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Fat man on a plane...one seat or two?

headscratcher4

Philosopher
headscratcher4
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Apr 14, 2002
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/04/obese-man-on-american-air_n_379979.html

All right, I am not a particularly svelt person...I could stand to lose 30 pounds. But am I wrong to worry that if I were on the plane with this guy and an emergency happend...say landing in the Hudson, I might have a hard time getting to an exit? Seriously, would this man even fit through one of the emergency exit doors?

I sympathize with the embarassment this man may feel...but I wouldn't want to be behind him. Am I wrong?
 
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Even without an emergency, how did the flight attendants get their cart down the aisle?
 
Those poll options on HuffPo aren't very good: "Yes. It's unfair, but necessary." I don't think its unfair at all. If you take up the space of two seats your should have to pay for two seats. How is that unfair?
 
IF you've ever flown from Boston to either Martha's Vinyard or Nantucket on Cape Air -- little two engine prop planes, seating about 10. They ask your weight and try to balance the cabin...it is a little disconcerting and for some embarassing to have to give your weight to the attendent.

This guy, however, couldn't even climg into that size plane, IMO.
 
There was a report in a UK newspaper about someone getting deep vein thrombosis (I think) due to an obese woman partly sitting on her during a long flight. What about her rights?

Yes, it's unfair that some people have to pay double for the same flight, but life's unfair. If you can't fit on one seat, you shouldn't expect the airline to provide a second for free, or the person next to you to suffer being crushed.
 
The guy sitting next to him is looking at him like "WTF?". How is that guy even able to get the seat belt on, even with extensions?
 
As long as they're given the second seat, without another person sitting in it, then yeah, charge them for two seats.
 
Piscivore said:
No.

Hey, I'm a big fat guy, "Obese" in every sense of the word, and 757lbs is more than twice my size. Hell yes he needs two tickets. Yes, his size is a safety concern.
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Uhhhh, "757" was a guess at the airplane type, not the guy's weight. I'd guess he weighs about 450 pounds, if his height is correctly proportioned to the guy next to him.

I think it would be correct for the airline to arrange for him to have two seats for no extra cost, if there were unfilled seats available. Otherwise, pay for an extra seat or wait for a more empty plane.

For the record, I'm about 20 lbs overweight at 195.
 
I was in an emergency exit row recently when a large man sat down in the aisle seat...not as big as this guy, but pretty big. He needed the seat belt extension. Anyway, the stewardess asked him to move to an aisle toward the back of the plan because they had rules about obstructing the exit row.

I approved, but I wonder how long to a fat discrimination law suit...not that I think it would win, but there will be one.
 
I'm a good 30 pounds or so over my ideal weight. That being said, I'm also above 6', and those plane seats are ridiculously uncomfortable. You end up sitting next to 2 6'+ guys, and I don't care if they're all skinny (unless they're twigs), you're not happy that flight.

I like the solution of giving the people who genuinely can't fit in a seat, like that man, an extra seat if its available, or just bumping them from the flight until one becomes available (or having them pay for an extra seat, if they don't like being bumped).
 
shadron said:
Uhhhh, "757" was a guess at the airplane type, not the guy's weight.
Click to expand...
Oops. :o

I'd guess he weighs about 450 pounds, if his height is correctly proportioned to the guy next to him.
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No, he's bigger than that. I'm 350 and I can get into a single airplane seat- not especially confortably, but nowhere near that kind of overhang. 500+, at least.
 
If I were travelling on the same plane with that guy and sensed an emergency, I'd be clinging on him with hands, feet and teeth. I can't imagine a better shock absorber (as long as I was clinging on the correct side).
 
If he was sitting down, obesity doesn't come it to it.

The man's a giant, easily two heads taller than anyone else on the plane.

Should giants have to purchase two seats?
 
shadron said:
I'd guess he weighs about 450 pounds, if his height is correctly proportioned to the guy next to him.
Click to expand...
It doesn't look to me like he's sitting, but is actually standing because he can't fit in the seat.
 
We had pretty much this exact thread a few months ago. It got quite unpleasant, as some of the "if you're fat you're a moron with no self control" mob waded in and started to insult Ysabella and a couple of other people.

I wonder if that photo is genuine? If it is, the man seems to be sitting not in his seat but on the arm of it. I'm not convinced the arrangement shown is the actual in-flight seating position, as opposed to him beginning to stand up or something like that. Surely you aren't allowed to pass an airline flight seated on the arm of your chair?

Rolfe.
 
On a long ago full flight from Glasgow to Toronto, we were held up over an hour while the flight attendents looked for someone to give up their seat (with compensation) to accomodate a very large man who needed two. This delay caused us to miss our connecting flight in Toronto and spend the night in a hotel. Even without an emergency, it was an inconvenience for everyone else on the plane, and for those of us who missed connections because of it, an extra monetary burden (the airline DID give us food vouchers for the food court at the Toronto airport where $15.00 would get you a hot dog.) So yes, if you NEED two seats, you need to PURCHASE two seats.
 
When I traveled with my then young daughter I would buy three seats for the two of us solely to insure that we would not be inconveniencing anyone with her fidgeting and our game playing during the flight.

On sold out flights it was not uncommon for other passengers to comment about how it was unfair that we had the entire row for ourselves.
 
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