Would You Ask This Guy to Buy An Extra Seat?
Jackie Reddy April 19, 2019
Image Source: Instagram
Even for those with decidedly normal physiques, the plane cabin is a small space. Spare a thought, however, for Eddie Hall and Brian ‘The Beast’ Shaw, two champion strongmen who found themselves seated – or rather uncomfortably crammed – next to each other on a recent flight from London to Scotland.
The tight confines of a plane cabin can be tough to negotiate for those with normal physiques, let alone for the exceptionally musclebound. So when a couple of former World’s Strongest Man champions were seated next to each other on a recent Scotland-bound journey from London, things became even tighter, as Metro.co.uk reports.
Eddie Hall, who took the title for 2017, found himself sitting immediately next to Brian ‘The Beast’ Shaw, who was crowned World’s Strongest Man in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016. A photo posted by Hall on Instagram shows the two men crammed into their seats on the flight operated by an unnamed budget carrier.
Image: Instagram/ shawstrength
Commenting on his post, he wrote, “The check-in ladies sat me and @shawstrength right next to each other on the plane from London to Scotland and no-one on the plane would want to swap seats. Would you swap seats with one of us? I wouldn’t either.”
He also posted another picture of Shaw sitting next to another passenger. Despite the new seatmate, the conditions were similarly cramped. Offering a tongue-in-cheek remark, he said, “I seem to fit perfectly in this seat,” adding, “Thankfully this young lady next to me was a good sport… and was in for a fun picture.”
Instagram/ shawstrength
[Image Source: Youtube/ Venag Fit]
The first thing I do when sitting down is put down the armrest. At least is keeps my space for me, that is unless a large person oozes under the armrest.
Part of the problem is what disneymkvii pointed out. I'm on the larger side -- don't quite spill over the armrests (except on the planes with 16.5" seats), do push them up a little bit in some cases, but broad shoulders that I can't do anything about. I'd be willing to purchase an extra seat, but only after the airlines absolutely guarantee that I get two seats for my money! Passengers worldwide are getting larger, especially so in the US, but the airlines haven't waked up to this reality. Back in the 1960s United had three classes of service -- first, standard, and coach. The standard cabin was 3+2 seating (or 2+3, depending on which direction you were looking at them!). I was too young at the time to know if the service was any better than coach (and it was still called coach, not economy -- which was a lower fare bucket in the coach cabin on selected flights), but that would certainly be a useful solution now. Although I'm over 6 feet tall I can live with the legroom on most planes; it's the width that's a problem that never seems to be addressed (except with "buy a seat in first class" -- which is not even close to being worth the premium price anymore).
If you can't confine yourself to your own seat area, then you should have to buy two seats or travel in a class where you get independent seats. I'm overweight, but that doesn't entitle me to impose myself on anybody else's space any more than personal allergies should require others to modify their eating habits (Easyjet).
I get tired of seeing forums 'defending' people who are of a certain size. The airlines sell a product which has specific specifications & requirements. In this case we are talking about the space of a seat in a given cabin including the leg room per seat. Thats what it sells. If you happen to fit those specifications exactly or are smaller and have extra space, great - you still pay what you pay based on the payment scales but the individual product remains the same. If you exceed the specifications then you must comply to the rules that are set out, and if that is to pay for another seat then that is what you have to do. You have to deal with what size you are and don't make it the responsibility of the person next to you... airlines do not create products in a specific cabin that cater for different people sizes. If you need more space then pay for the required extra seats or a cabin which provides the room you need within the specification of the seat. DO NOT expect that you can take the space of the seat next to you and touch him/her- this is rude and selfish.
I had this happen to me on Southwest a few years ago. I’m a pretty big guy myself but there was no way I could sit in my seat. The attendants were extremely gracious, they let me sit on their jump seat while they did service and I half sat on my seat for the landing. Southwest had an gate agent meet the plane and refund my ticket. Incredibly the same huge man was on my return flight occupying a seat and a half but I was smart enough to grab a different seat this time.