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Man sues Delta for being seated next to obese passenger.

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Man sues Delta for being seated next to obese passenger.

 
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Old Mar 24, 2005, 9:27 am
  #91  
 
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Originally Posted by lennon
I do feel that one of the armrests should be mine to do with as I please; there are 3 seats but 4 armrests - shouldn't one of the armrests belong to the middle seat? The aisle and window people seem to forget this.

I wonder how many griping here about their space being invaded think nothing about reclining as far as possible and 'robbing' others of their room and comfort?
Are we talking about using the armrest or putting it up? I'm with you on using it, but once you put it up, personal space is poorly defined. This is, of course, the whole point if anyone is trying to take more room than one seat provides.

I disagree on the recline - if they weren't supposed to recline that far, they wouldn't. I recline fully on a regular basis, and am not offended if the person in front of me does the same. I would be mad if people were "angling" into the space in front of me though.
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Old Mar 24, 2005, 10:20 am
  #92  
 
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Originally Posted by AllanJ
BTW Ring Dings have a lot of chocolate, and yes I eat chocolate for breakfast sometimes.
You are right, Ding Dongs are chocolate too. I was picturing Twinkies in my mind when I was typing though. It doesn't matter, I won't eat either. That's not real chocolate, IMHO.


Originally Posted by Cholula
Well, I really need to reconsider. Your responses caused me to do a little research on Mr. King.
And he seems to use both Derry, ME and Castle Rock, ME in various books...neither of which exist.
So you guys were right to a degree.
But, as I've posted on other threads, the Golden Rule rules here. He who has the gold...or the winning prize...rules....
So sorry. Castle Rock, ME is the winner.....
The prize was chocolate, wasn't it? And you ate it, didn't you?



Originally Posted by Cholula
Do we have to cut out ALL of these vices or can we pick and choose.... ??
Oh heavens....I'm not planning on cutting out any of my vices and I'm not advocating that anyone else do so either. I just don't think it is right to rant so heavily against one type if you have another type.

But then jumping into the middle of the fray when I think someone is getting picked on is another one of my vices.

Seriously though, I wouldn't have a problem if obese people had to buy two seats as long as everyone else who doesn't measure 17" x 31" (isn't that our coach space?) has to as well. But you have to stop calling each other names. Play nice. And don't make me come down there.
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Old Mar 24, 2005, 11:40 am
  #93  
 
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Originally Posted by Flyin'Mom
Depends...what I'm reading in this thread is if some of the posters choose to be a space hog by claiming dominion over the arm rest or reclining the seat into your lap or angling their legs into the seat in front of you that is OK.

But if you ooze into their space because of being fat you are a terrible irresponsible inconsiderate pig who should be thinking of them and their comfort.

One thing that comes to my mind when reading the vehement posts against overweight people is I wonder how many of those posters have some vice that they can't quite get control over.

Overeating is a vice, no doubt about it in my mind...but so is drinking a little too much or smoking or gambling too much or addiction to Internet porn or drugs and so on.

But every one of those things can be hidden (at least for a while) and the rest of the world won't know about your little secret. The person who can't stop eating ding dongs can't hide that addiction. Everyone can see the results.

What is that saying...something about he who casts the first stone....?
If you smoke on a plane you will get arrested.
If you get drunk or drugged up and unruly you will be warned and then you will get arrested.
If you could surf the web and brought up an inappropriate website on a plane I am confident that you would be spoken to about it by fellow pax and flight crew.

I have had someone next to me "medicate" themselves a bit too much and after asking them to calm down had to ask the flight crew to intercede.

Sorry the comparisons don't hold water for me.
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Old Mar 24, 2005, 11:55 am
  #94  
 
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Originally Posted by Cholula
Which is, of course, a pen name of Stephen King.
Of course. And there is a reason why he wrote those four novels under that Bachman name.
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Old Mar 24, 2005, 1:40 pm
  #95  
 
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Originally Posted by TidewaterTraveler
I was on a RJ in the exit row and I'm a large guy, but it isn't from eating as much as it is from training. (6'3" 220) Now the seats are narrower than my shoulder width so I'm never comfortable. I was staring out the window when suddenly I'm thrown against the bulk head. This morbidly obese guy sits next to me. Instead of controlling his descent into the seat he let gravity accelerate him to terminal velocity which knocked me over. He the attempts to secure the two ends of the seat belt, but they are shy of meeting each other by a foot or two. I thought this will be my best RJ ride to date. I eyeballed the aircraft searching for an empty seat to move to, no dice. The FA comes by and gives him a seat belt extender, initially. Luckily I was sitting on the window side of the exit row because in a real emergency I am afraid there would be no escape out that exit. Later, the flight attended moved the passenger to a rear seat because she stated the same thing I was thinking. "Sir, any customer requiring the use of a seat belt extension is forbidden to sit in the exit row." etc, etc. He was replaced by a diminiutive pilot, and I thanked the FF deities for my good fortune. So the moral of this story if you are to big to sit in a seat and use the provided seat belt then you are a danger to yourself and everyone around you, and thus shouldn't be allowed to fly.

