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Jury: Airline not racist
seacoastonline ^

Posted on 02/13/2006 11:51:51 AM PST by SmoothTalker

"A jury on Friday said Southwest Airlines did not racially discriminate against an overweight passenger when she was asked to buy a second seat on her flight."

"The jury deliberated for a little over an hour before finding against Nadine Thompson, who sued Southwest in federal court. She claimed that she was singled out because she is black and that the airline’s "customer of size" policy was unfairly applied to her after she boarded a flight at Manchester Airport in June 2003."

" Southwest’s policy states that a "customer of size" is someone who can’t sit in a seat without having the armrest raised and is sitting on part of the adjacent seat. Thompson, who said she doesn’t consider herself a customer of size, didn’t challenge the policy; rather, she claimed, it allows any random employee to operate "in a discriminatory way about that policy." "

"Joel Drake, a Southwest employee, testified earlier Friday that Thompson accused him of being a "motherf--- racist pig" and wished that his family would die from cancer when he tried to explain the company’s policy to her."


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: airlines; bigfatmama; choosesalad; fat; food; fork; hollottawoman; lawsuit; obesity; passengerofsize; racistfatpig; ruling; southwest; southwestairlines; xxl
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To: from occupied ga
I was on a flight with a similar seat mate (280 - 300 lbs) who just jerked the arm rest up, almost tearing my elbow off! When I insisted that she lower the arm rest, she refused to do so. I infirmed her that it was against airline regulation for the thing to be up during take off and landing.

When she still refused (of course taking up at least 1/4 of my seat), I flagged down an attendant (who also happened to be black and chubby) and was told that it was OK to leave the arm rest up if that "made passengers more comfortable."

I informed the witch that the arm rest being up did not make me comfortable and that in fact I was very uncomfortable.

The flight attendant just huffed, "Well that is a personal problem that needed to be settled by my seat mate and me" and that she had more important things to attend to than a spat between passengers.

41 posted on 02/13/2006 12:12:59 PM PST by zerosix (Native Sunflower)
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To: EagleUSA
"Exactly! :-) Now, all you fat hogs to the BACK OF THE AIRPLANE!!!!

LOL!

That reminds me of a true story. About 10 years ago I was listening to the pilot's conversation on a UA flight when he became very agitated with ground control. We had pushed back from the gate and were tooling around the airport for some time, (O'Hare, those who have been there know what I am saying) then the plane came to a rather quick stop.

The pilot tried to back up using the reverse thrusters and you could feel the nose of the plane lift.

He got on the PA and rather apologetically asked all of us to move forward as he could not back up with the nose gear off the ground and for some reason the seating assignments had put us all near the rear of the plane.

O'Hare ground control had put 2 planes nose to nose without any egress in between and the pilot was Pi$$ed.

42 posted on 02/13/2006 12:13:32 PM PST by Wurlitzer (The difference between democrats and terrorists is the terrorists don't claim to support the troops)
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To: SmoothTalker
Well, just imagine you are in coach, seats three across, all seats sold, and you really, really have to take the flight; and Ted Kennedy sat near the window. With much trepidation, you squeeze into your seat. Mich. Moore takes the aisle.

I think that wouldn't that be worse?

but not as bad as Hillary taking one of the seats.

43 posted on 02/13/2006 12:13:59 PM PST by JohnCliftn (In War: Resolution. In Defeat: Defiance. In Victory: Magnanimity. In Peace: Good Will.)
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To: I see my hands
Seat the hefties next to each other. See how they like it.

Perfect!

44 posted on 02/13/2006 12:14:10 PM PST by T Minus Four (Some assembly required (but not as much as before!).)
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To: silverleaf
Fat, stupid and angry....is no way to live!

We've had to view, lots that during and since Katrina, on the MSM.

45 posted on 02/13/2006 12:14:27 PM PST by fella ("(News) should be the maximum of information & minimum of comment." - Cobden)
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To: SmoothTalker
"Joel Drake, a Southwest employee, testified earlier Friday that Thompson accused him of being a "motherf--- racist pig" and wished that his family would die from cancer when he tried to explain the company’s policy to her."

In spite of being a well-spoken intelligent young lady...

