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Original poster

Too fat to fly

968 replies

loobielousplaits · 02/04/2019 23:55

Is anyone/has anyone watched this?

It's a documentary about massively obese people being interviewed about being taken off flights/too fat to flight.

While I absolutely agree it's a 'fat shaming' programme - I can't agree with some of the comments from the interviewees that have complained they had to leave the plane due to an armrest not being able to go down - a woman wasn't able to visit the toilet, another who couldn't understand why someone would be offended that half their seat was taken up by overspill - a 32 st man was offended that he was asked to leave the aircraft because he couldn't safely fit in the seat and should have paid for two - pilot decided he wasn't safe to fly.

I'm torn - I absolutely understand weight is a huge issue (I was anorexic in my teens) and it is not easy to control your weight but come on - seriously? You cannot expect to be OK to fly if your weight affects health and safety and you can't fit safely in a seat

OP posts:
TheGrey1houndSpeaks · 04/04/2019 16:38

Autism has nothing to do with it. Some people choose to think of obesity as a disability that the unfortunate victim has had foisted upon them and is powerless to do anything about.
Which is bloody insulting to genuinely disabled people.

ChatterlyWhatterly · 04/04/2019 16:42

Some people choose to think of obesity as a disability that the unfortunate victim has had foisted upon them and is powerless to do anything about.
Which is bloody insulting to genuinely disabled people.

As someone with MS, I 100% agree.

Aeroflotgirl · 04/04/2019 16:43

I agree, comparing Autism to being obese is like comparing apples and lemons, it is not the same. For most, being obese is a result of overeating and not doing exercise, whatever the reason may be, Autism is something a child is born with. Of course some people are large as they have a medical condition or illness, but for the most, it is a result of lifestyle choices. DD is Autistic, I know she cannot cope with a long flight, so we are holding off going to Disneyworld Florida as we would not want to subject passengers to her having a meltdown.

OllyBJolly · 04/04/2019 16:49

People are fat for lots of reasons, very few of which are out of their control

Fixed that.

Making airline seats only normalises obesity. This is a recent issue. We're eating ourselves to death in the West. We have to be less accepting rather than more.

There's no fatphobia here. I'm not afraid of overweight people. I guess what strikes me with fear is going to swimming lessons with my niece and nephew and seeing that the majority of primary school children are obviously overweight.

Pieceofpurplesky · 04/04/2019 16:52

My autism comment was to a PP who was pretty horrible about obese people and my point was that as an autistic person she should have a more tolerant to approach. I am dyspraxic and struggle with lots of different aspects of travel. I already book a window seat so I can lean in to the window (I can fasten the seatbelt and put the armrest down so not sure how fat you would class me).

The comments about fat people are horrible - this has turned in to a fat bashing thread as usual. Do you not think that if being thin was as easy as someone saying horrible things to make me eating and to move more I would not have done it? Massive mental health issue linked to rape, medication, thryroid and dyspraxia don't help. I also work full time, am a single mum and carer. So yes I do get pissed off With the comments on a thread like this.

fluffiphlox · 04/04/2019 16:54

Perhaps we should weigh people and their luggage together and charge by the kilo. Grin

HelenaBCRocks · 04/04/2019 16:57

this has turned in to a fat bashing thread as usual.

That's not true. People just don't want their space/seat spilled on. Having an objection to that does not make them fat bashing at it.

LellowYedbetter · 04/04/2019 16:58

My autism comments were in relation to someone saying that as I’m autistic, I should be more tolerant of fat people squashing me on a flight.

No I do NOT think that being fat is the same as being autistic. Being fat is a choice, being autistic isn’t.

HelenaBCRocks · 04/04/2019 17:00

*at all

It's perfectly reasonable to not want your seat spilled on. People are not unreasonable because they object to that.

TheRumor · 04/04/2019 17:06

@Pieceofpurplesky

Thanks

I'm afraid a lot of people won't change how they see this, and will not see it from a place of kindness and compassion.

There are many reasons for weight gain, including diet culture. But many will only suggest that fat people are lazy, unmotivated, selfish, entitled and greedy.

BlooShampoo · 04/04/2019 17:11

It’s entirely possible to take a compassionate view whilst also regarding someone else’s partial prescence in your seat as something you are not willing to endure

Pieceofpurplesky · 04/04/2019 17:12

@TheRumor I wish I had time to be lazy! But thanks for understanding what I am saying.

I am about to take off on a plane now - seatbelt done and arm down.

HelenaBCRocks · 04/04/2019 17:12

I agree BlooShampoo

InspectorClouseauMNdivision · 04/04/2019 17:13

I already book a window seat so I can lean in to the window (I can fasten the seatbelt and put the armrest down so not sure how fat you would class me).

This thread is about people who can't put the armrest down or even if the do they overspill into the next place. That's obviously not your issue though so I don't see where the problem is.

