Man forced to stand on 7 hr. flight due to obese neighbor.

[Coito ergo sum]

I bet he was in his seat on take-off, but couldn't take it and stood up to try to address the situation.

[Warren Dew]

The guy claims he didn't use his seat belt:

Mr Berkowitz added that his ordeal in July presented a safety risk because he could not use his seatbelt for take-off and landing.

Granted he could have been in his seat and not had his seat belt on.

[Gallstones]

There was discrimination and fraud.
Favoritism for the fat guy who was allowed to trespass on other passengers.
Fraud because the non-fat guy didn't get to use what he had paid for.

The non-fat guy is entitled to not only a refund of the ticket price, but also some amount of recompense--come goodly amount--for his inconvenience.

The crew should be given official disciplinary action for being so fucking ignorant and enabling the liability.

[Drewish]

Allowing somebody to violate another's 'rights' is not discrimination unless you only allow certain individuals to do so. I don't want to get into a battle of definitions, but it really bothers me that people need to keep trying to redefine the term discrimination so that it's fits an "always wrong" mentality.

[Gallstones]

Allowing somebody to violate another's 'rights' is not discrimination unless you only allow certain individuals to do so. I don't want to get into a battle of definitions, but it really bothers me that people need to keep trying to redefine the term discrimination so that it's fits an "always wrong" mentality.

The fat person was allowed to violate the paid for space of the non-fat person because he could.

Consider it a soft discrimination then.

The crew are busy anyway, one of them should have had to stand, or trade out with other crew for a seat.
A passenger who paid for a seat should not be expected to stand.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I wonder if they considered putting a very small person next to the big guy?

[hadespussercats]

Bigotry against the morbidly obese is totally justified.

You don't believe in addiction or mental illness? Thyroid trouble?

[hadespussercats]

The fat man wasn't the one standing probably because flight attendants couldn't get carts and such around him.

Ick. This situation... they probably couldn't say, "there's no room for you,sir," because of anti-discrimination law. But it's ridiculous. Sometimes the shoe just don't fit-- and you should accept that and make other arrangements.

I wonder where the heavy guy was headed.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Bigotry against the morbidly obese is totally justified.

You don't believe in addiction or mental illness? Thyroid trouble?

I know of little that is TOTALLY JUSTIFIED.

[Cunt]

Bottom line is that airlines need accomodate obese people, the way they do the handicapped. How do you know that a handicapped person didn't become handicapped due to their own fault, like driving drunk? Why do they deserve more consideration than someone who is obese?

Fuck that. Obese people, or those with large goiters, do not need special accommodations. There is an easier, more respectful way.
It is quite simple, as I see it. (for the future, I mean)

They should charge everyone as a 700kg passenger, and offer discounts for each kilo under you are (including baggage)

This would encourage efficient packing, including packing on the kilos. Not at all discriminatory either, since EVERYONE can apply for the discount.

It costs per kilo to lift shit up in an aircraft. It makes perfect sense to me to charge people by the kilo.

Plus, lots of people are ashamed of their weight, so lots of them would pay full fare, rather than stand on a scale in front of the other passengers. This would make more money for the airlines, and only off those who could afford their vanity.

[Drewish]

Bigotry against the morbidly obese is totally justified.

You don't believe in addiction or mental illness? Thyroid trouble?

I do, but I have no interest in the reasons why people do what they do, I judge them based on outcome. If you are of a size where your very presence is a constant inconvenience to those around you and you do not take the needed measures to either correct it or compensate for it, then I will judge you for it.

[Bella Fortuna]

Hell, they have those things you squeeze your hand luggage into to see if it'll fit in the overhead... maybe they should have one for people?

[Svartalf]

the contrary of the "ypu must be this tall to ride" sign from amusement parks.

[PsychoSerenity]

I wonder if they considered putting a very small person next to the big guy?

Fit them in like Tetris!

[Schneibster]

There was discrimination and fraud.
Favoritism for the fat guy who was allowed to trespass on other passengers.
Fraud because the non-fat guy didn't get to use what he had paid for.

The non-fat guy is entitled to not only a refund of the ticket price, but also some amount of recompense--come goodly amount--for his inconvenience.

The crew should be given official disciplinary action for being so fucking ignorant and enabling the liability.

You and I agree on this one. If I were the skinny guy I might not sue but I would never fly that airline again, I'd write them and tell them why, and I'd tell the story every time I had the opportunity.

I do not fly American Airlines for a very similar reason. They sent me a five hundred dollar voucher and I sent it back with a nastygram. I was Platinum frequent flyer; I got a call from the Vice President of Customer Service or so he claimed. I tore a strip off him an inch wide from his crown to the tip of his big toe. A year later I was Platinum on United and they've never done anything similar to me.