46 posted on 02/13/2006 12:14:35 PM PST by Fruitbat
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To: SmoothTalker
Thompson, who said she doesn’t consider herself a customer of size,

The only reason the jury took an hour to deliberate is it took them that long to stop crying for laughing, elect a foreman and write down the verdict.

47 posted on 02/13/2006 12:15:06 PM PST by mikeus_maximus (You say Islam is violent? I will kill you for that!)
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To: I see my hands

I'm not a small guy myself, and I once was on a flight in a middle seat between two 300+ pounders. I asked to be moved, but every seat was full. I then asked the two guys if one of them would trade seats with someone so they wouldn't both be in the same row. Both refused. That had to be the most miserable flight of my life.


48 posted on 02/13/2006 12:16:39 PM PST by Still Thinking (Disregard the law of unintended consequences at your own risk.)
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To: I see my hands
Seat two blobs side by side. That's the best idea yet. It would be a good reality check. Make it two females and there should be a great cat fight with a lotta choice words.

Then throw them both off the plane!!

49 posted on 02/13/2006 12:17:00 PM PST by Sacajaweau (God Bless Our Troops!!)
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Comment #50 Removed by Moderator

To: I see my hands

Actually, if they could seat two of them together across a section of 3 seats, they could halve the "fat penalty"., and both would likely be very comfortable.


51 posted on 02/13/2006 12:22:20 PM PST by Teacher317
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To: EagleUSA
Fat, stupid and angry....is no way to live!

Don't forget racist. I just found this on her company's web site. Apparently she's the CEO of Warm Spirit, Inc.

Call me nuts, but if the W Whitehouse looked like this in reverse, I think there'd be a problem.

http://www.warmspirit.com/cons_bios.html

52 posted on 02/13/2006 12:22:50 PM PST by Fruitbat
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To: EagleUSA
Fat, stupid and angry....is no way to live!

Don't forget racist. I just found this on her company's web site. Apparently she's the CEO of Warm Spirit, Inc.

Call me nuts, but if the W Whitehouse looked like this in reverse, I think there'd be a problem.

http://www.warmspirit.com/cons_bios.html

53 posted on 02/13/2006 12:22:50 PM PST by Fruitbat
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To: zerosix

You have more patience that me.


54 posted on 02/13/2006 12:22:55 PM PST by AxelPaulsenJr (Pray Daily For Our Troops and President Bush and the SAPPS)
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To: HEY4QDEMS
You're lucky he asked.

I had it down with my arm on it. (and kept it that way)

55 posted on 02/13/2006 12:23:25 PM PST by from occupied ga (Peace through superior firepower)
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To: SmoothTalker
"Joel Drake, a Southwest employee, testified earlier Friday that Thompson accused him of being a "motherf--- racist pig" and wished that his family would die from cancer when he tried to explain the company’s policy to her."

Southwest should now stand up for it's employee and it's other customers and ban this person from using their airline.

Southwest's employees and other customers should not have to put up with such behavior from "customers".

56 posted on 02/13/2006 12:23:44 PM PST by untrained skeptic
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To: zerosix

I'm old, but meaner than sh!t, maybe a little of that came through :-)


57 posted on 02/13/2006 12:24:56 PM PST by from occupied ga (Peace through superior firepower)
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To: SmoothTalker

58 posted on 02/13/2006 12:25:02 PM PST by HEY4QDEMS (Learn from the past, don't live in it.)
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To: Still Thinking

All the way to Frankfurt from Chicago in November I sat with a 350 pounder pushing her way into my seat and giving me no arm space, foot space etc either. Ten hours seemed to last forever. They do need to do it differently, it just is not fair.

Meantime, around Europe if you have a normal amount of luggage you have to book extra seats just for the luggage now, they have such strict requirements. Our next two trips are set up that way. So passengers can weigh whatever, but their luggage is limited to 40 or 50 pounds!


59 posted on 02/13/2006 12:25:32 PM PST by BonnieJ
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To: zerosix

What was the airline? Did you file a complaint against the stewardess? I would have!!!


60 posted on 02/13/2006 12:26:33 PM PST by Finny (God continue to Bless President G.W. Bush with wisdom, popularity, safety and success.)
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