Woman told she was 'too fat to fly' sues Southwest Airlines

[Tim]

After watching that news clip, did you notice that they were requesting her and her mom to buy an extra seat? That's 3 seats for the two of them. Did you notice that her mom was even bigger than she was?

If those two women were jammed into my row, I would be pissed. And not just a little pissed. I would point blank ask why they were not required to buy extra seats.

There is no way you can convince me that those two were going to fit in 34" of space.......

 

[acctnt shan]

I don't want this to become a weight-debate thread, but just want to point out that you can VERY easily avoid cigarettes + alcohol, but it's not quite so easy to avoid food... I'm not saying that obesity is unavoidable, obviously it is... however, I think the issue with treating it like any other addiction is that you can't quit food cold turkey or simply avoid it.

Also, as far as I'm aware, smoking + drinking are not associated with the extreme emotional tolls of depression/low self esteem/etc that being obese is... portraying being obese as a "bad" or "dangerous" thing is going to have a bigger impact on those already suffering from it than anti-smoking campaigns. I'm not saying there can't be some effort to discourage it publicly - just pointing out that the heavy handed approaches taken for other addictions can cause greater damage.

Okay, zipping up now - don't want to derail the thread too badly!

 

[Panacea]

Frankly I'm not sure how much campaign sanctioned shunning of any subgroup the world should be doing. Is this helping? Is it hurting in some way? I can't tell. I was watching something and saw people actually bullying bullies...adults sort of reaming out bully kids...that felt weird to see. So in general I don't know how much good any of it does.

Undoubtedly we all already know it's not socially acceptable to be fat, and fat people are mocked, there just isn't a public service announcement about it yet.

But I think to put this case on the same stage as discrimination is a knowing stretch of the imagination for the benefit of her blog. Undoubtedly it's embarrassing to have to buy two tickets, but as a person who at one point didn't fit so great in the seats at Comerica park I know it's also embarrassing to encroach on someone's space in their paid seat.

 

[Tim]

I don't want this to become a weight-debate thread, but just want to point out that you can VERY easily avoid cigarettes + alcohol, but it's not quite so easy to avoid food... I'm not saying that obesity is unavoidable, obviously it is... however, I think the issue with treating it like any other addiction is that you can't quit food cold turkey or simply avoid it.

Also, as far as I'm aware, smoking + drinking are not associated with the extreme emotional tolls of depression/low self esteem/etc that being obese is... portraying being obese as a "bad" or "dangerous" thing is going to have a bigger impact on those already suffering from it than anti-smoking campaigns. I'm not saying there can't be some effort to discourage it publicly - just pointing out that the heavy handed approaches taken for other addictions can cause greater damage.

Okay, zipping up now - don't want to derail the thread too badly!

I can agree with everything you said.

 

[Natasha]

You guys give humanity too much credit...

Not even a little bit.

Maybe they should start making commercials for morbidly obese people like they do for smokers... Hell, obesity deaths per year has surpassed smoking deaths. Obesity is one of the leading preventable causes of death... but hell, don't say anything, you might offend

We have billboards in Georgia that do exactly that.

I don't want this to become a weight-debate thread

That's what happened to the last thread like this. If I remember correctly, to the point that it had to be locked. LOL

 

[darkcgi]

If most people think seating is too narrow now, see this newly proposed seating.. This is ridiculous..

4 arm rests for three seats who decides who gets the 4th arm rest lol

 

[acctnt shan]

4 arm rests for three seats who decides who gets the 4th arm rest lol

I always vote for the middle seat, since they are the one getting crammed in on both sides

 

[Kakapo Dundee]

At the end of the day, we're all too fat to fly, hence we invented planes.

 

[Tim]

At the end of the day, we're all too fat to fly, hence we invented planes.

so says the flightless Kakapo... lol

 

[darkcgi]

I love the window seat I just lean over into the window with my forehead press on it staring at the clouds and land and end up falling asleep with head phones on

 

[Francis]

After watching that news clip, did you notice that they were requesting her and her mom to buy an extra seat? That's 3 seats for the two of them. Did you notice that her mom was even bigger than she was?

If those two women were jammed into my row, I would be pissed. And not just a little pissed. I would point blank ask why they were not required to buy extra seats.

There is no way you can convince me that those two were going to fit in 34" of space.......

100% agree...

 

[Francis]

4 arm rests for three seats who decides who gets the 4th arm rest lol

It's always been like that..



That's why I refuse to sit in the middle unless I am with someone I know..

It's actually a pain as the window seat often thinks both are theirs and the aisles seat thinks both are their leaving the middle with nothing..

 

[Natasha]

I always try to pick a window seat if it's still available by the time they don't want to charge me $5 for the privilege of choosing, LOL