Obese should buy two plane seats, says Australia survey

Call it society's way of dealing with the obesity epidemic. I didn't know Aus had the same problem we have in the US, but I guess they do. Civilization should emotionally shatter the plump people to get them to change their McWays. We can rebuild them. We have the technology. They will be leaner, meaner, and definitely cleaner.

reply to post by Areal51



For me, Areal51 has said it as i would like to have said it.

*cough* i'm a smoker — sorry-

in the end, though, i feel s/he is preaching for tolerance because somewhere, someone, is going to annoy a person somehow. we have to try to move on. because b*tchin' get old.


IMO.

a couple points for me...being that 1) as the majority of americans now are obese, it seems silly that major airlines would make seats too small for the average customer, and 2) I have been many sizes in my life from 150-260, and i have NEVER found the seats to be comfortable. I have big shoulders and big hips, wether im skinny or big, and i always feel squished up in them, and my legs are always crunched up in front of me too. I doubt many people at all find airline seats comfortable.
They have had the technology for decades to make cars that get 200 miles to the gallon, or run on water....im sure they could come up with some way to stretch the oil cost of planes with some form of technology or other. We dont have an energy crisis, we have a crisis of politics, and it is for this reason that the airlines are struggling to make any profit.

I agree with the poster who said the seats are too small for EVERYONE.....I am a tiny 4'8 female, and I have to sit beside my 3 year old, well, it STILL feels crowded and awkward as hell, and we're a ouple of munchkins!....I have 10 times more room on a bus for crying out loud.

as for the comment someone made about obesity being someones fault, I call BS on that one too.....after having my first child, all the excersize and dieting in the world didn't BUDGE the weight at all, and I just kept GAINING no matter what.......I was never neccesarily "big", but I know how hard it can be to loose weight if your body dosn't want too.....I finally did a bunch of cleansing, and that did the trick, but seriously, it really isn't lack of will power or effort in most cases, if it were that easy obesity would not exsist.

reply to post by mellisamouse


So you found it hard to lose the weight but you CHOSE to keep trying and finding other methods, "Cleansing" in your case, until you found something that worked and you lost the weight. So you DID something to lose the weight when instead you could have CHOSEN not to do anyhting and kept the weight on or kept gaining...

Sounds like you CHOSE to lose the weight instead of CHOOSING to keep the weight on.

Does choosing not to do something stop being a choice for some people just becaus eit may be difficult and they may have to find a creative way to accomplish it?

Because of your own statement I call BS and say in fact it MUST BE A CHOICE to remain heavy. You are proof and so am I.

reply to post by apc


But, I thought you were a capitalist pig? No?

im sure they could come up with some way to stretch the oil cost of planes with some form of technology or other

They have been investigated that for decades, and there is no real alternate to what we've got now other than Ultra High Bypass and the Geared Turbofan which are still in development.

30% more fuel efficiant to what we've got now, and that doesn't include composite airframes and so on....

reply to post by TheDuckster


Why should Airlines pay for you, even though you understood the whole time that it was a possibility that you may be seated next to an obese person, and you CHOSE to fly that airline?

If I purchase a used Volkswagen bug, and a drunk driver smashes into it the next day, totalling it. Can I sue Volkswagen for the collision? That's what you're suggesting, and it is, to be fair, rediculous.

Sue the Obese person (drunk driver) not the Airline (Volkswagen) for your problems, or - support fat tax.

reply to post by Karlhungis


Personally, I think it should'nt be just air lines.

Theaters, Restaurants, Busses, Trains, etc, the list goes on.

I am fed up with Fat people crying discrimination.

They don't want to be discriminated..."Stop Eating"..lol

Look, i see it like this...

Obesity is not a disease, it is not a condition, it is a Lifestyle choice. I don't care what the medical journals say.

You don't want to be fat, do something about it & go on a diet & get some exercise.

I have absolutely no sympathy for fat people whatso ever.

There are plenty of legitimate conditions & disabilities that require public awareness. Obesity shouldn't be one of them!!

reply to post by Karlhungis


I do NOT Agree with this survey!
It's 100% BS to make people bigger, smaller, taller than me have to pay more. The Airlines are already price gouging the people.

It's funny how still, many people feel the right that they need to JUDGE others, just cause someone is bigger, smaller or taller doesn't mean you have the right to Judge them, and I mean by the smallest of judgments like, he's over weight cause of illness... (that's a judgment).

News like this is very upsetting to me and my soul cause I just wish for everyone to get along... but yet, we as humans have never learned that.

EDIT: hehe, spelling

[edit on 15-12-2007 by WalkOn]

reply to post by Ironclad


Generally, the part that I disagree with is the "I'm big, beautiful and proud, pass me another box of donuts". Meanwhile they don't mention they can't tie their shoes, and have a set of pens, carkeys and a small mammal residing in their fat rolls.

IOW, if you're fat, but trying to lose weight, then that's pretty OK. And, by 'trying' I don't mean 'faking it'. I mean tracking your food intake and exercising and doing your best with the knowledge you have at the time.

