Feeling uncomfortable after sharing a seat with a very obese passenger

[Bayleaftree63]

On public transport earlier. A very large woman sits nexts to me. She couldn’t get the seat belt
round her. Her body spilt over into my seat, leaving me squashed with what little space there was left.

On the journey I couldn’t help be annoyed at the lack of space I was left with and questioning how do people let themselves get to that size. Talking morbidly obese, not just larger - whatever the medical
term.

This isn’t about shaming, more I’m in disbelief people being that big are happy? Why wouldn’t you want to loose some weight for a healthier lifestyle.

Where I live, the two rows of front seats on our buses (single decker) have seatbelts.

They also have a row of 3 single seats at the front parallel to the side of the bus. These can be lifted up to accommodate a wheelchair or a buggy. They are also useful for "people of size" as they can sit across two of them.

Do other areas not have these ?

I agree , I think the airlines also have a responsibility to make the rules fairer for everyone . Larger passengers should be properly accommodated for . I used to be very overweight , not so much it woukd affect t someone on a plane but I understand how people can get in the situation, mine was depression , abuse as a child and adhd , I’ve managed to lose almost all my excess weight at the age of 62 so can see both sides

AFAIK airlines will accommodate "people of size" but charge them for 2 seats.

Then it is up to the airline to have wider seats .

A genuine question? One where you've not engaged with people giving you answers? People explaining both their personal circumstances, and others explaining about disordered eating.

Why aren't you responding to the answers to the question you genuinely asked?

Get a private jet if you're that special next time and you don't want to deal with people.

Public transport is for everyone. Not her fault that the seats on planes are so tiny.

And to answer your question, it will me a mix of lifestyle and life long health problems. My aunt, who I love so much, has a brain tumour. She has been living with it for 20 years, it's inoperable, and is affecting her endocrine system. She used to be a size 8, she is now very obese and there is nothing she can do about it. She barely eats. You have no idea what people have to deal with so fuck off.

Exactly...

I know thinking going by air is public transport doesn't fit with the glamour of flying angle but in case no one has noticed the glamour went a long time ago.

Realistically flying is a form of public transport, most especially on domestic/internal sectors.

Us fat people live for this.
We actively enjoy squishing people like you.
Squish on anonymous larger lady!

Why?
Space on aircraft is at a premium so why should they waste it?

There is also the issue of evacuation in the event of an untoward event.

You can be accommodated with special requirements but you'll need to give 48 hours notice, see here for more info - www.disabilityid.co.uk/blog/flying-with-a-disability-a-practical-guide

I wonder if someone was literally taking up someone else's seat whether they should be enorucsged to buy two seats ?

We're back to the almost monthly "just fit wider seats" /"make less profits" nonsense...

The shortfall outfits Europe side generally make sub €10 per average passenger over the year using existing configurations.

Putting wider seats in means reducing capacity...so who pays, because someone has to or the airline PDQ goes into the red?

I think one of the Low fare outfits in the US has this about right- oversize passengers book and pay for two adjacent seats....if on the day the flight is undersold and departs with empty seats the fee for the second seat gets refunded.

But it’s really not though. If you’re so fat you can’t fit in a normal seat, you need to book two.

Use private transport if you don't want to be exposed to the public.

Of course a flight is public transport. It transports members of the public.

Bollocks. That’s exactly what you meant to do.

I have a friend who is obese, she always flies business so she has a bigger seat and doesn't impact others.

I’ve learned to get cabs everywhere instead of buses - spent too much time being squashed on public transport. 🙄

Part of the trouble is that seats are built narrower now, to squash in more people, and more people are obese.

It was a fire and run thread - designed to just elicit unkind commentary.

Or they are at school as suspected and will post again after school's out!😂

I have never been morbidly obese but I can testify how easy it is to go from size 10 to size 16 in less than 5 years... Depression, menopause, snacking, age, health issues preventing me from continue my running routine...I was not happy, developed more health issues, and now spending shit load of money on WLI - but even with them, the process of losing weight is very slow and difficult.

I would imagine if you were overweight most of your life and have underlying health/ emotional issues losing weight is very, very hard. Its not nice being obese, no one wants that.

Exactly.

People need to use their common sense.

A friend of mine is 5'10" tall. Her husband is 6'2".

They always fly business class.

Plane sizes haven't really shrunk, and TBF the 3/3 configuration on shortfall aircraft has been common for decades, so seat width hasn't changed that much.

What has reduced is seat pitch, so legroom has gone, in an attempt to maybe squeeze one or two extra seat rows in existing airframes...

And the squeezing extra penny comments is true in a way, but it's all about being able to make a profit and still be able to offer low fares...

Coaches

Ah sorry - I meant to say plane SEATS have shrunk!

They aren't making fares lower out of the goodness of their hearts. They want to squeeze out as much profit as they can.

I was 18 stone two years ago. 10 years before that, I had a traumatic head injury.

At the same time as the head injury, I went cold turkey from heroin, cocaine, crack and morphine. (I had been trafficked and an addict before the man who basically owned me beat me in the head with an iron bar because I was too old.)

I swapped those addictions for food. I knew I was fat. I knew what people thought of me- they thought I was lazy and stupid and disgusting. They didn't see the reasons for it.

Other people still look at me and see an obese woman who shouldn't be happy, because she's fat and who wants to look like me?! Don't I know what I'm doing to myself??!

I've lost three stone since 2024 and I feel great and I look better and I don't give a flying fuck that I'm still at BMI 31, because it's going down, and I'm pretty sure I'm happier than the people who look at me and think I'm stupid and lazy.