Obese air passenger in economy seat has picture taken

telegraph.co.uk/ ^ | 11-27-09 | Alastair Jamieson

[Justaham]

An image of an obese passenger squeezed into an economy airline seat has reopened a debate about how airlines deal with growing numbers of oversized passengers.

The picture, posted on an aviation blog, was reportedly taken by a flight attendant to illustrate to airline managers the difficulty of dealing with passengers who cannot fit into seats.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Replace “fatso” with “ni**er” and re-read your post to see if it’s appropriate.

[Hulka]

If you reference someone on a thread, you also include him in the “To” list.

It is the polite thing to do, and no so petty.

[autumnraine]

If I purchased 2 seats, I’d drape a dang leg over it before they put someone else in it.

[The Good Doctor]

Good Lord, he makes that seat look like a toy. Thats what I feel like when I sit for a “tea party” with my 8 year old daughter.

[MarkL]

Yes, the airlines suck. But they suck because the flying public refuses to pay more for quality. There have been efforts made to have better seats and so forth, and those efforts fail ... as people will still book the cheaper flight ... even if its only a 5 buck difference.

It's funny that you mention this... My favorite airline was "Midwest Express" (now Midwest Airlines), and I loved the fact that they always had "2 across seating," and they were these wonderful, comfortable Recaro seats. Their fares were a bit higher, but I was more than willing to pay the extra money (about $40 or $50 round trip). But I guess like you say, not everyone else was. With a few exceptions, they've replaced the planes that had 2 across seating with the standard, smaller seats and 3 and 2 seating. And they've cut back on the space front to back between the seats, in order to squeeze in an extra row or two! It's really depressing for me to fly, since I'm 6'4" with a 36" inseam. And yes, I'm fat too. But it's the leg room that really suffers! Even without the person in front of me reclining, my knees are pushed up against the seat in front of me, and by the time I get to where I'm going, both of my legs are asleep!

Mark

[StolarStorm]

"They ended up bumping the man in the middle seat and upgrading him to First Class, and fatso got both seats."

That is one reason the fatties don't bother pay for an upgrade or buy two seats... because they often can score a free first class seat.

[StolarStorm]

Oh.. I know what you mean. When I was an employee I flew a lot and ran into those bi*tches all the time. You can blame both the Airline AND the unions for this problem.

The Airlines forced big pay cuts on employees who were already underpaid according market rates. Employees were PO'D BIGTIME and the customers suffered for it. The good ones left for better jobs and you got stuck with the nastys.

The unions are also to blame because they reward seniority excessively. Being a gate agent or FA was always supposed to be a short term job for the young. But when the workers get paid much more as they age, they are more likely to stick around. And sorry, but they have tough jobs and you really don't want them in those jobs long enough to get a jaded attitude.

With the pay cuts, only the higher paid FAs and gate agents could afford to stay. So you get stuck with the old jaded mean ones who weren't able to snag a pilot husband, or the ones who had no other career options.

[Chode]

and they didn't make him buy TWO seats because???

[auboy]

Mark Mangino?

[Rodamala]

Next time, try the train.

[celtic gal]

I agree..he should have! Pity the folks sitting next to and around this guy. All that aside, what were the folks at the gate to the causeway thinking when they saw him about to embark onto the plane? No one can get around him, he is a flight hazard as he sits there on the arm. Lord knows he could not get into one of the tiny loos on that jet so hope he has a strong bladder when he flies...and intercontinental trips ..... oh my!!!

[Nik Naym]

"Because he's a fat, worthless f*ck who cares nothing about his own life or his family's. He'll eat himself to death while in the process forcing others to subsidize his meds, his healthcare and possibly his funeral. He is a selfish glutton and parasite. "

Wow. You sound like a very hateful person. Is it all that organic crap you eat that makes you sound so nasty?

[leapfrog0202]

Ya know what? You’ve done a lot of good for the world through your assocation with KofC and you’re a cancer survivor with a happy marriage to a beautiful woman and THAT tops Chet’s ability to smell through photos! *hugs* to you my FRiend!

[Chet 99]

Gee, I’m sorry... I guess it should be “Rotund-American”.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Don't patronize me. You do realize that the majority of American adults are either overweight or obese, don't you? But I guess every one of them are lazy overeaters, right?

[antceecee]

I had the same experience from Philly to LA with a woman who took up half of my seat. Luckily I was flying with my husband and we could raise the arm rest between us. This woman raised the arm rest between her and I and the flight attendant would do nothing - she should have at least told her to lower the arm rest. That would have prevented some of this woman’s fat rolls from overflowing my seat. The woman sat down, raised the arm rest, covered herself with a blanket and went to sleep so she could ignore our discomfort.
I think if I ever have someone seat themselves next to me that is this heavy.. I will ask the flight attendant to get them to put me on another flight.

[gopheraj]

I agree. If “you” look farther down the pic, there are people standing up in the aisle.

[manic4organic]

Yeah, that’s it. The food. /s. So sue me for a hate crime. Obesity is one of the few preventable “diseases”. I was overweight and decided to do something about it. I eat right, I exercise and I don’t use “bad genes” as an excuse.

[jerri]

You know what though? Even if he’d paid for 2 seats you don’t always get two seats. I have a co-worker that bought 2 seats on a flight to NJ for our corporate meeting and they used her 2nd seat for a standby passenger. She tried to do the right thing and the airline took the seat from her. She objected and said she’d paid for two seats and after booking online called the 800# and explained why she’d bought 2 seats.

That would really piss me off if I paid for 2 seats and they took one.

[Logic n' Reason]

For pete’s sake...put the big slob in cargo!!! And mount him on the centerline of the aircraft...otherwise, we’ll never get ‘er in trim!!!!!