Obese People: 2 Airline Seats for the Price of 1

[Delta]

This isn't really new news but a couple months back the highest court in Canada ruled that airlines must give obese people 2 seats for the price of 1 (the also declined to hear an appeal). Their justification for this was that obesity is a disability.

I think this is just a joke of a ruling. I don't have anything against obese people, but I certainly don't think airlines should have to take the hit for it. All they will do is jack the rest of the seat prices to cover cost.

I just don't get the logic behind it. It's not like obese people walk in to a grocery store and get twice the food for the same price.

The extra cost of an extra seat, if anywhere should come from the healthcare system since the argument is that it is a disability. At least if it's coming from the healthcare system, doctors can make the choice as to whether or not there is an actual disability or not. While I realize that some people do have legitimate cases, I think a lot of America is just lazy, unfit and eat the wrong foods far too often. There's nothing wrong with that lifestyle if they are happy with it - but I don't think there should be free passes for choosing to live that way.

Is it like this in the U.S.? Thoughts?

 

[GekiDan]

Well... I could say I agree to this. Obesity can be considered a disability to me. It is somewhat similar to malnutrition.

Taking twice the food of a normal person on a grocery as a price of one is a different story though.

 

[deanhills]

This isn't really new news but a couple months back the highest court in Canada ruled that airlines must give obese people 2 seats for the price of 1 (the also declined to hear an appeal). Their justification for this was that obesity is a disability.

I think this is just a joke of a ruling. I don't have anything against obese people, but I certainly don't think airlines should have to take the hit for it. All they will do is jack the rest of the seat prices to cover cost.

I just don't get the logic behind it. It's not like obese people walk in to a grocery store and get twice the food for the same price.

The extra cost of an extra seat, if anywhere should come from the healthcare system since the argument is that it is a disability. At least if it's coming from the healthcare system, doctors can make the choice as to whether or not there is an actual disability or not. While I realize that some people do have legitimate cases, I think a lot of America is just lazy, unfit and eat the wrong foods far too often. There's nothing wrong with that lifestyle if they are happy with it - but I don't think there should be free passes for choosing to live that way.

Is it like this in the U.S.? Thoughts?

Canadians are very skilful at working their way around rules like these so I would imagine the Canadian airlines would be savvy in dealing with this. Most likely they will try their best to allocate double seats when flights aren't overbooked, that kind of thing. I can't see it having a great affect on the prices, as I don't see a huge number of obese people travelling. It would still be economy class and for people of that size travel must be hell on earth.

 

[blubl]

So if i got my mrs to sit on my lap for the journey would i only need to pay for 1 ticket.

Will the over eaters be entitled to food twice or wil they be offered just a salad.

 

[curious]

We had just the opposite situation in the US. Southwest Airlines was charging obese people for two seats if the flight was full. That was a problem in itself, but the real kicker was that they didn't give them the extra seat, just charged for it.

They also had an incident where a woman asked for a seat belt extener, and the Southwest attendant paraded down the aisle waving the extender in the air and making fun of the woman who needed it.

I'm obese, and I once held up a plane for 10 minutes because they had put me in a bulkhead seat with solid sides and I didn't fit because I have 'saddlebags'. They asked for someone to switch with me, and no one did. It wasn't until the other passengers realized that I wasn't going to get kicked off the pland that someone changed with me.

 

[DodgeFB]

We had just the opposite situation in the US. Southwest Airlines was charging obese people for two seats if the flight was full. That was a problem in itself, but the real kicker was that they didn't give them the extra seat, just charged for it.

They also had an incident where a woman asked for a seat belt extener, and the Southwest attendant paraded down the aisle waving the extender in the air and making fun of the woman who needed it.

I'm obese, and I once held up a plane for 10 minutes because they had put me in a bulkhead seat with solid sides and I didn't fit because I have 'saddlebags'. They asked for someone to switch with me, and no one did. It wasn't until the other passengers realized that I wasn't going to get kicked off the pland that someone changed with me.

It is very easy for young healthy people to be judgmental about old, fat; sick or just ugly people. The good thing about that is "something" could happen to them or someone they care about. As an old man told me years ago, "The Hearse backs up to everyone's door eventually".

 

[Delta]

It is very easy for young healthy people to be judgmental about old, fat; sick or just ugly people. The good thing about that is "something" could happen to them or someone they care about. As an old man told me years ago, "The Hearse backs up to everyone's door eventually".

