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Politically Incorrect: The "fat" pax policy

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Politically Incorrect: The "fat" pax policy

 
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Old Nov 11, 2004, 10:23 am
  #91  
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HobokenFlyer:

Who is your post (#86) really aimed at? I'm sure that 99.9% of FT readers would agree that discrimination of the type you parody is, of course, abhorrent. I am glad that you feel so strongly about treating people equally and respectfully, celebrating our differences as well as our similarities; but do you think the obnoxious tone that a very few posters set is going to be helped by your post in #86?

I haven't re-read the entire thread, to be sure, but I don't think that many of the posters in this thread are fat-haters or approve of discrimination. I totally support you in your zeal to have us all understand a few fundamental facts of our existence (namely, that we are all the same just underneath the color of our skin, and that the gender of our partners in bed is less important than the fact that all of us can celebrate the joy of loving and being loved back)...but boy -- you sounded really angry!

Perhaps this is particularly vivid to me because I have gotten between 40 and 50 "private messages" over the last 2 days calling me a "fat hater," a "thin Nazi," a "skinny fascist," and other horrible things. I did go back and read my posts, and I can see NOTHING that supports that.

The fact that the Fat Lady (the "COS") was actually FAT is not the issue: the fact that the COS was hogging up 3 seats on a 777 is the issue. After all, if a SKINNY pax informed you upon boarding that she would be taking up your seat AND hers because she wants to lie down (or stow her dog case, or lump her blankets and pillows) into your seat, you would probably protest. In my case, the mere fact that I protested in the same situation is offensive to many people. I actually wondered if that would be the case.

Many of the invective, violent PMs I've received seem to say "She can't help being fat, so deal with it. Black people can't help being black; white people can't help being white; gay people can't help being gay, and we have laws protecting them against YOUR kind of discrimination, so fat people deserve that protection as well."

This is NOT a correct analogy. Even if the Fat Lady's fatness is as genetically immutable as skin color, orientation, or anything else, her "fatness" (let's even call it her "physical challenge") presents an enormous problem for her unsuspecting seatmate in a way that being black, being gay, or being Indian does NOT. Sure, a seatmate may not LIKE that another pax is black, Indian, or gay -- but those traits do not infringe upon the first pax's right to a full seat. It has little to do with hate at all. Yes, I hate inconsiderate behavior, and that's what this was.

I was honest about the Fat Lady's reason for flying to IAH: to see a gravely ill friend. But it's STILL onconsiderate for her to fly without buying up a whole row of seats. Mr. Hoboken, you just cannot IMAGINE what this poor dear looked like! I couldn't believe she could walk on her own. I later found out that she was wheelchaired to the 777 through CDG anyway. No, I don't hate her, and I want her to live a long and healthy life -- but I want her to buy more seats on aircraft to protect the rights of other pax.

Related story: Those of you FTers who travel constantly have the blessing of seeing a huge cross-section of our world, right? I once saw a young man with some sort of birth-defect (or other problem) that kept both legs from bending at the knees. I don't know what kind of musculo-skeletal problem this was, and he didn't tell me. But I sat next to him on a BF flight, and he told me that if he must travel in Coach, he buys two seats because he must sit cross-wise, buckled up over the legs and across the hips, and CO has always been very gracious to him by helping him get arranged for those overwater flights, even in Y class.

Now THAT is a great way to explain how to handle things, I think. Had the young man with the leg problem insisted on putting his legs across other pax, there would be complaints -- but it would not be because those pax hate disabled men. And here, I don't hate fat people -- just inconsiderate ones.

Again, the parody you drafted is interesting, and maybe it will make your point. But I was hoping this thread would stay topical, stay reasonable, and not descend into name-calling. I'm not sure your post is the way to do it, but maybe it will work anyway, right?
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Old Nov 11, 2004, 10:57 am
  #92  
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I understand that Y seats are relatively small. Perhaps I should have said...

