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AIBU?

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Original poster

...to ask how you decide if someone is 'fat' ?

253 replies

MaisyMooCow · 08/02/2012 14:27

Here

So the 'fat' passenger paying more argument continues.

My question is, how do you decide when someone qualifies for the 'fat seats'. What happens if you book a normal seat, get to check-in and they say 'Sorry madam but you're fat' . Are you expected to get on their scales for a weigh in?!!

OP posts:
Bunbaker · 08/02/2012 17:48

"The views expressed on MN in these "fattist" threads really make me feel very depressed about my fellow humans"

I don't believe many responses on this thread are "fattist". What some people fail to understand is that having to share your seat on a flight with someone else is blooming uncomfortable.

HipHopOpotomus · 08/02/2012 17:48

Did you not read my next sentence Whatme? The one that says "of course this would be ridiculous"??

I'm suggesting that airlines (and trains etc) react to the increasing size of the population on AVERAGE, and increase their set size accordingly. Then everyone was bleating about "why should I pay more" etc. My point is we should be demanding bigger seats from the airlines.

yellowraincoat · 08/02/2012 17:49

But we're NOT all in this together, that's the thing. If we did, you could make an argument that it's not fair that skint people can't travel on planes and that they should be given free plane seats.

We don't live in a communist country and thus whatever makes the maximum profit will always be favoured.

WorraLiberty · 08/02/2012 17:49

I don't know why this thread is turning into a bit of a debate about why people are fat. There are many different reasons for that (and yes sometimes it's greed and laziness)

If someone is affecting me on a flight/bus/train because they're squashing me or edging me off my seat...that's all I need to know.

The same as if a drunk is harrassing me...I don't need to know why they're drunk.

If a smoker is breathing smoke on me...I don't need to know why they're addicted to nicotine.

The fact is, no-one has a god given right to inconvenience the person next to them.

HipHopOpotomus · 08/02/2012 17:49

I really think airlines, in fact all transport, should take into account that we are all shapes and sizes and adjust their seats accordingly.

Exactly LadyB

yellowraincoat · 08/02/2012 17:51

But I don't WANT bigger seats. If we have bigger seats, we have fewer seats. If we have fewer seats, we have more planes in the air and higher costs. Worse for the environment, worse for my bank account.

I could as well demand shorter trouser lengths, but I doubt anyone who isn't tiny would join me in my plea.

Whatmeworry · 08/02/2012 17:51

Did you not read my next sentence Whatme? The one that says "of course this would be ridiculous"??

I should have quoted the whole thing - you then said "we are all in this together", which was also what i was objecting to.

HipHopOpotomus · 08/02/2012 17:54

the pursuit of maximum profit means airlines don't give a shit if :

A) your seat is tight and uncomfortable as you are too tall/wide for it
or
B) the person next to you is to big for their seat and is also making you uncomfortable, or taking up some of your space

so in that sense passengers are all in this together & larger more realistic sized seats would benefit ALL passengers!

dickiedavisthunderthighs · 08/02/2012 17:55

Very big people who take up more than one seat are the minority. By asking airlines to increase seat size to accommodate the minority means that the majority have to pay more.
Doesn't it make more sense to ask the minority to pay the extra money instead? Which is exactly what the OP is saying?

yellowraincoat · 08/02/2012 18:00

People losing weight would benefit all passengers too. Why not just do that instead?

LadyBeagleEyes · 08/02/2012 18:01

I really don't see how fitting, say, a dozen larger seats on planes would make a huge difference to costs.
People could request one when booking if they are taller/bigger built/ fatter than average.
How hard could that be, or am I just being naive.

MrsTerryPratchett · 08/02/2012 18:01

We all have to adjust to other people all the time. I would LOVE seats on planes to be nearer the floor so that my feet could rest and I wouldn't get some rest instead of feeling very uncomfortable. However, these seats were designed so that men could rest their feet. Are we screaming that men should pay extra for this privilege? No. Because things are frequently designed with men in mind and women can go hang. The nasty views about the overweight on here are pretty horrible.

