Treating Other People With Respect

TeapotCavalry said:
Let's throw that around:
Why do you think they refer to their potential clients as "passenger of size" rather than 'overweight' or 'obese'?
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Because it is a more (pardon the pun) palatable term and they don't want make clients feel bad about themselves when trying to part them from their money.
 
Upchurch said:
Because it is a more (pardon the pun) palatable term and they don't want make clients feel bad about themselves when trying to part them from their money.
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Yep. I don't think this is excessive in any way, but they're doing it not to offend the customers. I'm thinking why would 'obese' or 'overweight' offend obese and overweight people? This might have nothing to do with political correctness, though.


(I'll respond to our original discussion when I get a bit more time)
 
TeapotCavalry said:
I believe overweight and obese are the medical terms. The lack of PC speech doesn't automatically have to be third grade insults.
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But the problem faced in your example is not restricted to overweight or obese passengers. "Passengers of size" are not necessarily obese. Lots are, sure, but Hulk Hogan would also create problems on the plane because of his size. Therefore, "passengers of size" includes those passengers that create problems that are not obese.
 
pgwenthold said:
But the problem faced in your example is not restricted to overweight or obese passengers. "Passengers of size" are not necessarily obese. Lots are, sure, but Hulk Hogan would also create problems on the plane because of his size. Therefore, "passengers of size" includes those passengers that create problems that are not obese.
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Fair point. If that's who classify under 'passengers of size', then you're absolutely correct.
 
arthwollipot said:
Argument by dictionary?

Yes, I see that the dictionary definition provided here does differ somewhat from what I have been taught my whole life. I have no explanation for that.
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I have an explanation for you. Your idea of what respect is is wrong. Don't be alarmed though, most other get it wrong too and confuse 'obedience' for 'respect' (most notably those who advocate corporal punishment against children).

As for your original post, it's a nice sentiment but wrong. For one thing, I don't need to respect a person or even like a person to treat them like a human being although that would certainly help. For another thing political correctness seems to boil down to being offended for the sake of being offended. Sorry, but you don't have the right to not be offended.
 
TeapotCavalry said:
Yep. I don't think this is excessive in any way, but they're doing it not to offend the customers.
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I wonder how many examples of political correctness, under closer examination, amount to about the same thing?


TeapotCavalry said:
I'm thinking why would 'obese' or 'overweight' offend obese and overweight people?
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Maybe obese and overweight people do not consider themselves to be obese or overweight. Maybe obese and overweight people don't their condition thrown in their faces.

Our society puts a lot of emphasis on weight. It shouldn't be surprising that being called overweight or obese can have a negative impact.
 
Upchurch said:
Huh. Do you believe airlines would want to call their potential clients "overweight" or "obese" when trying to sell them a service?
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I would say that depends on the degree to which the airline thinks persons who are overweight or obese are sensitive about their condition and would take offence at the reality being stated.
 
Corsair 115 said:
I would say that depends on the degree to which the airline thinks persons who are overweight or obese are sensitive about their condition and would take offence at the reality being stated.
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Well, yes, but how do you determine that and is it in the airline's best interest to take the chance when a lower risk option ("passenger of size") is available?
 
I don't like "passengers of size" because it's needlessly awkward. ("Persons of" whatever always sounds awkward to me. I think it's the use of the prepositional phrase.) "Large" works just as well. "Larger passengers who do not meet the following criteria may need to purchase an additional seat." Applies to the obese person, the Defensive lineman, or Andre the Giant without being negatively judgmental.


"Passenger of size" sounds like you're trying really hard not to say what you really mean. To me, it sounds MORE insulting.
 
Upchurch said:
Hm. What's wrong with that? Do you believe it would be better for airlines to call potential and current clients "fat", "porko", or "lard-butt"? Is using the phrase "passenger of size" excessive?
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Yes. Obese is fine and clinically correct.

I doubt people in the "overweight" category would be needing two seats, unlike the lard-butts. "Passenger of size" is ridiculous.

Lard-butt or fat bastard would be rude, obese is not.

If the passenger thinks obese is rude, stop eating so much.

pgwenthold said:
But the problem faced in your example is not restricted to overweight or obese passengers. "Passengers of size" are not necessarily obese. Lots are, sure, but Hulk Hogan would also create problems on the plane because of his size. Therefore, "passengers of size" includes those passengers that create problems that are not obese.
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Disagree.

I'm a very similar size to Hulk and don't need two seats, or interfere with people sitting next to me. The person in front night not like my knees rammed into their back, but I only take up one seat and I'm sure Hulk would, too. (The fact that he doesn't travel cattle class is not entirely relevant)

The All Blacks, some of whom are bigger than Hulk, can sit happily in one seat, unlike the obese.

Obese people are a problem for those who sit next to them, and since the obesity is their personal issue, hiding it behind euphemisms and getting others to make concessions is baloney.

"Passenger of size" is clearly PC gone mad.
 
The Atheist said:
If the passenger thinks obese is rude, stop eating so much.

[...]

Obese people are a problem for those who sit next to them, and since the obesity is their personal issue, hiding it behind euphemisms and getting others to make concessions is baloney.
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As a point of reference, do you want to be polite to obese people?
 
Upchurch said:
Well, yes, but how do you determine that and is it in the airline's best interest to take the chance when a lower risk option ("passenger of size") is available?
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Personally, I say go the Protein World route and call a spade a spade (or in this case call overweight overweight), but given the generally higher levels of sensitivity in many folks these days to purportedly negative words, that path may not be for everyone.

Besides "passenger of size" is just silly.
 
Corsair 115 said:
Personally, I say go the Protein World route and call a spade a spade (or in this case call overweight overweight), but given the generally higher levels of sensitivity in many folks these days to purportedly negative words, that path may not be for everyone.
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Same question to you, do you want to be polite to overweight people?
 
Upchurch said:
As a point of reference, do you want to be polite to obese people?
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Sure.

I also refer to people with disabilities "people with disability".

The obese - whether they choose to be obese or not is a much larger thread that's being going for months - are obese. Blind people are blind and deaf people are deaf.
 
And as the wheels of society keep turning, and being obese remains something most people will not want to be, 'people of size' will become the new 'obese' and will be phased out in favor of something like 'circumferentially endowed'.
 
TomB said:
I don't like "passengers of size" because it's needlessly awkward. ("Persons of" whatever always sounds awkward to me. I think it's the use of the prepositional phrase.) "Large" works just as well. "Larger passengers who do not meet the following criteria may need to purchase an additional seat." Applies to the obese person, the Defensive lineman, or Andre the Giant without being negatively judgmental.

"Passenger of size" sounds like you're trying really hard not to say what you really mean. To me, it sounds MORE insulting.
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^ This is a good way to go. I'm significantly overweight myself; you're not going to insult me by talking about "larger passengers" nor does it sound overly euphemistic or awkward.

Using the term "obese" certainly would be insulting; obesity is a medical condition in which enough excess fat has accumulated to cause certain health problems. Unless you're someone's medical professional, you have no business diagnosing them as "obese" based on the fact that they look overweight to you.
 
AdamSK said:
^ This is a good way to go. I'm significantly overweight myself; you're not going to insult me by talking about "larger passengers" nor does it sound overly euphemistic or awkward.

Using the term "obese" certainly would be insulting; obesity is a medical condition in which enough excess fat has accumulated to cause certain health problems. Unless you're someone's medical professional, you have no business diagnosing them as "obese" based on the fact that they look overweight to you.
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"Obese" has no colloquial usage? It's strictly a technical term in medicine? That seems... Retarded.
 
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