I am size 20. I do the same as you. Buy a window seat so I have comfort and the person next to me too.
Both of us are obviously doing that so we don't encroach on the next space.
Point of this thread is that people bigger than us should do the same thing. Make sure they don't take space from the person next to them. In our case we buy window seat. Someone who doesn't fit into a seat at all should buy 2 seats.

It's not fat bashing thread. It's a valid discussion.

I also don't agree that airlines should make seats bigger. Maybe few, but certainly not all, as I already said it would raise prices.

Even Ryanair has on their website information about buying a second seat.

Airlines generally have a seat size online too, but people actually have to look for it. And that seems to be a problem in modern times....

MarshaBradyo · 04/04/2019 17:14

TheRumor what is your ideal solution with planes as they are now?

Say, if the plane is full how would you like it to work - does someone lose out on space?

BlooShampoo · 04/04/2019 17:16

Autistic people tend to have heightened sensory input - what’s uncomfortable for a non-autistic person will likely be significantly more so for an autistic person. So requesting that an autistic person be especially tolerant of the situation would be both ironic and very unfair.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 04/04/2019 17:17

I still agree with having a seat that overweight people have to try before boarding and if they don't fit or spill over the edge then they either don't fly or book another seat

Back with possible solutions I agree with this in principle - but honestly, can you imagine the scenes at check-in, say if a family with kids find their holiday plans disrupted because one of them can't fly at the planned time?

As said upthread though, at least it would keep the angst ground side rather than on an aircraft when it's almost too late ... and maybe it would only need to happen a few times before the point was more widely taken?

brickingmyselfaboutthis · 04/04/2019 17:25

I think they absolutely should have to pay for 2 seats. My daughters friend was too embarrassed to ask for a seat belt extender and hid her unfastened seatbelt under her top on a recent flight. Completely unsafe for everyone

feelingverylazytoday · 04/04/2019 17:26

The comments about fat people are horrible
In your opinion maybe, certainly not in mime. I just see them as being honest, and I have been fat myself (BMI 37), twice in fact.
Good thing some people don't live in Japan, where you can actually get fined for not doing everything possible to maintain a healthy weight. Very harsh I guess, but I suppose they see it as individuals being responsible for their own health rather than expecting other people (and society as a whole) to accomodate them.

dustyparadeground · 04/04/2019 17:28

I've been on a small plane where we were all weighed before boarding and the larger people were positioned by the pilot to "balance" the plane. How's that for fat shaming? The funniest thing was the crucifix over the windscreen. Large black woman near me spent the whole flight praying lol PMSL

TheRumor · 04/04/2019 17:29

@MarshaBradyo

I suggest following the airlines advice, booking 2 seats.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 04/04/2019 17:30

Someone who doesn't fit into a seat at all should buy 2 seats

According to a link on here, many of the major airlines say exactly the same; the problem seems to be that some would rather save the money and just take a chance, irrespective of anyone else's comfort or safety

Interesting, some the airlines also seem to have a policy where, if the aircraft isn't full, the cost of the second booked seat will be refunded. Hard to see how they could be fairer about it, at least on this subject ...

baw53 · 04/04/2019 17:31

I was on a flight from Chicago to New York.I was seated with my seat belt fastened waiting for boarding to finish when this huge man came and tried to fit into the aisle seat ( I was in the middle of 3) He asked me to raise the arm and as he sat down a lot of his body mass spread over on to me, resting on my thigh.I told him the arm had to be lowered but I could not move it, it was wedged in the upright position.He disguised the fact that his set belt was not fastened when the steward walked last.He fell asleep with 5 minutes and snored with his mouth open.I was not happy and woke him up and asked to get past him.I stood for the whole journey by the toilet and only returned to my seat for landing.I did complain but was told there was nothing that could be done as there were no other seats available , it was just my bad luck his booked seat was next to mine.

Rottencooking · 04/04/2019 17:32

@baw53 that sounds horrible Sad

TheCherries · 04/04/2019 17:33

Having battled anorexia in the past, and being over weight (the joys of eating disorders) I can see it as an excruciatingly embarrassing problem if you are too large for a seat.

However I am also looking at it from a passenger point of view having sat next two two hugely obese people who booked the same row but didn’t book the middle seat as an extra which they really should have been made to do.
So I ended up stuck in the same row as them. They both spread over their seats. I requested to be loved but I was told the flight was full and couldn’t be moved. When I complained to the head steward I was accused of being intolerant and bordering on the “racist equivalent of fat people”. The steward them said if I had a problem I should put one of my small children between them instead.

I complained to the airline and got nowhere.

I think there should be a requirement to disclose your weight and measurements over a certain threshold and that should result in being made to pay for an additional seat (perhaps at a 50% reduction).

Either way for whatever problem the weight, it should not become a fellow passenger who beat the brunt.

If a policy is not determined regarding extra seat charge for an obese passenger then the airline should have a policy of keeping a couple of seats empty on each flight

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