A weighty issue: Mother and daughter told they're 'too fat to fly' on Southwest airlines flight

Daily Mail UK ^ | May 12, 2011

[swain_forkbeard]

“If the airline has no published weight restrictions for passengers and they are basing their decisions regarding who is ‘too fat to fly’ solely on the personal opinion of whomever happens to be working the boarding gate...”

It’s not the weight. So a weight limit would not make sense. It’s the ability to fit into a single seat with the armrests down. I’d bet that the only people singled out are those who, by observation, can not fit by a WIDE margin.

[brytlea]

Sorry, but the rights of anyone with an *of* designation (ie people *of* color, people *of* size, etc) always have more rights than anyone else. I’m not sure what happens when any two *of* groups are pitted against each other, however.

[Logic n' Reason]

Au contraire, my wonderful FReeper friends.

These here folk have a singularly wonderful usefulness up in the friendly skys!!!

Here's how ya do it!

1. Profile all passengers of mid-eastern decent
2. Provide said profiled passengers with a window seat.
3. Sit our woefully, hugely obese passengers next to them.
4. Then let's see our dear proponents of the "religion of peace" try to jump out of their seats and storm the cockpit!!!

[nina0113]

If I purchase my ticket with the expectation that I get full use of the limited space I have purchased, I'm going to be furious if my arm has someone's fat flopping over it.

Yep. I flew all the way from Zurich to DC like that, and she was wearing some multi-layered flowing gown to boot. She was very unhappy that I didn't want the armrest up, and got mad when HER sleeve fell in MY plate.

[3boysdad]

Brilliant! I love it!

[paul51]

it’s not based on weight. It’s based on size

[WayneS]

Based on the responses I’ve been getting to my previous post, it sounds like charging by the ‘cubic foot’ might be more appropriate.

Apparently the issue is not weight so much as sheer size (although the two are very often closely related to each other.)

[HIDEK6]

Do they get “special consideration” license plates too?

[ConservaTexan]

Fat people should pay more. I have seen people that should be required to buy an entire row. Instead, these Jabba the Huts end up wedging themselves into the seat next to me so I have to spend an entire flight with their sweaty ham hocks encroaching into the seat I paid for. Why should I have to suffer because these people have spent their life gorging themselves while getting as little physical activity as possible? These are the same people that park in handicapped spaces, waddle to the electric carts at the grocery store then make a bee line for the ring ding aisle. They should lose some weight, buy two seats, or don't fly. Put down the twinkies and ding dongs and get some exercise.

(not that I feel strongly about the subject)

[pogo101]

Airlines are in the business of selling the transportation of volume and mass. Persons or items than exceed a necessarily-standardized volume (and/or mass, but mass is not usually the issue with passengers, as opposed to their volume) must be charged for the added volume being transported/ displaced.

I feel for folks who are bigger, and I “push it” myself (6’1” and just under 200#, I find it difficult to jam my elbows between the armrests), but there must be some upper limit “per seat.”

[brytlea]

Perhaps what they need is something like they have for carry on. If your rear end can fit in this box.....

[WayneS]

Good one!

[runninglips]

There has to be skinny liberals that LIVE the fight against bigotry. Find two of them for each fatty, and seat them on either side. That should work out well for all concerned. I know all about the problem, I have adult children that are seriously calorically challenged. It saddens me immensly, but it you don’t fit, you don’t fit....buy two seats if you are the size of two people.

[WayneS]

Best idea yet!

But then again, that’s what “Logic n’ Reason” will get you, right?

[rightwingintelligentsia]

but it you don’t fit, you don’t fit....

Or, the Johnnie Cochran version, "If you don't fit, you cannot sit."

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

A “political strategist” HUMMM wonder WHAT party.

Judging from her college blog, I'd say Republican.

[John.Galt2012]

What would be fair is to put it all in writing. Tell everyone, “You are purchasing cargo space, albeit human cargo space, but cargo space just the same." Suitcases have to be a under a certain weight and girth, sooooo just put it out there. Your ticket gets you up to 50lbs and 109” of inanimate cargo space. You also get up to 180lbs and 17”width of human cargo space. I know that seems cold but if people know the rules up front they usually will comply with less issues.

[Responsibility2nd]

I don’t know if you are ‘sarc’ing us or not, but I think that’s a wonderful idea.

But I’m sure there are stupid regulatory laws that would prohibit that sort of thing.

[faucetman]

“Would you want to be in a middle seat next to her?
Nope, especially when the cow farts out her breakfast of 12 sausage links.”

And THIN people don't fart?

I always sat with my wife and flew on planes or chose rows that had only two seats per row, so as to not inconvenience anyone else. I could fit (tight squeeze) with the arm rests down. Now, with repeated stories like this one, and comments like those on this thread, I will NEVER fly again.

This means I have to give up my mission trips to Mexico and give up going on cruises, (which I have been on many). The airlines and cruise ship companies will miss the dollars I used to spend with them. While I have never been singled out by an airline for being overweight, I am not willing to risk the embarrassment or the possibility of being stranded in some airport.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

I’ve had to sit next to too many of these people. Butt!!! To strand them on a stop-over between flights? Uh uh! That really is nasty of the airline!