrench]

The "standard" FAA passenger weight is 170 pounds. The seats are designed to support this payload up to 2.5 g's. There is little,if any, reserve strength in the seats.

Transport catagory aircraft are designed to operate at gross weight with a plus or minus 1.75 g loading (been a long time, but I think that is right, around 2 g's or so)

A 350 pound (or larger) passenger will damage a typical airline seat in a hard landing or during an encounter with severe turbulence. If the turbulence is bad enough, the seat can totally fail and injure a passenger seated in the row behind .

I have repaired many seats damaged by "plus" sized passengers. The airlines have every right to charge extra for such passengers, it costs more to haul their butts around the sky.

[Danielle]

I am a smoker, so I always defend smokers. I am a considerate smoker, but nonetheless a smoker. I know a lot of big people that have no health problems. I know a lot of alcoholics and casual drinkers that make more trips to the doctors then big people.

[Danielle]

I don't believe I ever implied or said that I agreed with subsidizing the airlines, and the government takes wnough of my money - I am not going to send them more, nor am I going to pay your doctor bills, which I doubt you have just because a large person sat next to you. Your post makes no sense in regard to mine.

[OC_Steve]

I regularly fly and get bumped up to first quite often (no not due to my size). I recently flew from Orange County to Houston in First Class next to a person of size. The guy spilled over into my First Class seat as well.

I am not a skinny guy, but I don't spill over into the next seat. When I am in coach, I usually end up with someone in the 3 bill range sitting next to me. Makes for a tough flight.

[gunnut]

Airlines at one time refusse to sell a passenger more than one seat if they wanted one. I knew several people even of average size that wanted to buy 3 seats for 2 people for more comfort and they would not let them. I am a rather large person and I would love to have the extra room if they will sell me another ticket especially when airfare is really pretty cheap in economy.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

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

Y'oughta do something about that lisp.

That's one hell of a speech impartedament...er uh, impediment.

[Jorge]

You don't even have to add anything to the story for it to be funny.
But instead of dwelling on the negative, maybe the "person's of size" should think of all the advantages.
Such as, they'll get double the the frequent flyer miles.
Only sounds fair to me.

[Ron in Acreage]

Just think, they'll get 2 bags of peanuts as well. Elephants love peanuts!

[Paul Atreides]

It'th all the thpithe. However, I make a killing on the horthe ratheth. Prethienthe, you know.

[Paul Atreides]

Remember the story, several days ago, of the chubby woman who won her lawsuit to teach aerobics?

[DontMessWithMyCountry]

yep...and if they don't buy two tickets, and they continue to insist on sitting on US (and not just their own seats), they really need to give us that %age of our seat they've taken in frequent flyer miles ;-) After all, we must be fair, right? Hey, we're people too!!! ;-)

[Brian Allen]

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

I have a house in Thailand and live there a lot of the time.

In the LAND of Thais!

Sigh ............

[alaskanfan]

What should you do if you don't fit the "standards" demand reparations?

After all it is taxpayer funded.

[Paul Atreides]

I imagine you was fit to be Thai'ed. ;-)

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

I wonder how long until they charge by the pound????

It is the easiest solution, after all.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

LOL! The thpithe.

Good one, Usul.

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

Good for him. The hardest part of it all is realizing that you're in it for (in my case) eight months, and that's if you DON'T fall off the wagon. My diet was not based on any books or anything, it was more of a 'set a few rules, shave calories here and there, and take the stairs instead of the elevator' approach. I drink diet soda. I'd skip a meal some days, so that I could have a more satisfying dinner. I haven't ordered takeout food since October of last year (the now-ex-wife moving out helped a lot -- she was my excuse to binge). I began doing at least pushups and crunches every day. I rode the exercise bike a few times a week. I weighed myself every day, and didn't let it faze me if the scale went up -- I knew it was just water weight. Slowly but surely the weight came off. When I got to my goal of 165 I still wasn't satisfied, and it went up to 170 after my vacation. I just resumed the diet as though I'd never stopped, and now I'm at 158, and I could stop here. I think I might try for 155.

In a way though, the dieting is the easy part. Learning to eat 'normally' will be more of a challenge. I've either eaten like a pig or eaten while on a diet. Normal will feel like a bit of a binge after a 1400-1600 calorie intake per day. I'm working my way up to 2200-2300, slowly.

Yeah, it was hard. But it got much easier once I decided that failure was not an option. When I went shopping, I walked right on by the snack section. That alone was a big help.

But I must confess, what kept me on the diet for CERTAIN was falling in love with an Australian girl in mid-February, and knowing I'd be taking my vacation down there in mid-April. I wanted to be at my goal weight by then. And I made it to 162, three pounds under my goal of 165. Whatever it takes to motivate you, do it (within the law, of course). Sorry I'm so verbose tonight, I'm on edge because said Australian girlfriend is coming up for a three-month stay, departing Australia June 21. And her visa hasn't arrived yet (long story). I'm just antsy, so forgive me if I take it out in my long replies. Not knowing if the love of your life will make it into the country is kind of nerve-wracking, to say the least.

[JLO]

Danielle, I agree, while reading this thread sequentially - that post makes no sense in regard to yours! JLO