Man Sues Airline For Being Seated Next To Obese Man

nbc7 ^

[chance33_98]

Man Sues Airline For Being Seated Next To Obese Man
Delta Spokesman Calls Man's Lawsuit Trivial

UPDATED: 12:27 p.m. EDT August 1, 2002

ASHLAND, Ohio -- An Ashland man is suing Delta Airlines because he was seated next to an obese man during a two-hour flight last November.

Philip Shafer said that Delta breached its contract to provide him with a full seat and reasonable comfort. Shafer claims he suffered embarrassment, severe discomfort, mental anguish and severe emotional distress from the flight.

"I think these large people have a responsibility to take control, either to get two seats, or talk to the airline," Shafer said. "The airline has a responsibility to take care of this problem. The last person who should be worried is the innocent passenger."

An attorney for Delta called the suit trivial and said that it is not a legitimate issue. The case is set to go to court in mid-September.

[eno_]

N.b. I didn't say the airlines had the seats right, either. They might not have this trouble if all seats were a little bigger. Everyone would be mellower about it and they would get sued less, by the fat and the the normal.

[BibChr]

Exactly right. Or obnoxious kids. Or poorly-dressed people. Or ugly people, why not ugly people?

Or what if a fat person sits next to a skinny person who just makes him feel bad? Or a religious person? Or an irreligious person? Or someone reading a stupid book?

Get over yourself, Bones, and learn to get along with folks not as perfect as you are.

Dan

[RobRoy]

The airlines may want to have different sizes of seats in the coach section, and charge according to what size you pick. Or better yet, charge passengers by the pound (I'm not joking). Then they could put the person in two seats since he'll end up paying for it. 8^>

That's capitalism at it's best - people pay for what they use and only for what they use!

[BibChr]

Check out 12 and 22.

[alloysteel]

And this was after the obese person had paid for two seats?

[Freebird Forever]

I hope he succeeds.

Bump that sentiment.

[Wolfie]

I'm with you. I think its a dumb lawsuit when you get down to it, and the guy filing it probably does too. But its nice to see somebody stand up and fight using the same logic (twisted as it may be) that the parasite class uses.

[BillaryBeGone]

Annoying liberals (/oxymoron)

Not oxymoronic, just redundant. ;-)

[Goetz_von_Berlichingen]

"Or better yet, charge passengers by the pound (I'm not joking)."

That is the best and fairest solution I have yet heard.

[eno_]

Jet Blue is all business class. Maybe someone should start AnorexiAir and fly 700 people in a 727. One peanut each. And a spoon to shove down their throats. The barf bag is an established tradition.

But seriously... nobody has sued Jet Blue. Treating customers well can be the right thing to do.

[LibWhacker]

Oh, for crying out loud! So BULK UP and tell the tub of lard if he infringes on your arm rest one more time, you're gonna rip off his tire and stuff it down his throat.

I got no sympathy for sickly, skinny, whiney, litigious vegan wimps.

[RobRoy]

>>Get over yourself, Bones, and learn to get along with folks not as perfect as you are.<<

Your bringing irrelevent comparisons. It's not a matter of getting along. If I sit next to a skinny person, I won't suffer back pain for two days afterward. Likewise an ugly person or any of the others. We're not talking about psychological feelings here. We're talking about paying for a seat and having to share it with someone.

This has struck a nerve, hasn't it?

How much do you weigh?

How would you propose this guy deals with the problem of the airline allowing someone to take up part of his already uncomfortable seat, especially when members of the fat group are suing for that very right?

He's obviously trying to show that there are two sides so that hopefully the fat guys suit WILL get thrown out.

I think one solution would be that all armrests become fixed in position except when a stewardess opens them (with a key)for someone to sleep across several UNOCCUPIED seats. Or, of course, when a fat person has bought two adjoining seats.

Seems fair...

[MinuteGal]

I hope some day I get seated next to Old Crusty. Talk about emotional and nasal distress! I could make out like a bandit in court.

Leni

[Mo1]

This is a stupid lawsuit and should be thrown out

[justin4bush]

When I fly, I am inevitably stuck next to some hog or someone with a kid that will not shut up. This guy is trying to make a point and I hope he wins. If you are too darn fat to fit into one seat completely, you need to purchase 2. The arm rest does lift up!

Justin

[ArrogantBustard]

Get off the high-horse, Dan. All of your examples are completely irrelevant. The issue is paying for one seat, and not getting it because the (portly gentleman|full figured lady) next to you is taking up his seat and 1/3 or more of the seats next to him. Some airlines are attempting to address this by requiring those who will occupy more than one seat to actually pay for more than one seat. Your spurious examples have no bearing on squashing or being squashed by the person sitting next to you.

Oh, and obnoxious kids. If you can't teach your children (kids are baby goats) to comport themselves with a modicum of decency in public, don't take them out in public. Different places have different standards of behaviour. Comercial airliners, restaurants, churches, theatres are not playgrounds or amusement parks. Too many parents seem to be either unaware of these distinctions, or unwilling to instruct their children in them.

AB

[speedy]

Yeah, a fat guy passed by me on the street a few days ago and broke wind -- I'm suing the Street Department and the Department of Transportation and also the EPA for not protecting me from these dangerous emissions. I was unable to finish my knish after this indignity.

[Cypher1223]

I like the variable seat size idea -- but doubt very much that the airlines would be agreeable to retrofitting their aircraft with bigger seats.

Charging fat people for two seats isn't the solution either. I think the solution to the problem is that if you are stuck next to or between obese passengers, you should have two options 1) to be reseated; and, 2) if no additional seats are available then you receive either a partial refund or discounted travel on a future flight.

Everyone has a right to fly -- but when someone else's right infringes on someone elses right then the airline must make accomodation.

[A2J]

"I think these large people have a responsibility to take control, either to get two seats, or talk to the airline,"

Or to beat the hell out of that idiot.

[strela]

When will the various state legislatures finally wake up and enact "Loser pays" legislation? That one simple change to the law would stop the vast majority of these idiotic nuisance suits.