Posted on 12/23/2003 3:47:09 PM PST by BlackVeil
I sometimes travel on long distance flights as a part of my work. The last time I did, I was lucky enough to have an empty seat beside me. But no sooner had I settled in, and was dozing off, than the flight attendent came to speak to me and asked me to change seats.
She explained that there was a guy in a seat up front who needed extra room, as he is very big. I did give up my seat for him, and moved to his, which was one of those very narrow seats at the front of the ailes - a space before you rather than an extra row of seats and with a hard barrier on either side rather than a moveable arm rest. I could see why the other traveller found it uncomfortable, I wasn't too keen on it myself.
Other people tell me that this is very common, now. With airline seats being narrow, and humans getting big, there is usually some re-arranging once a flight has taken off. If travellers have an empty seat beside them, they are often asked to move for an overweight person.
Is one obliged to move? Is it selfish to say - no, I have an empty space beside me and I would prefer to stay here and stretch out in it? Does the other person NEED the seat?
Once, when I was on a flight with Gulf Air, I had a fat Saudi man by me. (There is no one so fat as a fat Saudi.) But he was sensible, and had booked himself two seats, and therefore didn't put anyone out. He was the ideal travelling companion. He was considerate, fat, smelt faintly of perfume, didn't snore and he didn't talk all the time. If only everyone was like him!
Does anyone have any advice on the etiquette of all this? Obviously, if overweight people know that any empty seats will be made available to them, they have not much incentive to purchase extra space for themselves. I do not know if it is right to encourage this. On the other hand it is true that airline seats are too cramped, there should be better designs.
I try for the seat at the rear where the fuselage curves in. The wall allows a better prop for your pillow and you get served meals first. You're close to the can, so you don't have to walk half way up the aisle to wait. The time will come where they charge passengers like they charge for parcel rates - the heavier, the greater the cost.
Alas, they are all the longest of long haul flights - I am in Australia. It is our own fault, I suppose, for living at the edge of the world.
That is a good point about passenger weights - yes I think that they will have to factor it in, eventually. Until then, it is a mixture of compromise and co-operation.
If it was a many hours flight, I would agree to share the burden by swapping from time to time.
--Boris
I think if the person is large enough to need two seats, they should pay for it or take alternate transportation.
Let's look at this, using hypothetical situations, kind of like parables.
What if you were sitting on a crowded bus, and a little old lady boarded, but couldn't find a seat?
What if you were sitting on a crowded bus, and a pregnant lady boarded, but couldn't find a seat?
What about a pregnant lady, if you know that she conceived "out of wedlock?" It is "her fault," so she should pay for her bad behavior (by standing up on the bus).
What if the bus was going through a part of town known to have a high illegitimacy rate? Would you refuse to yield your seat, on the likelihood that the it was the pregnant lady's fault, therefore, she should pay (suffer) for her misdeed?
Now, let's look at a harder one: a man boards, with a broken leg and crutches.
What about if you know that the man got his broken leg while showing off, doing a very dangerous stunt?
What if (in a very small town) you knew that one man broke his leg in a very dangerous stunt; and another man broke his leg rescuing children from a burning car. A man boards, with a broken leg, but you do not know which man it is. What then?
A man boards. He stands there, sweat dripping off him, his face white, obviously about to collapse. Give him your seat?
What if the above man had a very large abdomen? What if you knew that he had a swollen liver, heart, etc.? What if you weren't certain about this particular man?
Now, for the hardest one: a man gets on, who is obviously obese. "Everyone knows" that how people get fat is by eating too much, and not exercising enough, right? So, should this man have to "pay" for the bad behavior of eating too much?
What if (in the above scenario) you knew as an absolute fact, that there are many medical and genetic problems (not to mention medications), which result in intractable obesity? What if you knew that the obese man was a victim of one of these medical/genetic problems?
What if, in the above hypothetical, you knew that some portion of obese people are such, due to medical/genetic problems, but you don't know whether this particular man is one of those people, or if he just eats too much? Do you presume that he is a glutton, and therefore he must pay for his wrong behavior?
Just food for thought. Don't eat too much. ;--)
DG
Just food for thought. Don't eat too much. ;--)
I make no promises. At the rate that I am going, with holiday feasts, the whole situation could soon be reversed. Maybe I am the one who will be asking for more seating room, and saying - look at that skinny freak in the corner with 2 seats - make that person move!
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