I try to be as least judgmental as possible when it comes to factors of someone's life that are out of their control.

It's not just the old, fat, sick or ugly people that are judged. Good looking people are often judged as stuck up, skinny people judged as anorexic, young people as immature and naive, and healthy people as taking their health for granted and not caring about the sick.

It would be nice if everyone could look past the external characteristics of a person - sadly that's probably never going to completely happen.

 

[DodgeFB]

I try to be as least judgmental as possible when it comes to factors of someone's life that are out of their control.

It's not just the old, fat, sick or ugly people that are judged. Good looking people are often judged as stuck up, skinny people judged as anorexic, young people as immature and naive, and healthy people as taking their health for granted and not caring about the sick.

It would be nice if everyone could look past the external characteristics of a person - sadly that's probably never going to completely happen.

True. But we can all do our part to make it happen in our lives.

 

[curious]

I hate to admit it, but I tend to think that reallly good-looking people are going to be stupid, which is totally unfair. Of course, it is also unfair that some people have brains, athletic ability, and looks.

There is a guy who is going to be a Rhodes scholar next year, who did a pre-med course at the University of Florida in something like 2 1/2 years, and had started graduate school by the time they were playing in bowl games. He has deferred the NFL draft for a year, so he can do his Master's program at Oxford. He seemed reasonably attractive, too.

Now the Rhodes scholarship is a big deal, since there are only 60 of them each year. Bill Clinton was a Rhodes scholar.

Life is not fair.

 

[Sparks]

People come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. And while I don't like legislating commerce, I do like people being treated reasonably. Okay, now to be fair, I am your larger than average sized person. But I've been tall most life and fat a fair share of it at various times. That said, I think it is only fair that if they want to ME to buy a ticket, the provide something that can actually carry ME, not their bean counters ideal passenger. Should skinny, short people get tickets for half price?

Should ugly people get good clothes cheaper, since they need them? Or curvy cute women be forced to pay more since they are going to look better? I love some of the possible permutations of the concept. Anyway, I am all for the extra large super-sized Canadians getting a spare seat for free.

 

[deanhills]

People come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. And while I don't like legislating commerce, I do like people being treated reasonably. Okay, now to be fair, I am your larger than average sized person. But I've been tall most life and fat a fair share of it at various times. That said, I think it is only fair that if they want to ME to buy a ticket, the provide something that can actually carry ME, not their bean counters ideal passenger. Should skinny, short people get tickets for half price?

Should ugly people get good clothes cheaper, since they need them? Or curvy cute women be forced to pay more since they are going to look better? I love some of the possible permutations of the concept. Anyway, I am all for the extra large super-sized Canadians getting a spare seat for free.

Try flying China Eastern Airlines I'm about average to large size and their average seat was too small for me in the front row. Towards the back there was a seat that I just fit into. You really made a valid point. Airlines should at least have their seats standard size so that most people can fit into it. And if their seats are small, possibly the Canadian courts made the absolute right decision. They should offer two seats, although wonder how the safety belt issue would work then?

 

[Delta]

I hate to admit it, but I tend to think that reallly good-looking people are going to be stupid, which is totally unfair. Of course, it is also unfair that some people have brains, athletic ability, and looks.

Well... just from what I see here at University the a lot of very attractive (physically speaking) girls are the ones that are ditzy and "talk like, omg like, like this... totally".

They probably aren't the majority, but they tend to stand out, both for their looks and the things they say. Stereotypes don't usually just arise out of no where, but it is wrong to generalize.

 

[DodgeFB]

Well... just from what I see here at University the a lot of very attractive (physically speaking) girls are the ones that are ditzy and "talk like, omg like, like this... totally".

They probably aren't the majority, but they tend to stand out, both for their looks and the things they say. Stereotypes don't usually just arise out of no where, but it is wrong to generalize.

This is just a thought. I have a daughter that was treated terrible in high school because she is smart. The school wanted her to skip a couple of grades and she said no. Since she meet her stupid husband we have seen her "dumb down". I see her play the dumb girl and ask him dumb questions and I want to kick her tail. She "begged" for days to hook up her printer. And he made her wait. But she did not tell him that she hooked up my printer when he was not around. So I wonder how many girls (young women) are just acting dumb. Which in my opinion is dumb I suppose.

