Too fat to fly

[loobielousplaits]

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

And if i realky dont fit, then thats tough titty on me

It's actually really unfair on the person next to you too. I'd call you out on your selfish behaviour and let the cabin crew know you were encroaching my seat. I couldn't care less of that embarrasses people, they should think about that before booking seat that they can't fit into on a flight.

Mummysbusy you seem to genuinely think that strangers are unreasonable for not wanting to share a seat with you. You sound very entitled.

@at madmillie youve misread me, im saying it would be tough titty on me because i wouldnt be allowed to sit in that seat even before i booked.

If you don't fit solely within your seat then you don't fit, and if anyone objects then of course they have a genuine reason to. I don't want to be in contact with a stranger's body for hours, I would feel the same way if they were a healthy weight. I put my pillow in my seat next to me as a barrier (solely within my seat) when I fly.

Nevermind, im not explaining myself well.

Some people just dont want to sit next to me though; they find me distasteful

I don't mind who I set next to, at all, as long as I can have my seat space to myself.

If someone is overweight but takes up no additional room, there's no problem.

If someone is so obese that they do take additional room, do much so that a fellow passenger is physically uncomfortable, the obese passenger should have booked two seats.

It's not up to the airlines, it's up to the person to know how much room they are likely to need.

I’ve read this thread on and off - is there somewhere I can watch this?

It was aired in 2013 as part of C5's supersize me series. It must have been a re-run the OP watched.

I looked at those seat comparison links posted earlier and almost all of the seats seem to be between 17 and 18 inches wide. It seems it would be very easy to have an average sized trial seat with dimensions given. A passenger could then look up the dimensions of the seat they would actually be travelling in to see how it compares. The difference is tiny. It would be more of a problem having a trial seat for seat pitch.

*Almost all between 17 and 18 inches in economy class I mean.

Look, just buy two seats if you’re fat!!! It really is that simple! And if you don’t buy two seats and you don’t fit into one properly you get chucked off the flight.

Peoples attitudes will not change until airlines get stricter. No more PC bullshit, no more pussy footing around ... either you fit into the seat(s) you’ve paid for or you fuck of back to the airport.

@LellowYedbetter

Bit harsh, there.

Harsh? Hardly.

Peoples attitudes will not change until airlines get stricter... No more PC bullshit, no more pussy footing around ... either you fit into the seat(s) you’ve paid for or you fuck of back to the airport.

We're not disagreeing, you know. Were just coming from different sides of the problem, with different concerns. The solution kinda sounds the same? The airline needs to be lobbied to step in one way or the other.

"It would be lovely to have an official source declare if i was fit to fly. "

Or you could sort it for yourself.

MadMillie provided the Seatguru link is upthread which tells you the width between armrests for each airline/plane. On shorthaul it's generally 16.5 to 18 inches. (Interesting that BA is narrower than EasyJet, but BA gives you more legroom)

Then get a tape measure and stick one end of it to the edge of a chair, laying the measure across the seat. Sit down on the measure with the widest bit of your bum level with the fixed end and note the measurement where the other side of your bum is. If you'll be in a 17" seat and your sitting bum measures 18" or more, you're going to be taking up more than your seat.

I've just done this. I'm wearing a size 10 skirt, which is thick, and thick tights. Round the fattest part of my bum is 38". Sitting down my width is just under 17". As there is about 1" or 1.5" of width in the actual armrest, I conclude that I will not be encroaching on my neighbour's seat even if the width between the armrests is 16.5". If we can each claim another 0.5" of each area under the armrests, I'd have 0.5" to spare.

If in doubt, an extra seat or PE seat would seem to make the whole flight a more relaxing and comfortable and less stressful experience. Flying has become very cheap now that seats are so small, but it does seem unfair to save money at the expense of another passenger's comfort.

I'm not really aiming this post at you, MummysBusy, just throwing it out into the discussion, hoping someone will find it helpful or interesting.

Because if airlines were very strict then there would be no room for cfery from larger people trying to fit in seats, but there would also wouldnt be any way an average sized person could justify making a larger person uncomfortable about the way they are seated. It just wouldnt be a discussion (yay!). As long as its done before people get to the airport.

I think when booking it should be made clear that if you can't fit into one seat you will have to pay for two.

It's never going to be a surprise to an obese person that they cant fit into a seat. The measurements are published.

Why should someone be made to sit touching a stranger because they are overspilling their seat?

I am happy the seats are not larger, because I want to pay a low fare. It isn't right that all seats be made larger and all fares increased accordingly just to suit obese passengers.

They could ask people for their shoulder and thigh (when sat down) measurements during the booking process, if any are wider than the seat it should mean they have to book two, or premium economy etc.

It's never going to be a surprise to an obese person that they cant fit into a seat. The measurements are published.

Dont know if you've ever read any weight loss magazines, but when they do interviews with people who has lost weight, its often these kind of awkward situations that make them realise how fat they've become. Weight gain can really creep up on you.

@amicissimma if youre a size 10 with an inch in the seat to spare, would that mean anyone over a size 16 isnt going to fit? Google says theres a 1-1.5 inch difference between the two sizes.

Which isn’t true because I’m a size 20 (bottoms, I’m smaller on top) and I fit....

Weight gain can really creep up on you.

I disagree. People KNOW when their clothes are getting tight and need to buy a bigger size, scales tell you the same. It doesn't creep up on people, they choose ignore it.

Everybody's different, which is why, if you want to have a good idea, I suggest measuring yourself, rather than just extrapolating from how another person fits.

But my own measurements suggest that you can't assume you'll have a good few inches of extra space available in the next seat because its occupier is size 10. Maybe you will, if the size 10 person has a smaller bum than mine when sitting, and maybe you won't.

Im not looking for "extra space available in the next seat" How rude, why would you frame it that way?

Im trying to demonstrate how subjective "fitting" is when a size 10 only just manages it. Noone seems to believe that it isnt cut and dry. It sounds like quite a few people are not officially "fitting" in their seat either.

I am now bit baffled how I fit too😂
But according to the crew I am still fit enough so they once moved me to extra leg room by the emergency exit, because they needed someone in there.