Shouldn't be allowed to fly because your big? Come on, give me a break. Oy vey! Where does that lead to? How about someone who flies with a contagious disease? How about sitting next to someone who can't stop coughing? How about a screaming baby who drowns out all the safety announcements? Aren't these pax dangers to themselves and others? Look, POS (and not just overweight people!) are going to fly and if everyone would just demonstarte a modicum of civility and consideration, there'd be no problem. And if anyone on this thread is from TSA, don't go getting any screwy ideas.
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Old Mar 24, 2005, 2:04 pm
  #96  
 
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Originally Posted by tonypct
Where does that lead to? How about someone who flies with a contagious disease?
I think they might call you on this one if they found out....
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Old Mar 24, 2005, 9:15 pm
  #97  
 
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Overweight is not an immutable characteristic. It is a lifestyle choice--that of overconsumption.

"Overactive pituitaries" and the like be dam*ned. Eat fewer calories and burn more, and while you're at it, don't overflow into my seat.

Simple as that.
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Old Mar 24, 2005, 10:07 pm
  #98  
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I didn't make my upgrade tonight ATL-MLB, it was an MD-88. In the seats behind me (the 2 seat side) were 2 of the biggest guys I've seen in awhile. One of them asked the FA if there were any empty seats (there weren't) since DL seated the 2 biggest guys on the flight together (they didn't know each other). They both looked really uncomfortable. I had a 90 lb woman next to me. I did ask one of the guys if he wanted to switch with me, after all it was only an hour flight, and he declined (phew). I did feel so sorry for them....
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Old Mar 24, 2005, 10:23 pm
  #99  
 
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Originally Posted by tonypct
Shouldn't be allowed to fly because your big? Come on, give me a break. Oy vey! Where does that lead to? How about someone who flies with a contagious disease? How about sitting next to someone who can't stop coughing? How about a screaming baby who drowns out all the safety announcements?
If any airline starts banning all of the above, plz let me know - I'll switch in an instant...these people should be in camper vans anyways for their hols, not planes.
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Old Mar 24, 2005, 10:46 pm
  #100  
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Originally Posted by Mikey likes it
Overweight is not an immutable characteristic. It is a lifestyle choice--that of overconsumption.

"Overactive pituitaries" and the like be dam*ned. Eat fewer calories and burn more, and while you're at it, don't overflow into my seat.

Simple as that.
Sounds like an OMNI post to me.
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Old Mar 25, 2005, 1:12 am
  #101  
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Originally Posted by Flyin'Mom


You know, I've noticed that Dovster has been neglecting his FT obligation to keep things interesting on the boards....should he be allowed to take vacations if he is not going to keep up with the important things in life?
Untrue!

In fact, I spent the last week doing my best to keep this thread going -- although I was working behind the scenes.

Those FlyerTalkers who know me are justifiably aghast at my dietary habits. I firmly believe that each meal should include something from the three major food groups: red meat, potatoes, and chocolate.

Therefore, when Monitor and Frannie invited me to spend the week at their home they made it very clear that I was to respect their wishes and not bring junk food into their house.

I, of course, understood this in my own way and carefully avoided importing any veggies or fruit.

One day, on a drive to Stuart, FL (where we were heading for dinner), I pulled off the road at Dunkin Donuts for some appetizers. Monitor and Frannie are good people but weak of will power and I soon had them munching on some Munchkins.

The next night, when KLC joined us for dinner at their home, I showed up with a Baskin Robbins Oreo ice cream cake. They told me they would not touch it.

Suffice it to say that it disappeared very quickly and Monitor and Frannie did their part in the joint effort.

On my last night there, I brought in a dozen Krispy Kremes. I only ate three but was delighted to find the box empty in the morning.