Having said that, it's an individual thing and I'm more concerned about myself than I am about pointing a finger at someone else, though I admit I am a little judgemental.

Originally posted by Badge01
reply to post by Ironclad

 

................. it's an individual thing and I'm more concerned about myself than I am about pointing a finger at someone else, though I admit I am a little judgemental.

Yes, this is exactly what I try to get across to people. Though sometimes the words allude me.... well most. We all, even me are judgemental. Just wish we could get morals back, especially on chat boards.

I do have to say that airlines seats are horrible and cramped even for small people. It gets even worse if someone in front of you decides to recline their seat. I find I am much happier if I do not judge people and have less opinions. There seems to be a lot of that going around. (not that I am judging)

this debate still going?

I wanted to say thanks to the mods for helping out last time. too many people were starting to think I was obese. on topic, it's not about airlines, it's about people. It's about compassion, something people seem to be lacking as of late. it's christmas coming up and fat or not, people need to fly to see family. So let the hate go.

reply to post by jedimiller


Thanks for the reminder, Jedi.

I get angrier and more outraged this time of year. I recognise that I shouldn't do to much driving. Or shopping. I get annoyed when there are slow-movers in front of me (especially ones who don't walk in straight lines).

Your message is a breath of fresh air.

F

[edit] -- But, if someone's taking up more space than what they've paid for, SHOULDN'T they bloody well pay for it??





[edit on 16/12/07 by Fuggle]

reply to post by WalkOn

It's funny how still, many people feel the right that they need to JUDGE others, just cause someone is bigger, smaller or taller doesn't mean you have the right to Judge them, and I mean by the smallest of judgments like, he's over weight cause of illness... (that's a judgment).

First. There is nothing wrong with judging. Judging is forming an opinion about something. We all form opionions/judge. We do it every day.

Go look at your profile. Have you added people as your friends or foes? If so, you have judged them....that is how you decided if you would add them as a friend or foe.

Second. When you say "oh that person is great" or "oh that person is pretty" or "that person always makes great posts".....you are judging.

So w/ your philosphy, we should never form opinions about anything/anyone.



Judging is just forming an opinion - good or bad.


[edit on 16-12-2007 by greeneyedleo]

Originally posted by Fuggle
Thanks for the reminder, Jedi.



Your message is a breath of fresh air.
[edit on 16/12/07 by Fuggle]

Yeah no problem fuggle. You know people get to judge others by looks. And we all know that's rude and uncalled for. but i'm glad I could help out, it's the holidays and we all need a break from that.

Originally posted by jedimiller
I think the airlines should then construct an airplane for all the overweight users then. call it the "Large Plane". "All over 300 please go to terminal X" and this plane would have larger seats all around, at the same price compared to the regular people.

So you're saying that normal people should subsidise the fatties ? Because there is no way an airline would even break even having specific flights for fat people. It's time fat people start taking responsibility for themselves.

D'ya think we could tone down the use of derogatory names like "fatties?"

Expressing our opinions on a policy is one thing, but using our soapboxes to spew insults and fat jokes makes us look like children.

It's going on so much in this thread that I'm surprised it hasn't been locked yet. I'm sure if we were debating affirmative action or some other race issue we wouldn't be using racial slurs, at least not without consequences.

I see no reason why we can't hold this thread to the same standards.

I find it quite laughable that this was started by Australian poll.

The Jetstar girl in none other than Magda who is an obese Australian comedienne. I think the idea behind it being that Jetstar have more room than other airlines.

So, overweight Aussies there is your answer. Give Qantas the flick and fly Jetstar. They are also cheaper as well.

Here is the lovely Magda in an ad for budget airlines...




and the actual Jetstar poster than features Magda...





It's all so hypocritical really. It's quite okay to use an obese woman in the ads to make everyone feel all warm and cozy but then make the obese feel unwelcome when they are actually on the plane?


[edit on 20-12-2007 by Flighty]

the plane seats are too.small.for.everybody. I have never, at any weight, been comfortable, whether the bald guy on front of me has his seat on max tilt so I'm staring at the top of his head 6 inches from my face for as many hours, or I'm squished in next to someone my size, or bigger. The airlines could make much bigger profits if flying was actually anything but torture. People would fly more. The tall, the fat, and people with kids all have money. restaurants have mostly figured it out, movie theatres have mostly figured it out, why can't the airlines?

BTW, the buy an extra seat solution only helps the hater next to you, not you. I have a big tush and big thighs from riding my bicycle all over, and even if i have an extra seat, it only means i don't have to cross my arms over my chest the whole flight, like I'm in a coffin. the seats have these walls between them that dig in, and can cause blood clots from prohibiting circulation. I have a thin friend who got a clot on a plane from sitting in one of those seats, so I fly in fear. Not to mention the fact that I'm usually bruised up after the flight.

I have to fly to Australia for work soon, and I'm trying to find another way to get there. An upgrade on Qantas from economy to business class jumps the fare from 1000 to 8000. I'm not that rich. I'd pay double the fare just to protect my health, but 7000 more? Sounds like profiteering to me.