I'm fine with whoever sits next to me as long as I don't have to share a substantial portion of *my* seat with that person.
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Old Nov 11, 2004, 11:14 am
  #93  
 
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LawFlyer,

I really wasn't aiming it at you, even though my "marathon runner" analogy was inspired by you because it was all I could think of at the time since you mentioned you run marathons. I really didn't mean to call you out. I apologize and I didn't mean to lump you in. However, there were a few posters who said some really hateful things and some people commented on how "funny" they were, etc. Maybe, I misread it. Maybe, it was suppossed to be over the top make a point or just to throw a big steaming pile of s*** in the middle of the room to see how people would react.

In your situation, that was an untenable scenario. You were, pardon the pun, between a rock and a very hard place. I am not sure most people who in your shoes would have tolerated the situation nor is it fair to charaterize you as a "skinny nazi" because the reality of your situation. If I was 500 pounds, I would fork over FC or 2 coach seats or drive because regardless if my weight is choice or a combination of choices and bad genetics or just simply bad genetics then I wouldn't want to inconvenience other people with my size. I shouldn't be hated for my size and have preconceived notions about myself because of my size, but the reality is if I cannot fit in a coach seat then I should have 2 or sit in First. I do not blame other people because they get annoyed because I am encroaching on their personal space.

However, the people on the other side who don't like fat people, think they all smell, and think they all should be put on a scale before they board should think twice.

Just because someone weighs 300 pounds doesn't mean they don't look 220 and vice versa. Maybe the reason someone uses a seat belt extension is because the airline tried to save money and had short seat belts? Maybe those seat belts would fit 90% of the population, but someone with a 44 waist might find it tight and need the extension for comfort. I just think that it is a difficult problem and should be addressed case by case. There are many average weight people who have broad shoulders or wide hips. Where does it end?

My point is that the airlines are giving a blind eye because it is a PR nightmare. Imagine trying to DEFINE who is suitable or what is not. It's a lawsuit waiting to happen. The only reason why SW gets away with it is because they have an open seat policy and they can sidestep it because people get bumped all the time. When you run an airline with assigned seats which guaranttees you passage, how do you define acceptable and unacceptable. It's a difficult problem.

However, we can avoid hating fat people and we can also avoid the issue with some creative rule bending. They should have offered you the crew rest seats. If there was no crew rest seat then if you chose to grin and bear it and stand then you should not be "ordered" back to your seat.

My point is that you don't have to LOVE fat people, you don't have to like them. You don't have to relish sitting next to them on an 8 hour flight. However, the overweight people should be as considerate to their neighbor and the neighbor be considerate to them. You also have to watch the discriminatory tones of how you perceive fat people because, like I said, it's a thin line.

I really wasn't upset with you. I was upset with other people who said awful things and the people who are reading this thread know who they are. I would like to say that just because someone works out daily and is a runner or cyclist or weightlifter or whatever; that does make them a superior runner, athlete, cyslist, etc, but it does not make them a superior person.

That's was the point.

And I admit, I was angry. I don't like hypocrisy in the PC/condeming hate world. If we are going to demonize hate speech, hate crimes and general discrimination it should apply to ALL reasonable differences in humanity, not just the ones we choose to like. The only caveat I put on this is murderers/serial killers and pederasty (not reasonable). I know I am not being "universal", however, these exceptions you cannot tell by looking at someone unless they were a t-shirt stating such.

- HobokenFlyer
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Old Nov 11, 2004, 11:59 am
  #94  
 
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HobokenFlyer, after your clarification I understand that your post was well meant, but as I gay person I found it, and still find it, very offensive. Unlike being gay, or indeed black, being fat is something that you yourself have let happen. In a few per cent of obese people there are underlying physiological problems (usually treatable), and I'm sure in even more of them there are psychological ones, but there it ends. If you want an accurate simile, how about a smoker. I don't harbour any animosity against obese people, and I don't harbour any animosity against smokers. Both conditions are unhealthy for the person themselves, and we are all paying more for our healthcare because of them, but I would never dream of holding that against any particular person. The problem we are dealing with in this thread is if they, whether it be through arrogance, ignorance, or denial, decide to share the problem with the passengers around them. As far as I'm concerned, an obese person taking up an extra half a seat on each side of them is comparable to (and in fact, a heck of a lot more intrusive than) lighting up a cigarette.
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Old Nov 11, 2004, 12:09 pm
  #95  
 
