flight attendant takes picture of obese man in economy class

[Captain Oates 911]

If I were on a flight full of Miss America contestants and two fat dudes with my luck I'd be between the two fatties

I concur -- buy 2 seats in advance. For your safety/comfort and that of others. Few things as uncomfortable as being squeezed by an overweight woman (in my personal case) on a non-stop from Mexico City to Vancouver.

i had this, from zurich to NYC, and the dude farted the entire flight!

High altitude methane is the real menace to the world's climate - now we know the source.

[Niels Bohr 72]

I don't get it. If you're buying two seats in advance (for skinny people), what happens if the plane is only 60% full? Do you get your money back?

On a few Int. Flights, I was lucky that a few row of seats were unoccupied. So, when flight took off, I switched to those long rows in the center and sleep there. Didn't really had to purchase two seats.

[SuperDuper! 230]

I don't get it. If you're buying two seats in advance (for skinny people), what happens if the plane is only 60% full? Do you get your money back?

On a few Int. Flights, I was lucky that a few row of seats were unoccupied. So, when flight took off, I switched to those long rows in the center and sleep there. Didn't really had to purchase two seats.

No Niels, it does not matter how full or empty the flight is. You pay your admission just like for a movie theatre. But if you weigh 400 Lbs and dont fit into a single seat, the agent charges you for 2 seats. It no matter how full or empty the place is. Just like the weight of a truck on the highway. You pay for the class of weight you are in. Lightweight, medium or Heavyweight. Simple, right?

[slim 1,525]

And even without extender, the cattle-class seatbelt can easily hold a 30-stone person.

Southwest has this covered pretty good because really, it doesn't matter all that much how far you stick out... it matters how far you stick sideways!

I have never understood the seat belts on planes. Lap belts are really not much use for anything.

Seatbelts are on planes because the vast majority of injuries on planes occur in either turbulance or while taxiing. Both are effectively reduced by wearing lap belts. Falling from 30,000 feet while moving at 600 mphs isn't really a concern, that's why you get oxygen to make you feel better about it!

Our 110 # daughter had to pay an extra baggage fee because her luggage was five pounds over.

This is my biggest gripe. I could care less if the fatty next to me is "required" to purchase two seats or not because the little girl over there still "weighs" the same as he does and that is complete #######. Once again, Southwest has it right - bags fly free!

I wish airlines would just man up and say, "yes, if you're heavy, you have to pay more. Or, if you're light you still can't have bags in excess of XXXXX" but, that "magic number" would be the same for everyone.... and it would vary based on the plane's load. Talk about making them work hard! A third grader with an abacus could figure that out. 25 people on the plane? Great, everyone can bring 2800 lbs! 252 people on the plane? Each person can bring 188 lbs. on board. Oh, you weigh 426 lbs.? Well, that'll be $308.... but only if everyone else is light. (Then we'd have a side-bartering system where the little girl would sell the fatty her extra weight allowance for his headphones during Ice Age 3.... and she'd give him her pat of butter during dinner. See we can make this work!)

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

How sad and embarrassing for him! I can not help but feel sorry for overweight people. I know some people say it is their own fault, yet alcoholics get sympathy and their addiction is called a desease! I just feel sad for them!

You have to stop that now. we are going to get government health care and fatties like this will be running up our costs. We just need to kill them, that's all. Be done with them, they are a burden on our health system. How can you feel sorry for someone that so clearly doesn't care what damage they do to society with their irresponsible behavior. the government must take action and protect us from the blobs.

Disease or not, there simply isn't room for fatties, alcoholics, diabetics, and people with high blood pressure, PLUS it will eliminate global warming by reducing the surface population. Get with the program!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

And even without extender, the cattle-class seatbelt can easily hold a 30-stone person.

Southwest has this covered pretty good because really, it doesn't matter all that much how far you stick out... it matters how far you stick sideways!

I have never understood the seat belts on planes. Lap belts are really not much use for anything.

Seatbelts are on planes because the vast majority of injuries on planes occur in either turbulance or while taxiing. Both are effectively reduced by wearing lap belts. Falling from 30,000 feet while moving at 600 mphs isn't really a concern, that's why you get oxygen to make you feel better about it!

Our 110 # daughter had to pay an extra baggage fee because her luggage was five pounds over.

This is my biggest gripe. I could care less if the fatty next to me is "required" to purchase two seats or not because the little girl over there still "weighs" the same as he does and that is complete #######. Once again, Southwest has it right - bags fly free!

I wish airlines would just man up and say, "yes, if you're heavy, you have to pay more. Or, if you're light you still can't have bags in excess of XXXXX" but, that "magic number" would be the same for everyone.... and it would vary based on the plane's load. Talk about making them work hard! A third grader with an abacus could figure that out. 25 people on the plane? Great, everyone can bring 2800 lbs! 252 people on the plane? Each person can bring 188 lbs. on board. Oh, you weigh 426 lbs.? Well, that'll be $308.... but only if everyone else is light. (Then we'd have a side-bartering system where the little girl would sell the fatty her extra weight allowance for his headphones during Ice Age 3.... and she'd give him her pat of butter during dinner. See we can make this work!)

