Should obese people be required to pay for two seats on an airplane? Yes!

^^^^^^^^^
Please tell me why I, at 6', 180lbs, should pay the same price as this guy?

I've just about had it with airlines. On top of everthing we deal with relating to the TSA, I now have fat people intruding into the space I'm paying an arm and leg for.

This might make some people mad. I don't care. Don't care about being PC right now. On back to back cross country flight, I was stuck next to 250lb+ boheameaths, who payed the same amount as me, for the same amount of space. Is it too much to ask, that if you can't fit into one seat, you pay for two? Why aren't airlines enforcing this?

Before getting onto a plane, your carry on baggage is checked to make sure it fits. Why not humans? When buying a ticket, you paying for certian amount of space, in which you can travel. If you can't fit into the space, buy more. Otherwise I'm paying more then you, for less space. Not what I signed up for. For those who will say I'm being inconsiderate of obese people, how inconsiderate is it for an obese person to assume the person sitting next to them will pay for the extra space they're taking up? How inconsiderate is it for obese people to assume it's up to others to be tolerant of their size and weight, to the point you can take up a third of the seat I payed for, and I'm not supposed to say anything? I don't care if you're fat, or what your lifestyle is like, until it infringes on the space I payed for! This is becomming more and more common, as obesity rates go through the roof.

At some point, there will be scales at the boarding gate, and that day can't come soon enough. Either buy two seats, lose some weight, or don't fly.

You know for some flights, especially smaller planes. They do weigh people. As he aircraft are very sensitive to weight and balance. And as they use out of date average weights to calculate the take off weight, on smaller planes it quite easy to be above Max Take off weight, especially if you have a bunch of fatties squeezed in the back!!

It's not just the fact that they encroach on other peoples seating space, but if there were an emergency they could risk the safety of other passengers with their inability to vacate a plane as quick as normal sized people.

reply to post by JakiusFogg


If there are a number of obese passengers, do they sit them on alternate sides and along the length of the plane to balance it?

I honestly agree with you. especially long flights when you want to chill. its bad enough sitting there for long period of time, worse when you have someone nudging you every time they move.

but then again look at how people in third world countries travel...

Originally posted by nerbot
It's not just the fact that they encroach on other peoples seating space, but if there were an emergency they could risk the safety of other passengers with their inability to vacate a plane as quick as normal sized people.

True, As well as the fact ticket prices are more expensive due to the fact it takes more gas to get these boheameaths 35,000 ft in the air.

I think it would be most fair to charge by the pound not the seat, since it takes more fuel to lift a 180lb man than a 120 lb female.

Damn straight. I have nothing against obese people, but if you take up more then your seat you should be required to pay for it. It's BS that I should have to get pushed and nudged (albeit accidentally) my entire ride because somebody decided to eat too many big mac's. I say the really fat people should be charged 2-3x extra and given 2-3 seats to make everyone more comfortable, if they don't like it they can lose the lb's or drive if they can fit into a car.

Originally posted by Illusionsaregrander
I think it would be most fair to charge by the pound not the seat, since it takes more fuel to lift a 180lb man than a 120 lb female.

Agreed, and why not include baggage too? When I fly, I usually fly with just hand luggage and even though I have an allocated allowance for a bag to go in the hold I never use it.

i agree completely, i have been on some very uncomfortable flights and one of them was a 12 hour flight with a 5 month old baby at the bulkhead section where i often had to hold my baby son while sitting next to a guy on my left who was over 6ft 9 inches and had the longest arms i had ever seen. i admit this guy wasnt fat but he was a giant and i felt completely squashed, even more so when my partner at the time was breast feeding so she needed a bit more elbow space on my right side.
the only thing with that guy is it wasnt his fault that he was so big but with most obese people, they only have them selves to blame.

As a very skinny person, should i be able to pay for half a seat? Yes! How about children?

By the logic involved, since i take less fuel required to get me into the sky because i am skinny and weigh considerably less, and because i do not infringe on passengers on either side of me due to excess physical baggage, I should pay for half a seat (or maybe 2/3 to 3/4 of a seat, at least).

Yes.

Couple of problems here.

First off for some people overweight is a medical disorder. Some people in the world would weigh 300 lbs with nothing but bread and water to eat. What the airlines need to do is ask if there are any "physically challenged" in excess of 200 lbs and make a 2nd seat available for them if necessary.

Remember, the only difference between you and them may be something as simple as a childhood accident or disease may have put them on the path that they are on now. And getting rid of the weight may not be as simple as cutting back on the candy bars.

Also you should watch the language. Try putting in Negro or Indian in your language and see how you sound. Do you really want to be a bigot llike that?

