Airlines told to accommodate obese, disabled
#1
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Airlines told to accommodate obese, disabled
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjourna...c-1b330b4e4657
Disabled-persons groups are celebrating a regulator's order that airlines must stop charging obese or disabled passengers for using extra seats.
The airline industry says Thursday's decision by the Canadian Transportation Agency means the carriers will face extra costs.
The CTA gave airlines a year to start a screening process for deciding which passengers need a free extra seat on domestic flights because they are obese or need a caregiver with them.
Disabled-persons groups are celebrating a regulator's order that airlines must stop charging obese or disabled passengers for using extra seats.
The airline industry says Thursday's decision by the Canadian Transportation Agency means the carriers will face extra costs.
The CTA gave airlines a year to start a screening process for deciding which passengers need a free extra seat on domestic flights because they are obese or need a caregiver with them.
#2
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 258
Obese and disabled are NOT the same thing. Obesity can be reversed...a true disability can't.
It is ridiculous to lump these two together. It is an insult to those with a true disability.
If a fat person can get a free extra seat to be comfortable then I want a free extra seat to be comfortable too.
Fair is fair.
It is ridiculous to lump these two together. It is an insult to those with a true disability.
If a fat person can get a free extra seat to be comfortable then I want a free extra seat to be comfortable too.
Fair is fair.
#3
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Seattle
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Obese and disabled are NOT the same thing. Obesity can be reversed...a true disability can't.
It is ridiculous to lump these two together. It is an insult to those with a true disability.
If a fat person can get a free extra seat to be comfortable then I want a free extra seat to be comfortable too.
Fair is fair.
It is ridiculous to lump these two together. It is an insult to those with a true disability.
If a fat person can get a free extra seat to be comfortable then I want a free extra seat to be comfortable too.
Fair is fair.
#4
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: ATL
Programs: DL, AA
Posts: 6,031
The article sounds like this will only apply to domestic flights. How long before this applies to all flights originating/terminating in Canada?
I will be interested to see the criteria developed to determine who qualifies for a free extra seat - either for a disabled caregiver or an obese passenger.
I will be interested to see the criteria developed to determine who qualifies for a free extra seat - either for a disabled caregiver or an obese passenger.
#5
Join Date: Jun 2005
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Obese and disabled are NOT the same thing. Obesity can be reversed...a true disability can't.
It is ridiculous to lump these two together. It is an insult to those with a true disability.
If a fat person can get a free extra seat to be comfortable then I want a free extra seat to be comfortable too.
Fair is fair.
It is ridiculous to lump these two together. It is an insult to those with a true disability.
If a fat person can get a free extra seat to be comfortable then I want a free extra seat to be comfortable too.
Fair is fair.
I really really really hate discrimination against people for whatever reason. somker, non smoker, gender, sexuality, skin color, hair color, tall, short, fat, thin, you name it but - I find that I have to agree with you on this one.
A disabled person needing an assistant - fine - I'm OK with that. I think it is right or the airline should always have staff on hand to assist the disabled person who needs it - that is never going to happen.
But if I'm charged for excess luggage an overweight person needing two chairs should be charged of the extra seat. Just the seat - not the tax and all other addons, just the seat. We all know that a $300 ticket really only costs $50 odd.
#6
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Obese and disabled are NOT the same thing. Obesity can be reversed...a true disability can't.
It is ridiculous to lump these two together. It is an insult to those with a true disability.
If a fat person can get a free extra seat to be comfortable then I want a free extra seat to be comfortable too.
Fair is fair.
It is ridiculous to lump these two together. It is an insult to those with a true disability.
If a fat person can get a free extra seat to be comfortable then I want a free extra seat to be comfortable too.
Fair is fair.
There are people who are morbidly obese due to glandular and other medical reasons. They are but a tiny fraction of those who are overweight, but they face a legitimate disability. However, most overweight people (and statistics will tell you that 72% of Americans are "20 pounds or more overweight") are overweight by choice, not exercising, eating too many Triple Whoppers with cheese, eating prepackaged but nutritionally inane "lite" food and the like. Some of them "can't help it" because they have some "eating disorder."
Today, the EEOC designates those over 100 pounds over their ideal body weight to be covered by ADA protection. But "ideal body weight" is fairly low especially by some formulas (some of which are scare tactics by the diet and exercise industry).
And remember that many overweight people, whether they are overweight by choice/idiocy/laziness or not, suffer from many illnesses such as diabetes.
There are many organizations and institutions who benefit every time the ADA expands coverage. And airlines and other businesses suffer and have to pick up the cost (as does the taxpayer).
Can you imagine if every overweight person were eligible for a handicapped license plate? We'd need to change the parking lot all around so more than half the spots are "handicapped" (and at Burger Kings in Iowa, we'd need to dedicate 95% of the spots).
The cruel streak in me says that we should have "obese by choice" tags mandatory on cars for those people who are not "legitimately obese," and force these people to park at the FAR side of the parking lot; this would generally be the only exercise they get.
#7
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The ADA does not apply to accommodations on airliners. That is covered by the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA). The inertia would have to extend to the ACAA before it affected what an airline must provide to obese passengers.
#9
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Might I remind everyone that the decision referred to in the first post is from Canada, not the US.
#11
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However, most overweight people (and statistics will tell you that 72% of Americans are "20 pounds or more overweight") are overweight by choice, not exercising, eating too many Triple Whoppers with cheese, eating prepackaged but nutritionally inane "lite" food and the like.
#12
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I find absurd the suggestion that someone who can not occupy two seats can get a second one for free. However, I find this mention in the article completely outrageous:
I want to have my wife and kids with me to assist during the flight, but I always get charged for their tickets...
...<lawyer> she said her client, Calgarian Linda McKay-Panos is happy to work with the airlines to develop a "fair" process for deciding which passengers get a second seat, because of obesity or a need to have someone there to assist them during a flight.
#13
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#14
Join Date: Jul 2007
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The majority of obese people have the power to change it themelves. We are talking about some excess weight that you can take off if you take the time and work at it. If they improve their diet, they will lose weight.
An obese person is already a safety issue for the rest of the passengers on a plane. In the event of an emergency, you now have to deal with some extremely overweight person slowing everyone else down if they have to exit the plane quickly.
I don't think it is a disability because they choose to be obese.
An obese person is already a safety issue for the rest of the passengers on a plane. In the event of an emergency, you now have to deal with some extremely overweight person slowing everyone else down if they have to exit the plane quickly.
I don't think it is a disability because they choose to be obese.
#15
Join Date: Oct 2007
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I am on the low end of obese. For years I asked for parking at a lot 1/2 mile from my office (on a big campus). That way, I got at least that much exercise in a day. (Now I have stopped driving, instead walking 2.5 miles each way to a metro stop, but I would not legislate this virtue on others )