I have sat next to fat people on planes and it is uncomfortable. However, when I took my baby on a 10 hour flight and had to BF her every 2 hours and her kicking feet were dangling into the seat of the person next to me, I was really glad they didn't give me shit. I could have bought another seat (except I couldn't afford it) or travelled with DH (except he couldn't get leave) or I could have not gone (except my parents wouldn't have met DD). Everyone is behaving as if air travel is a luxury and so is being fat. Sometimes people need to fly and have other needs. Most people don't want to be fat, travel with an infant who is screaming/kicking, inconvenience people with their height/length. Would it cost everyone to have some empathy?

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 08/02/2012 18:03

have any of the people saying "just lose weight" actually ever had to lose a lot of weight?

tralalala · 08/02/2012 18:05

what a vitriolic thread.

I agree that larger seats should be available at a premium (DH pays a tenner to get leg room as he is 6. 4.

But the language is nasty and unecessary.

yellowraincoat · 08/02/2012 18:05

This thread's not really about that though, is it, Fanjo? I'm sure it's a lot easier (and more beneficial) to lose weight than to complete rearrange every plane in existence.

yellowraincoat · 08/02/2012 18:05

completely*

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 08/02/2012 18:06

this thread IS very much about that, it seems to me.

Whatmeworry · 08/02/2012 18:06

so in that sense passengers are all in this together & larger more realistic sized seats would benefit ALL passengers!

That is just spreading the overweight seat tax among all the other passengers, which I object to.

I think a better thing would be if anyone getting squished made a real hullabaloo (suing, blogging etc etc) so the airline had to sort it, that is the most likely thing to change behaviours all round.

yellowraincoat · 08/02/2012 18:08

How is it? I know it's difficult to lose weight, but I don't see why we should change how planes are laid out just to accommodate the few people who are so fat they need an extra seat.

It is not healthy to be that fat and I don't think it should be encouraged. I'm not judging, I just know that if I got that fat I wouldn't be happy because of the health implications.

This is a bit of a non-issue anyway - there really aren't many people that fat in the UK. I've never seen anyone need two seats on a plane.

HipHopOpotomus · 08/02/2012 18:09

Brilliant idea LadyB and a reasonable suggestion - however the airlines probably think they already do this - they call it Premium Economy & charge a huge extra for it.

MrsT I'm travelling 26 hours with wriggly 9mo BF baby in 3 weeks time & hope I'm treated with the kindness, or at least disinterest, that you were. I couldn't afford to book her a seat - I'm taking her to meet my Mum who won't fly as she feels too embarrassed (being overweight) and uncomfortable squeezing into seats. As a pensioner, air travel is pretty much out of her budget anyway - certainly anything but economy would be unaffordable for her/us. I'm fucked either way aren't I? Well at least my Mum will get to meet her GD.

MrsTerryPratchett · 08/02/2012 18:09

How about we weight people WITH their luggage? Then all the skinny bitches with their designer clothes and giant luggage can subsidise people like me who pack light. BTW the bitches comment was to outline the nastiness on here NOT because I think thinner people are less nice. I don't.

LadyBeagleEyes · 08/02/2012 18:11

Fanjo as a smoker of over 30 years, who still hasn't been able to stop, I can understand just how hard it must be to lose weight.
Food has never been an issue for me, but I do get where you're coming from.
And yes, tralala, I agree, there are some hugely offensive remarks on this thread. I'm sure there are many people on here with weight issues, it must be very hurtful to them.

MrsTerryPratchett · 08/02/2012 18:11

X-posted HipHop. Just fall on people's mercy and apologise in advance. One the flight back one girl in a group of 20 or so 15 year olds was next to me. I like to think that I have reduced the teenage pregnancy stats by a ton!

Icelollycraving · 08/02/2012 18:14

Have read a little of this thread. Seems to be quite a lot of fatty comments :(
I am a 'fatty' & pay more for premium economy because I want to be comfortable. I did chuckle at the weigh in cage at check in,that would be an enormous incentive to shift some pounds for me!
Perhaps there could be something on reserving seats online,like a question about height & size. Then they could have comfort ideals set up for this?
Actually that's a bloody brilliant idea,off to contact Virgin :o

yellowraincoat · 08/02/2012 18:18

MrsTerryPratchett, I resent that "skinny bitches" comment. Yes, I'm skinny but I'm not a bitch, I don't have any designer luggage and haven't said anything horrible about fat people. I don't think it makes any sense to make bigger seats on planes but that doesn't make me a bitch.

The world isn't divided into skinny bitches with designer clothes and poor fat people who the world is awful to, you know.