[11th Earl of Mar]

"People of size"?

What's next, "people of duh!" for the less intelligent?

[CecilRhodesGhost]

Sheila Allen should find a good trial lawyer and sue Herb and Southwest Airlines for all they can. This is discrimination and likely will not stand in court. Overweight people are being unfairly punished and singled out for an unfair financial penalty, not to mention the emotional shame and mental pain suffered.

[the]

Combine this new item (#1) with this news item (#2), and voila, the perfect solution to airlines' problems:

Fatties can provide anti-hijacking airliner security while riding in the comfort of free first class upgrades, so long as they promise to sit on the bad guys. (Value carriers, shuttle flights, and other single class flights will need another plan.)

From Item #1:

While buying a ticket for a Southwest flight from Sacramento to Burbank, Calif., he was told he'd need to buy an extra ticket.

The reason? He's what the airline calls "a person of size" - the PC term, evidently, for someone so large he may need more than one seat.

McAllister is, in fact, a big man - 6 feet 2 inches, 350 pounds. But the former college football player says he's never been accused of taking up more than a single seat on a flight.

From Item #2:

Police in Maryland say a man who tried to rob a store died after a customer sat on him.
...
He was sat on by a six foot two man who weighed 280 pounds after he was spotted stuffing packs of cigarettes into a bag.

---

Originally posted on my pitiful blog.

[stanz]

Hillary, watch out!

[lonestar]

"Who's going to decide who is going to have to pay for the extra ticket? Do we have to get on a scale?" asked Sheila Allen of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. "My weight is private medical information. It's not for anybody else's knowledge."

As long as you keep your private medical information in your own seat, I don't care, Sheila. But I don't want part of you in my seat!

I was on a four hour flight once, and the fat slob in the seat beside me was too fat to allow the arm rest down. I was miserable for four hours and didn't appreciate his lap in mine. I couldn't move and was very uncomfortable.

I think the airlines owe some consideration to their other passengers. If a body hangs into the next seat, why shouldn't they pay for it?

[MasonGal]

My husband is not overweight, but he is tall - 6' 4" - and his complaint is usually about how folks who sit in front of him - always recline their seat - right on his knees - and talk - about uncomfortable -I wonder if the folks in front of him could buy another seat?

[Britton J Wingfield]

They have a box that your carry-on luggage needs to fit into. Looks like they need one for passengers, too. If you don't fit, you get 2 seats.

If anyone sues over this and wins, I'm suing Magic Mountain for that time they discriminated against me for being short, and not letting me on the good rides. Size is irrelevant, right?

[Criminal Number 18F]

Sheila Allen of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance:"My weight is private medical information. It's not for anybody else's knowledge."

Translation: "I'm ashamed of the number. But if I were livestock it would be way past market time."

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[Paul Atreides]

Hillary is a person of thighs.

[comebacknewt]

What is going to wind up killing Southwest here is their lack of consistent standards. By not having a readily identifiable policy that they can apply uniformly, they are begging for a lawsuit -- especially once someone from a "protected class" is denied boarding or is charged double.

The idea seems to have some merit, but based on what I have read so far, the implementation is going to be a disaster for them.

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

heres some tips fot the people of size who want to fly

from the national association to advance fat acceptance website

http://www.naafa.org

Airline Tips for Large Passengers
Airline travel can be a nightmare for the large person. Small seats and aisles, the long walk from the check-in area to the gate, and the frequent insensitivity of passengers and crew can all contribute to an unpleasant flying experience. But with careful planning, your flight can be safe and enjoyable. Follow the guidelines listed below in order to maximize your comfort while flying.