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Originally Posted by HobokenFlyer
LawFlyer,

...My point is that the airlines are giving a blind eye because it is a PR nightmare. Imagine trying to DEFINE who is suitable or what is not. It's a lawsuit waiting to happen. The only reason why SW gets away with it is because they have an open seat policy and they can sidestep it because people get bumped all the time. When you run an airline with assigned seats which guaranttees you passage, how do you define acceptable and unacceptable. It's a difficult problem.
...- HobokenFlyer
I think we all realize that it's a major PR issue (it's not always that easy to discuss in the 'privacy' of websites like FT). I agree that having absolutes for a COS is probably extremely difficult. But per my previous suggestion, I don't think it's impossible to list some potential characteristics: if your weight is over xxx, or waste/hips/shoulder measurements over aa/bb/cc, if you know you'll need a seatbelt extender, etc.

I've been in many liquor stores that have a sign that says, "If you are under 40, you might need to produce a photo ID.", even though the drinking age is 21. I think that's their way of saying, "We should be able to give you an absolute on who needs ID's and who doesn't, but we can't." If you are say 35 and don't have an ID, the sign at least gives them notice before they even start shopping that, "Hey, we may not be able to sell alcohol to you." Similarly, some rough size measurements can give travellers a heads up that, "Hey, you may need to buy a 2nd seat to fly."

I'm not sure what difference 'assigned seats' make. For starters, you could have a COS buy a ticket on an airline, and if seats are under airport control, they may not have a seat assigned until they check in. Whether the seat is assigned or unassigned (or open, like SW), assuming you checkin on time, you are still considered eligible for travel on that flight, and subject to any bump compensation that might be offered (ie. it's not like you are a standby passenger with no assignment).

Also, suppose 3 COS's unknowingly reserve/are assigned seats in the same row (seats A,B,C). If it's passengers like described in this thread, one could venture to say it would be physically impossible to get those three passengers seated next to one another. What happens then? First thought might me to switch seats and put each of them on an aisle seat, but what happens if everyone else is travelling with others? Do you split a father from his wife and daughter so that the COS can sit in his seat? If you can't switch seats (and assume a full flight), do you IDB to the middle seat COS, assuming the other two can fit if seated in the aisle and window seats?

Yeah, it's a PR nightmare, but really not much different from what's happening in the industry now. I'm sure there's a lot of, "Yeah, we know we signed a contract to pay you $x amount, and included a nice pension plan for you, but the fact is realities are different now, conditions aren't getting better, and we need to change it." COS's are not much different, it's not pleasant to have to disappoint/bother people, but the fact is it's only going to get worse in the future (people ARE definitely getting larger and heavier), so they might as well address it now.

Jeff
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Old Nov 11, 2004, 12:47 pm
  #96  
 
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Originally Posted by HobokenFlyer
Remember, Hitler had the same idea. Just because you may be skinnier or more fit than other people, does not make YOU SUPERIOR to other people when it comes to rights.

Haha....
I was completely unaware Godwin's Law applied to FlyerTalk!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law

As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one....
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Old Nov 11, 2004, 2:03 pm
  #97  
 
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This thread went from being very funny to very boring. Shame. It seems that the people here who quite literally have the "thicker skin" actually have the "thinner" skin.

An obese person overflowing into the seat next to them is simply unfair to that passenger, glandular problem or not. Make em buy two tickets if they can't fit into one eat, simple as that.

Call me whatever you want, but I just dont have any sympathy for someone who allows themselves (once again, assuming the problem is not medical which someone on this thread pointed out is the case 95% of the time) to deterioate to the point that they can't fly commercially like everyone else. If that makes me an intolerant bigot, I guess I will just have to live with that.
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Old Nov 11, 2004, 2:47 pm
  #98  
 
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I don't think 'why' they are COS needs to even enter the discussion. Whether it's genetically or medically caused, or due to supersizing for the last decade, if you are too large, you are too large, period. I don't think it's being discriminatory for airlines to say, "Our coach seats are xx wide and have yy pitch, and can reasonable accomodate a person a person up to (give dimensions). Our first class cabin seats are ...." If you can fit in one coach seat, great, if not you might need two (and if you do, you might consider a biz/FC seat).