 

[curious]

I lived in Japan for a year, and I went to see a performance at a new cultural center. The Japanese are big on standards and lists. There is an official list of the ten best gardens, the ten best beaches, or whatever.

So they built this theater using the standard size for Japanese bottoms and legs, but apparently used pre-WWII standards. The Japanese are, on average, more than four inches taller than they were then. So most of the attendees sat on the stairs, including me.

If seat size is set for the average, then about half of the people are going to be too big for the seat, right?

 

[deanhills]

I lived in Japan for a year, and I went to see a performance at a new cultural center. The Japanese are big on standards and lists. There is an official list of the ten best gardens, the ten best beaches, or whatever.

So they built this theater using the standard size for Japanese bottoms and legs, but apparently used pre-WWII standards. The Japanese are, on average, more than four inches taller than they were then. So most of the attendees sat on the stairs, including me.

If seat size is set for the average, then about half of the people are going to be too big for the seat, right?

Cute! Also interesting. What happened with their length in size? 4 inches are quite a big difference.

 

[omej]

I don't fly that often but from when I have gone, the seats have always been more than large enough. It's ridiculous that an airline has to eat the cost for obese people, as if they didn't have enough money problems. From the several times I have flown, I saw obese people but you have to be a pretty big person to take up two seats imo. I would hope the embarrassment alone would encourage the people to lose weight.

 

[Sparks]

I don't fly that often but from when I have gone, the seats have always been more than large enough. It's ridiculous that an airline has to eat the cost for obese people, as if they didn't have enough money problems. From the several times I have flown, I saw obese people but you have to be a pretty big person to take up two seats imo. I would hope the embarrassment alone would encourage the people to lose weight.

Oh, one can only wonder just how diminutive the responder is that thinks embarrassment will curb one's appetite. How great a blush would forstall ordering a pepperoni pizza or make one too shy to reach for a slice of tiramisu?

Perhaps a surcharge might be in order, but not the price of a second ticket. Interestingly, traveling here in the Philippines where they can often crowd you in a bus quite tight, it is not uncommon to buy a second ticket (providing you can afford it) so that you have better room. But this is on a bus or a V-hire (van that travels to fixed destinations and sells seats). A second seat might cost a hundred to two hundred pesos, perhaps four dollars.

 

[curious]

Cute! Also interesting. What happened with their length in size? 4 inches are quite a big difference.

Their diet improved, particularly their protein intake. Prior to WWII the custom was for the women to prepare a meal, the men to eat their fill, and the women and children to eat the leftovers. The diets were low in protein anyway, as rice was considered to be the most important food. A meal might consist of a bowl of rice and only a sliver of meat or fish.

Since this change happened so recently, I was able to see some of the effects. I had a few women students who were tall, and they decided to wear yukata to a festival. Kimono and yukata are passed down from one generation to the next, and they all wore ones inherited from their grandmothers. The sleeves were almost to their elbows, and the hems were way too high.

One student, who wasn't very tall, was much taller than her father. She said he insisted that in his youth he was considered to be a tall man.

People in the US are, on average, taller too, although not by so much. And our average height is shrinking, I read, because so many of our recent immigrants are quite short.

 

[Delta]

Oh, one can only wonder just how diminutive the responder is that thinks embarrassment will curb one's appetite. How great a blush would forstall ordering a pepperoni pizza or make one too shy to reach for a slice of tiramisu?

I can only imagine that this could get some people into a vicious cycle. To get rid of their thoughts of embarrassment and perhaps guilt and sadness, a lot of people likely eat away their troublesome emotions. This would of course further the problem

 

[deanhills]

Obesity is a very complex issue. There are so many reasons for being obese. The latest being that it could possibly be a virus. It must be difficult for people who are not obese to comprehend that once an individual is obese, that person has real difficulty to loose weight because of a faulty metabolism and unhealthy system. They may loose a lb or 2 or nothing at all if they would decide to go on a diet, and when they can't loose more weight, very easily eat to compensate and continue on this nightmare treadmill existence. It takes an enormous effort to get out of it, and this can really only be done under medical supervision, preferably someone who is a practitioner with expertise in obesity. Key is motivation, self-esteem, total change of life style, proper nutrition and diet suited to that specific individual, and medical attention. For normal people who have a few pound to loose this looks doable, but for someone who is really obese, it takes an enormous effort, imagine that person would have to loose at least 80lb for someone to notice they have lost weight, so they would have to be that much more motivated than people who only have 50 plus to loose.