BOOK CAREFULLY - Book your flight carefully, avoiding "rush-hour" air time. Take advantage of "red-eye special" deals, where the plane is less likely to be full . The chance of the seat next to yours remaining empty is 0% if you are flying out of LAX at 0 600 on a Monday morning.
EMPTY SEAT - Tell the airline that you are large and ask that the seat next to yours remain empty if at all possible. The worst the airline can do is say "No", but most airlines will at least attempt to accommodate. BELT EXTENSIONS - Request a seat-belt extension when you book your flight, and/or ask for one when you board the plane. Do not wait for the flight attendant's animated safety speech to discuss this need.
SEAT SIZE - When you book your flight ask specifically for the seat measurements of the plane you will be on. Explain your need and ask for the largest seat in your section of the plane. Even one inch can make a big difference.
AISLE OR WINDOW - Request a seat assignment for the aisle or window, where you will I have a little more room, and make sure that you don't have a bulkhead seat. While you have more leg-room in bulkhead, the armrests in the bulkhead do not raise, and the tray tables come out of the armrest across your lap. Supersize flyers might wish to request an aisle seat in a row where the outside armrests are movable, making it easier to slide into the row. PRE-BOARD - Even mid-size people have trouble squeezing down the micro-sized center aisle of most planes, and this task is even more difficult the plane is already plump with passengers. For this reason, you should preboard the plane with the rest of the passengers who need extra time in boarding. The gate agent probably won't hassle you, but if she asks, just say that you're a large person and need a little extra time.
ARMREST UP - When you get to your seat during pre-boarding, raise the armrest between seats. This may give you the inch or two of extra space you need. The chances are that the passenger who will be seated next to you won't say anything; if he does, smile pleasantly and say that you'll both be more comfortable if the armrest is up.
RESTROOMS - Use the airport restroom before boarding your plane. Ask when booking your trip if handicapped facilities are available on your particular flight. If not, you may want to change your plans and fly on a plane equipped with an accessible restroom.
TRAY-TABLE - If you cannot bring down the tray-table, have the flight attendant ask the passenger in front of you to put their seat to the full upright position for mealtime. If this doesn't help, set a pillow on your lap, and your meal tray on the pillow.
DO THE BUMP - Consider being bumped voluntarily. Not only can this be extremely profitable for fat frequent flyers (see related article), but your chances of being re-assigned to a partially full plane are greatly enhanced. You won't mind the inconvenience of an odd
departure/arrival time if your next trip by air is at a greatly reduced price.
SECOND SEAT - If you have purchased a second seat for comfort, be sure to let the flight attendant know as you board the plane. This will avoid embarrassment, as an ignorant flight attendant may try to fill your second seat. EXIT ROW SEAT - The exit-row seats over the wings of most planes have considerably more leg room than the rest of the seats in economy class. While FM regulations state that exit-row seating may be denied to fat passengers,
requesting an exit-row seat may be a viable option for fat people who are tall and those with reasonably good health and mobility.
GATE TRANSPORTATION - It's usually a long walk between curbside check-in and the gate, or between gates when you have connecting flights. When making your reservations, make sure to tell the agent if you will need special services, such as the airport tra m or an armless wheelchair and attendant.
The most important thing to remember is that you have the right to fly anywhere you want to go. Your needs deserve to be met, but it may be up to you to remind them of this simple fact. If you experience problems despite your precautions, write a letter of complaint to the airline. Remember, you have a right to accessible transportation.

Contributors: Jean Soncrant and Lynn McAffee ©

[rmlew]

I have no problem with this given a few provisions:
1. The Standards are set and written, whether they be determined by weight or size.
2. People paying for 2 seats, get them.
3. They get the sky miles for both seats.

[lideric]

Don't the airlines have to use profiling to determine if someone is fat?

[Exit148]

Aren't the seats smaller than they used to be? Haven't they knocked off an inch or 2 or 3, just to put in more seats?

It's the seat that goes back that bugs the he** out of me!!! When someone puts it back all the way, then they are in MY territory, and I am p----- very angry!

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

LOL so each one of Hillary's legs and thighs will be 4 different fares...that is when her broom is out of service.

[savedbygrace]

So here's the two-pronged approach that "people of size" can take to "help" SWAL reverse this decision.

1. Take it through the courts. SWAL will lose.

2. When forced to buy two seats, insist on using the seat right next to the other passenger in your row. You have paid for both seats and you should use them. Spread out.

LOL about these Unintented Consequences.

[NRA2BFree]

I can almost see the lawyers lining up to file discrimination law suits.

South West is going to "lose", and "People of Size" are going to "gain". 8-)

[Publius6961]

"Who's going to decide who is going to have to pay for the extra ticket? Do we have to get on a scale?" asked Sheila Allen of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. "My weight is private medical information. It's not for anybody else's knowledge."

I could care less how much you weigh, dumbo.
So long as you don't presume to have the right to lift the armrest between us, nor prevent me the freedom of movement and ordinary courtesies that all passengers expect from each other.

[Uni-Poster]

I am not normally a cruel person, but.....I was once stuck on the window seat with a 300 lb plus woman in the middle seat. Her fat flopped into nearly half my seat, she elbowed me about 6 times trying to scrounge the last nut from the bag, she stunk horribly of sweat and urine, I could not put MY traytable down because her thighs stuck out under it, I was unable to get out of my seat to use the restroom on the plane, I was the last person out of the plane because I could not get by her and she had to wait for everyone else to go to get up. God forbid we had a crash of some type, she may have crushed me or trapped me in my seat. Im 6'1 240 lbs so I am no skinny thing either, but my fat does not intrude on other people.