[NYCVirago]

Don't expect or demand the rest of us (many of whom the government forgot to include in the stats you read) who are not overweight...or oversized...to subsidize someone's weight-problem to pay for your hypersensitivity--or their obesity (no, MOST are not fat because of genetics).

What about people with long legs (I'm one of them) who end up scrunched up and banging into the person's seat in front of them due to the lack of room? If the airlines can get away with making overweight passengers buy two seats, then the next thing they'll do is charge tall people for two seats (or maybe three, if they try to put their seat back). And unlike weight, you can't change your height!

BTW, Southwest Airlines, the airline in this article, does not have a first class section, or assigned seating, so this man would be unable to purchase a larger seat.

[MEGoody]

You are so right about the issue for tall people. In addition, what is to stop the airlines from continuing to downsize their seats so they can add more and more people to the list of those who have to pay for two seats? That is what has caused this problem in the first place.

[DontMessWithMyCountry]

Yes, i agree. even though i'm not 'large' at all, i have very long legs...even i am very cramped sitting on an airliner. But, that article was not addressing 'tall' people or 'long' people ;-) Never had a TALL person crush me out of my seat; yes, we might have played a few rounds of 'footsie', but no harm done to one another ;-)

Actually, all that aside, i don't intend to fly again until the airlines starts treating us (you know, Americans) like Americans again (free, safe from unreasonable search, right to eat like civilized human beings with a fork and a knife, etc., etc.). They haven't made me feel 'safe', but, rather 'violated'. This utter absurdity of frisking and strip-searching American citizens (don't care what your age or ethnicity) is outrageous because it will do absolutely nothing to ensure our safety on a flight.

Btw, I wonder if possibly the real rationale for the flack that commuter got was because the airlines are hurting so much now for cash flow (i know full well i am not the only person who has chosen to drive--it's actually rather enjoyable if you have the time--and, with all the extra security b.s. they put us through at the airports, it probably takes no longer to drive (unless you have to do a coast-to-coast trip). Until the airlines divest themselves of the U.S. gubmint interest (or would that be the other way around? oh well), and while they *still* are publicly traded companies (yea, commercial enterprises they tell us) i'm not going to patronize them as a private industry. Bad enough we're paying for their stockholders' interests now every April 15th...they got the cheap labor they needed to turn over a profit...compliments of the U.S. gubmint interference, so let them figure out a way to make a real profit for themselves (with far less patrons.) That's *my* "real" issue, anyhow ;-)