Originally posted by ntech
Couple of problems here.

First off for some people overweight is a medical disorder. Some people in the world would weigh 300 lbs with nothing but bread and water to eat. What the airlines need to do is ask if there are any "physically challenged" in excess of 200 lbs and make a 2nd seat available for them if necessary.

Remember, the only difference between you and them may be something as simple as a childhood accident or disease may have put them on the path that they are on now. And getting rid of the weight may not be as simple as cutting back on the candy bars.

That's an excuse the majority of the time. Yes there are disorders and medications which cause someone to be overweight. But those disorders are not anywhere near as common as people would like you to believe. Nine out of every ten fat people are fat due to lifestyle. Plain and simple.

And don't give me this bigotry crap. Losing weight is a choice. Being an Indian, or Afican-American, or any other ethnicity, is not.



I guess when I see a fat person get an XL slurpee at 7-Eleven, to wash down a snickers, they had as much choice in the matter as someone being born as a Native American. Or when overweight people decide to not walk for 30 mins a day to lose a few pounds, they had as much choice in the matter as someone who was born with dark skin. The bigotry claim is insulting to everyone who has suffered injustices and prejudice because of factors they can't control.

If they don't fit into a regular seat, then yes.
What is the problem with this?

reply to post by nerbot


I agree. Just make it purely about weight, since that is the thing that affects fuel use. Take the fixed cost, divide that by number of passengers for a base cost, and then distribute the variable cost, (differential fuel costs) among passengers based on their contribution to that cost. (Weight of themselves and their luggage)

And to the person making the argument that it isnt always the heavy persons fault, I do understand that. Its not a 180lb males fault that he weighs more than a child or small female either. Its not about fault, or punishing, its about "you cost more, and you should pay what it actually costs to fly you."

I think your directing you ire at the wrong people to be honest, it should be directed at the airlines who are so intent on squeezing just one more row and column of seats into each plane that they are basically unfit even for a normal sized person to fit in let alone an extra large one.

I'm 6'6" and theres just no way I can travel economy class for more then a short journey as I get immense leg pain from squeezing into the seats, it it my fault I am tall? A few years back I used to be able to gook the seats next to the emergency exits if I explained my problem but now they are sold off at a premium to the first person that requests them which leaves me with little choice apart from never travelling by air again until I can afford the luxury of a business class ticket.

I think it's a shame that people are so quick to turn on their fellow man, the one that is sitting next to them in the same amount of discomfort and probably embarrassment rather then look at who actually made the airplanes so horrible in the first place.

Originally posted by ntech
Couple of problems here.

First off for some people overweight is a medical disorder. Some people in the world would weigh 300 lbs with nothing but bread and water to eat.

Hmm, the only person with sense in this thread? So many people are ignorant. The war against fat people is the new bigot craze! Well now that African Americans got their freedoms let's take away fat people's and continue on the never ending bigot cycle. Fat people just don't lose weight by not eating a Big Mac. And the reason they lose weight on diet plans is because they are starving themselves, with typically 1000 calories a day.

And that's coming from a 125 lb 5'9'' guy.

reply to post by MysticPearl

To be fair.

The guy in the picture is only taking up one seat.

But also half the aisle.

But yes. People that are going to fill two seats should pay for two tickets. That's not discrimination, that's economics.
It should be more because in case of an emergency.. that guy won't be getting out and could impair others in their escape from the plane in an emergency situation.

reply to post by ntech


Firstly.. Im sure you can haggle for better prices if you have such a medical condition.
I know they exist. I also know that most fat people are fat because they are lazy.

You should pay for the space you take up.

Ah yes fat people. One of the last acceptable social pariahs. I admit that I am bigoted toward big gutted people. They are gross to look at, smell terrible, they sweat on everything, and are not nearly as jolly as the stereotype may lead you to believe. Worst of all, despite all these lovely features, they still expect to be treated like a real person.

I've had it happen, you've had it happen. Their fat rolls lard their way over in to your space, blobbing against you. Not just on planes either; on the bus, on the train and on the plane their is no escape. Next time this happens to you, I suggest pulling up your legs, and setting them across the fatty's lap. Explain that as a tall person, you really need the leg room. Then lean back, satisfied at securing yourself even more leg room than a seat in first class. This really works, because even with a brain full of fat, they know you are justified in your response. With your legs in this position, it is really easy to fart on them. This encourages them to spend a large portion of the flight in the bathroom, to get away from your farts. They likely would have spent quite a bit of time in the bathroom anyway, because it takes fatsies such a long time to properly clear their fat bowels. Either way, if you play your cards right you can turn a situation in which you have only a half a seat in to a two seat situation.

Good Luck Fight The Fat