To dread flying because of my size?

[annauk1]

I am going on holiday in a few days. I should be really happy but the flight is really making me not want to go.

I flew last year and needed a belt extension which was fine, wasn't much of a problem, but the thing that petrifies me most is that DP and I won't be able to sit together and if I end up sitting next to a nasty person who is ' a fat-phobe' and huffs and puffs at me the whole 3 hours for taking up more than my (tiny) seat space. I am flying with Monarch who are notorius for their tiny seats. I am a size 26 btw.

LOL at not sitting beside a pissed person on a plane-have you ever been on a flight to popular holiday destinations? At least 50% of the passengers are steaming before they even board!

Loads of people using this thread to have a nasty wee pop at fat people because it makes them feel better about themselves. Pathetic.

Hate to link to the Daily Fail but I wouldn't have accepted sitting next to someone spilling into my seat.

this thread has been bonkers from start to finish

true that

No but someone who is anti-social on a plane due to alcohol consumption can be arrested....

No, people are not having a pop at fat people. The majority of posters have very reasonably said that even though being obese is hard to deal with, and hard to recover from, it is the responsibility if the obese person to ensure they don't impinge on others in an extremely uncomfortable and possibly dangerous way. Just like you shouldn't be able to say "I'm a heroin addict so I'm going to pass out and lean/dribble on you during the flight and if you suggest this isn't ideal I'm going to call you a big meany for not understanding addiction and accuse you of having a pop at all addicts".

I have not seen anyone advocating banning or penalising heroin addicts,alcoholics,ethic minorities,jews,homosexuals who use planes on this thread though-have you? But you insert the word fat and suddenly its acceptable. Think about it.

What I was quite clearly saying is NOT that people have said addicts/etc should be penalised. Try and actually read the posts you're responding to. What I said was, I SUSPECT the posters who are saying it is unacceptable to suggest purchasing two seats etc so that you don't massively inconvenience and possibly endanger others would be less sympathetic if they were impinged on by a problem that is less "normal" than obesity. Nobody has said fat people are bad, or that they don't deserve to travel, just that they should do their best to find ways to avoid causing others distress because of their obesity.

Oh god I have had a good giggle at how often Chipping has written "size 14". As if a clothing size can be the measurement of whats healthy for everyone. I'd love you to spend some time with my family of tall black women with tiny waists and big boobs and bums who are sizes 14, 16, 18. Gym bunnies, one plays professional netball, they're all toned and pictures of health. But oh shit! They're over a size 14! Better start losing weight.

It's ever so scientific. Much like how you don't know any fat old people so that proves they should have sorted themselves out when they reached a Size 14!

I have every sympathy with you OP. As a large person myself, I have been worried about the same thing since booking our holiday at the end of December (the holiday is in May).

I have never actually had to ask for the seatbelt extension but, even so, I have felt as if I'm squashing people!

I did two things - I paid for pre-booked seats & I have been on a diet for the last 6 weeks (so far I have lost 2 stones). The diet is also for health reasons but I must say the thought of squishing into a plane seat is keeping me going!

Fingers crossed for getting a seat next to your DH, to save you embarrassment.

And the conflation of ethnic minorities and Jews with people who have a problem that might impinge on others is just, well, weird.

When we went for a flight over the Grand Canyon in tiny Cessna planes, a couple of very very large people had to be separated and put on different planes to even up the weight distribution. No-one was being fat phobic, it was for safety reasons. I truly hope you won't be on my flight

Have you actually read the thread sarah? because I think you will find that many posters seem to believe fat people are not only "bad" but also the root of all societies evils

Perhaps if you don't want to be sat beside a fat person then you buy 2 seats?-et voila. Problem solved...

No its not weird sarah-its pointing out that prejudice against fat people is seen as acceptable

I couldn't care less what size they are- I do care that they need the arm rest up and at least a quarter of my seat!

This.

So do me a favour then Shatze, and quote exactly where anybody has said fat people are the root of all evil. Because I've read the thread, and can't seem to find that bit...

Then buy 2 seats and you won't need to suffer the indignity of sitting next to a fat person.

Subtext sarah is everything.

No one has said that fat people should not be allowed on planes.

I have said that if fat people, due to their size, area unable to comply with basic safety rules, like armrests down, then of course they should not be able to fly.

Maybe the person who can't fit into one seat, is the who needs two seats.

Oh good lord. It ISN'T prejudice to say that you don't want a fat person to take up the seat you're sitting in and possibly endanger you. Any more than it's prejudice to say you don't want an alcoholic vomiting on you.

shatze

No one is penalising the overweight out of hatred, merely stating that they wouldn't want their seat rncroached by someone who is so massively overweight that it will cause them considerable discomfort.

I would expect if a heroin addict or an alcoholic were acting in a way that was likely to endanger thesafety or wellbeing of other passengers they wouldn't even make it into their seat.

The comparison with ethnic minorities and homosexuality is utterly bogus.

You just contradicted yourself there itsallgoingtobe LOL

Right. Well your subtext, Shatze, is my complete lack of comprehension skills.

Shatze
I would expect everyone using a plane to use it in a way that doesn't impose unreasonably on their fellow passengers. If you are deemed to be drunk or under the influence of drugs they can stop you boarding a plane in the first place, check the airlines conditions of carriage.

In what way would someone being from and ethnic minority or homosexual impose on me as a fellow passenger. How would having a gay black woman sitting next to me make my journey physically uncomfortable?