Obese have right to two airline seats for price of one

What do you think about this?

I sat next to an overweight (not obese) person on one of the last flights I took, and he had to place his entire arm and shoulder on top of me to fit in his seat. I was torn between being hugely uncomfortable, physically and personal space-wise, and feeling very sorry for him and how embarrassed he must have been.

dang it!

i'm always doin' stuff like that!

*kicks self*

::giggle::

Original Post by nomoreexcuses:

If a person loses their legs in a car crash, are we going to need to give them a special type of handicapped placard that denotes whether the accident that disabled them was their fault of that of another driver?

If it was their own fault, they get no special consideration of the fact that they have no legs?

That analogy is flawed. 

A car crash or accident is something that happens suddenly with little way to predict it.  Obesity is something that happens over a period of years with tons of warning signs along the way. 

We are not talking about an accident here. 
If a person cuts his own legs off with a saw, on purpose, should he not be held to blame?

Original Post by das1988:

Original Post by nomoreexcuses:

If a person loses their legs in a car crash, are we going to need to give them a special type of handicapped placard that denotes whether the accident that disabled them was their fault of that of another driver?

If it was their own fault, they get no special consideration of the fact that they have no legs?

That analogy is flawed. 

A car crash or accident is something that happens suddenly with little way to predict it.  Obesity is something that happens over a period of years with tons of warning signs along the way. 

We are not talking about an accident here. 
If a person cuts his own legs off with a saw, on purpose, should he not be held to blame?

Nah, stupid risk-taking behaviors can develop over years as well, you just can't predict the particular moment that it would result in a disability. But, we as a society celebrate extreme sports and that sort of thing -- boys will be boys, after all. Fat people invite disdain just by being fat. Does it matter whether we were always fat as children or whether we got fat later? Do you blame fat children as well? Or do we just suddenly become the object of disgust when we turn 18 and haven't turned it all around?

Really, being fat and having to ride on an airplane is pretty good punishment for being fat. The disdain of others is even better punishment. You'd think we would have learned by now and shaped up! But being inferior beings, we pitifully cannot.

I believe, if an illness or disability is responsible for someones size - they shouldnt have to pay. If it is the other way round - they should. It is a lifestyle choice for most after all - I can say that having been obese in the past. If someone has decided to lead a life where putting on weight is the norm and have a disability as a result - they should pay. I know its harsh, but it is fair - especially to those who do not choose to we overweight.

That said, Ive known people with thyroid issues who can more or less maintain a 'normal' weight. In that sense - apart from those with Prader Willi - people DO make a decision on what they eat and in that sense, can avoid obesity. I also have met many individuals who cannot walk - again - not overweight. So from that angle its a completely different story.

Another option is to charge based on weight above or below the standard testing weight for aircraft, which I think is around 185lbs. So you pay a standard amount for your seat and have a reduction/addition to your fuel surcharge. This is due to the fact that, if everyone on the plane was over 185lbs, for example, the plane would require more fuel - therefore the journey would cost more. There could be an clause here that states the disability issue.

I think, as obesity is expected to reach a crisis point by 2050 (60% of men, 50% of women and 25% of under 16's), it is time to start taking some action - not just with aircraft travel, but in all forms of public transport. I live in the UK and it is quite painful sometimes to watch people squeeze themselves into the seats on the underground - and also to watch those either side be pushed across.

Finally, I believe that - especially from looking at those stats - current obesity levels are only rising due to the society we live in. For a great number of people, sedentary lifestyles are the norm. If society continues to cater for overweight being the 'norm' - many people may not see the need to change. Therefore - society must change before the population does.

Original Post by denise07:

Original Post by das1988:

Original Post by nomoreexcuses:

If a person loses their legs in a car crash, are we going to need to give them a special type of handicapped placard that denotes whether the accident that disabled them was their fault of that of another driver?

If it was their own fault, they get no special consideration of the fact that they have no legs?

That analogy is flawed. 

A car crash or accident is something that happens suddenly with little way to predict it.  Obesity is something that happens over a period of years with tons of warning signs along the way. 

We are not talking about an accident here. 
If a person cuts his own legs off with a saw, on purpose, should he not be held to blame?

Nah, stupid risk-taking behaviors can develop over years as well, you just can't predict the particular moment that it would result in a disability. But, we as a society celebrate extreme sports and that sort of thing -- boys will be boys, after all. Fat people invite disdain just by being fat. Does it matter whether we were always fat as children or whether we got fat later? Do you blame fat children as well? Or do we just suddenly become the object of disgust when we turn 18 and haven't turned it all around?

Really, being fat and having to ride on an airplane is pretty good punishment for being fat. The disdain of others is even better punishment. You'd think we would have learned by now and shaped up! But being inferior beings, we pitifully cannot.

 

Not everyone who gets in a car crash is someone whose been developing stupid risk taking behaviors.  Obese people slowly watch it happening over the years, and don't stop it from happening.  I don't blame fat children; I blame their parents, who do nothing about it.

becky_dickel - i do think it is unfair to use the 185 lbs  set rate  ....i mean then taller men and woman pay more because of their height

at 186 lbs. and at 6'1" a person would not even be overweight by bmi standards (bmi 24.5) so why should they pay more.

i do not weigh over 185. but damn i would hate to have to give my weight to get a plain ticket!  i usually round up my weight when telling it to someone because i don't want them thinking no way she weighs that - but my oral surgeon said i am the only one who seems to UP their weight he said everyone rounds down.  i would think people would be rounding down if it effected their price.. so what you stand on a scale to get a ticket??

whatever i just do not see why height should cost us more. 

I understand that...but I didnt set that rate - its the standard testing weight for aircraft. If you are using more fuel, why shouldnt you pay more than someone who is using a lot less? Id be happy to stand on scales to get a % reduction on my fuel surcharge - and Im not exactly proud of my weight

i suppose it would be fair...  you pay for what you cost but it annoys me someone is paying less at a higher bmi because they are shorter. 

i never liked standing on a scale even when i was underweight.

A number wont solve this.

As pointed out, height is a factor but even if there were some type of height/ weight chart, its still couldnt account for whether you carry your weight on your stomach (front to back) or your hips/butt (side to side which will have more affect on someone besides you).

Ive much larger bottom but finally found myself able to comfortably sit in chairs so when I took a flight, was quite aware how much smaller the seating was on a plane than various other seatings Ive used. 

Airline seating may vary somewhat but its still not average seating size compared seating of other services like buses, reception rooms, theaters, etc. 

It's as simple as this: you pay for the seat(s) you sit in.
If you take up one seat, you pay for one seat. If you take up 5, you pay for 5. The obese person is not paying for his or her disability, but the section of the plane.
I don't really know where I stand when it comes to whether obese people can help taking up more than one seat. What I do know is that I had a cavity last month, brought on by my own eating habits, and I STILL had to pay for the filling (or two, or three, or however many a person could have), just as any person would have to pay for his or her seat on a plane.