Oh thank goodness! We DON'T have to kill the fatties after all! They can buy "fatty credits" from skinny people. It will solve the hunger problem in Somalia when all the pencil necks sell their credits to the fat-bodies. Slim, you' re a genious! Who would ever have thought of such a thing. It will be peace and harmony everywhere, Eutopia, I tell you! There will be no more poor countries! Everyone will have the same amount of money and food and everyone will weigh the same and the whole issue of airline seats will fade, except we will need more of them because there is going to be a whole bunch of Somalians with enough money to buy plane tickets and airlines will fight visiously for the rights to the routes to Mogadishu. We will save tons on fuel costs flying to Mississippi and Arkansas. Global warming will be solved (I don't know how but since it really doesn't exist anyway, we can say this is the reason, why not?) Peace on Earth, good will to men and all that. No more health care costs at all because no one will be fat, we will save tons on our government expenses, we will need only one political party because everyone will agree...Slim, you just solved ALL the world's problems with a simple, we will call it "Cap and Fat" program.

Slim for Prez!

[GabiandVi 34]

How sad and embarrassing for him! I can not help but feel sorry for overweight people. I know some people say it is their own fault, yet alcoholics get sympathy and their addiction is called a desease! I just feel sad for them!

Also feel sorry for the person who has to sit next to him on a 15 hour transcontinental flight! When your weight problem becomes mine. It is said that a man's right to swing his fist ends when it hits another man's face. Same difference. This is a big problem that the airlines refuse to take on for PR reasons!

But then can you take on rudeness and charge more for that? What about the person who takes up both armrests? Or the person who has the seat back the entire way? Or the person who splays his knees? Or the person who stands up next to your aisle seat, leaning on it, talking to a friend near you? Or the people who choose an aisle seat and a window seat and talk across the stranger stuck in the middle seat? Or the poor mother with two children who scream or fight the entire way? Or the person who gets the window seat and then gets up to go to the bathroom seven or eight times? Or the person who snores? Or the person wearing too much perfume? Etc.

I've personally experienced or witnessed all of the above in addition to sitting next to fat people. If the fat person is nice, I'd rather that to most of the above.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

How sad and embarrassing for him! I can not help but feel sorry for overweight people. I know some people say it is their own fault, yet alcoholics get sympathy and their addiction is called a desease! I just feel sad for them!

Also feel sorry for the person who has to sit next to him on a 15 hour transcontinental flight! When your weight problem becomes mine. It is said that a man's right to swing his fist ends when it hits another man's face. Same difference. This is a big problem that the airlines refuse to take on for PR reasons!

But then can you take on rudeness and charge more for that? What about the person who takes up both armrests? Or the person who has the seat back the entire way? Or the person who splays his knees? Or the person who stands up next to your aisle seat, leaning on it, talking to a friend near you? Or the people who choose an aisle seat and a window seat and talk across the stranger stuck in the middle seat? Or the poor mother with two children who scream or fight the entire way? Or the person who gets the window seat and then gets up to go to the bathroom seven or eight times? Or the person who snores? Or the person wearing too much perfume? Etc.

I've personally experienced or witnessed all of the above in addition to sitting next to fat people. If the fat person is nice, I'd rather that to most of the above.

Kill them all. What was Slim thinking. His idea doesn't solve ANY problems, most especially global warming or reducing healthcare costs, just kill anyone that anyone finds objectionable in any way and we will save the planet!

[HAL 9000 96]

The reason I refuse to fly Air France is that they refused to accommodate my 6'1" 200lbs frame into a seat that actually was designed for an adult man to be able to have proper circulation. The girl (< 5'5", skinny) sitting in front of me reclined her seat, cutting off circulation to my legs. Upon getting up to stretch and get blood back into my legs, I dropped like a dead fly onto the aisle. A very nice letter to cust serv didn't get me any apologies either. So I stuck with AA, Iberia, BA, and Air Canada for transatlantics.

I couldn't imagine being obese and on a plane under these circumstances... and I do understand the personal responsibility mantra being echoed here- but seriously... the airlines need to accommodate pax in a better fashion.

[Azzudiin 26]

I have never understood the seat belts on planes. Lap belts are really not much use for anything.

Obviously you have never been in severe turbulence, I have seen people bounce off the over-head luggage compartment before when they did not have seatbelt on.

[Peikko 1,575]

I have never understood the seat belts on planes. Lap belts are really not much use for anything.

Obviously you have never been in severe turbulence, I have seen people bounce off the over-head luggage compartment before when they did not have seatbelt on.

Obviously!

My point was that the type of seat belts provided is almost worse than useless. Planes should be equipped with over the shoulder type belts for that very reason.

[Niels Bohr 72]

I have never understood the seat belts on planes. Lap belts are really not much use for anything.

Obviously you have never been in severe turbulence, I have seen people bounce off the over-head luggage compartment before when they did not have seatbelt on.

Nope. Never been in severe turbulence. But, like to hear what happened.

[alienlovechild 75]

But then can you take on rudeness and charge more for that? What about the person who takes up both armrests? Or the person who has the seat back the entire way? Or the person who splays his knees? Or the person who stands up next to your aisle seat, leaning on it, talking to a friend near you? Or the people who choose an aisle seat and a window seat and talk across the stranger stuck in the middle seat? Or the poor mother with two children who scream or fight the entire way? Or the person who gets the window seat and then gets up to go to the bathroom seven or eight times? Or the person who snores? Or the person wearing too much perfume? Etc.

Or the flyer who takes the window seat and never opens the shade.

Only reader on the plane has the light on in the middle of the night.

My big gripe was that I couldn't sleep and had to walk around in the back of the plane and people thought I wanted to use the toilet.

[mawilson 2,133]

Oh thank goodness! We DON'T have to kill the fatties after all! They can buy "fatty credits" from skinny people.

I love it!

Now all we need are new regulations and 10 billion dollars for Goldman Sachs to set up a fatty credit exchange.

[Jasman0717 9]

And I thought I had a weight problem