Neither Monitor nor Frannie can qualify as POS but I am certainly doing my best to get them there so as not to allow this thread to die out.
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Old Mar 25, 2005, 2:50 am
  #102  
 
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Originally Posted by chuckd
I don't think comparing tall people to fat people is fair to the tall people. Tall peolple are tall, they can't control it, but what most fat people would have you believe is that they can't either. ... Not always, but most of the time, it is their own fault, and I realize that reversing the process and whatever may be hard, but I don't feel at all sorry for them in these situations. I think obese people, and wide shouldered people, etc., should be charged for the space they use. Just because everyone is getting fat these days that doesn't make it okay. Ultimately, they have larger concerns than an airline seat, specifically the massive damage to their body and health risks. This topic always makes me mad.
Since when do wide-shouldered people have control over their physique? I have a 32-inch waist and a 44-inch chest (I'm not joking) and I haven't been in a weight room since high school. I'm only 5'8" tall, by the way.

Being extraordinarily wide-shouldered is as much genetic as being extraordinarily tall. Try getting on the Tube or on a bus sometime and ALWAYS being squeezed or pressed up against the glass. It's not fun. But is it my fault? Should I pay more? No way. I cannot control my body shape and should not be expected to pay for it.
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Old Mar 25, 2005, 3:38 am
  #103  
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Originally Posted by ajax
Should I pay more? No way. I cannot control my body shape and should not be expected to pay for it.
Why shouldn't you pay more?

Do you have to have suits or shirts made up especially for you? If you do, you have to pay more for them.

If an especially tall person has to have furniture built for him (as opposed to getting them off the show room floor) he has to pay more.

A very short person has to pay more to get his clothing made. In fact, he often has to pay more in other ways as well -- height, although it should not be, is often a determining factor in getting hired. Tall people benefit from this particular prejudice.

We all pay for whatever special requirements we have, whether we choose them or not. To argue that you should not pay more for an airline seat (assuming that your size actually does encroach on others' space) is like my arguing that I should not be charged any more for an airplane ticket to visit my mother in FLL than should someone in Tampa.

He and I may get the same benefit, but I am going to be in the plane for 15 hours and, yes, I should pay more.
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Old Mar 25, 2005, 3:40 am
  #104  
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Nota bene: Nothing written in the last paragraph of my previous post should be construed as my saying that Cholula should not fork out the SkyMiles from his hoarded billions to pay for my flight.
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Old Mar 25, 2005, 4:47 am
  #105  
 
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Originally Posted by Dovster
Why shouldn't you pay more?

Do you have to have suits or shirts made up especially for you? If you do, you have to pay more for them.

If an especially tall person has to have furniture built for him (as opposed to getting them off the show room floor) he has to pay more.

A very short person has to pay more to get his clothing made. In fact, he often has to pay more in other ways as well -- height, although it should not be, is often a determining factor in getting hired. Tall people benefit from this particular prejudice.

We all pay for whatever special requirements we have, whether we choose them or not. To argue that you should not pay more for an airline seat (assuming that your size actually does encroach on others' space) is like my arguing that I should not be charged any more for an airplane ticket to visit my mother in FLL than should someone in Tampa.

He and I may get the same benefit, but I am going to be in the plane for 15 hours and, yes, I should pay more.
Well, it seems that there are two different arguments shaping up here:

1) Overweight people brought their size upon themselves and therefore should be responsible for all that entails (buying two seats or whatever). Other people with special size considerations (someone referenced an "NBA-tall" bloke earlier) seem to be looked on with some sort of sympathy.

2) Anyone who doesn't slot nicely into the seat should be responsible for all that entails, regardless of whether or not that's beyond their control.

Our economy is set up in such a way that shareholders demand returns, and those businesses which remain in business deliver those returns. They do this by cramming as many people as possible onto a plane - hence the 17-inch wide seats (by the way - ever been on a charter 767? 8 abreast is NO FUN!).

Indirectly or not, we (by nature of our free-reign capitalistic societies) are encouraging tighter and tighter seats in exchange for higher (or any) returns. It's called a free market - you trade your comfort for a cheaper ticket, but the seat might be smaller. And you might be stuck next to a 20-stone bloke (300 pounds). Whose problem in that really?

I believe that human dignity should come above all else; who really cares at the end of the day? If my shoulders are wider than an airplane seat (and they generally are, through no fault of my own, I might add), then generally people - myself included - just deal with it. I've never had any comments on it. It's just really uncomfortable.

In the end, I suppose it's better to have a wide upper than a wide middle...
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