In terms of guidelines, you find an empty store at a mall in anytown, USA, rent it out for a month or so, put in some rows of coach and FC seats, and basically solicit people who walk around the mall if they'd want to participate in a survey. Give them $5-$10 (or perhaps a $25-$50 off airline ticket voucher) to help them determine what a COS is. You get some people to sit in the seats, with some analysts to observe them and determine if they would consider them a COS. If they do, then they start taking measurements - weight, height, hips/waist/shoulder, etc. Run that through some computer modelling software, it shouldn't take too long to come up fairly accurate 'predictors of being a COS'.

The only other way around it that I can think of (and borrowing a page from parking lots) is instead of 'handicap parking spaces', to have 'COS seating areas'. This is certainly not a perfect solution, as on a cross section of flights it will probably oscillate between having too many COS seats (because few/none COS's on the flight), or too few (which brings you back to the problem of how do you handle those you can't accomodate).

Jeff
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Old Nov 11, 2004, 2:48 pm
  #99  
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How'd she get through the metal detector?

Just out of curiosity...if she couldn't fit in 1.5 seats...
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Old Nov 11, 2004, 3:11 pm
  #100  
 
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Hoboken is right on the money.

If woulder if you had to sit next to one of those "strong men" guys that you see on TV benchlifting a car- if you would have the same problem as many would not come close to fitting into a coach seat... and yes, they do it to themselves and its not a medical condition....Would you make them buy a 2nd seat?
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Old Nov 11, 2004, 3:21 pm
  #101  
 
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Originally Posted by CraigS
Hoboken is right on the money.

If woulder if you had to sit next to one of those "strong men" guys that you see on TV benchlifting a car- if you would have the same problem as many would not come close to fitting into a coach seat... and yes, they do it to themselves and its not a medical condition....Would you make them buy a 2nd seat?
Yes. If you are too big to fit, be it due to the fact that you are grossly obese or a "strong man", then buy a 2nd seat.
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Old Nov 11, 2004, 4:57 pm
  #102  
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Lightbulb Next time, take vouchers vice a full refund

Now I better understand while the original poster does not intend to seek mileage for the one-way flight on which he received a full refund.

Apparently that is a standard airline policy, that I (and I suspect others), may not have considered on the spot when offered a "full refund."

So for planning purposes, whenever an airline offers to refund a one-way ticket (with the concommitant loss of miles), a quick-witted passenger might ask instead for vouchers in the amount of the ticket.
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Old Nov 11, 2004, 5:12 pm
  #103  
 
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I posted a similar thread in the buzz today, but here goes..

First of all, if you are fat buy a second seat. If you cannot afford a second seat... That is not my problem.

I have no more compassion for those who obese as I do for those who are smokers. Do we allow people to smoke on airplanes any more, nope. Why?? It was comfort and safety issue for the rest of the passengers. If someone wants to slowly kill themselves with cigarettes, I do not have to have my space invaded by it. Someone is in the process of slowly killing themself with food, ditto! The last thing I want is have someones adipose pressing up against and pushing me.

We have too much of the PC, positive inclusive langauge, and behavior already. I am tall, dont call me a person of highth and I won't B!tc# and moan about legroom!
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Old Nov 11, 2004, 5:26 pm
  #104  
 
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Originally Posted by J-H
Just out of curiosity...if she couldn't fit in 1.5 seats...
Since she arrived in a wheelchair I assume she got the hand wand.
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Old Nov 11, 2004, 5:39 pm
  #105  
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Originally Posted by winterny
Haha....
I was completely unaware Godwin's Law applied to FlyerTalk!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law

As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one....

Thanks for the most educational thing I've read today. I had previously been unaware of Godwin's Law in its formal form, though I had been subconsciously aware of the way it applied to any student discussion of politics!
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