Too Fat to Fly??
( a passenger on a recent flight)
Notice how the armrest is up and she is still overflowing a good 6 inches into the aisle.
The inside armrest is up as well while she is occupying some of her seatmates personal space too.
Has anybody out there listened to or read about the current and ongoing controversy of whether or not it should be a standard airline policy for larger people to pay more for their airline ticket which would allow them and extra seat?
This is a hot topic as of late!
Have you ever been the lucky passenger sitting next to the biggest passenger on a full flight?
Ok, so you're petite and can endure it for a 2 hour flight without complaining and making a scene.
Now, WHAT IF it's a hot summer day, you're looking at a 5 hour flight and the overweight passenger is already sweating bullets when he/she boards and wearing less clothes than you'd wear on the beaches of Hawaii. When he/she finds his/her seat (next to you) and lifts his/her arms to stow his/her bags in the overhead bins, you get a whiff that about knocks you over and you wonder if he/she has had a shower in the last month! Then he/she sits down and can't help but spill over into your seat and possibly even on top of you (you have no choice but to sacrifice your arm rest at this point) and then he/she inadvertently touches your arm. OH NO HE/SHE DIDN'T!! oh yes, he/she did... That sweaty, sticky, soggy, smelly passenger just made skin to skin contact with you. Now how do you feel about it? Probably aren't happy but you come to the reality that it will be 5 hours until this flight is at your destination so you try and make the best of it.
At cruising altitude the flight attendants can barely squeeze down the aisle passed the larger person to do a beverage service. You order water. He/She orders CranApple (the drink with the most sugar-yes, even more than Coke) and cookies...then he/she asks the flight attendant, "can I have 2? and some peanuts? one more bag please? oh, and can I have the whole can of cranapple and a glass of water as well cause I need to take my (obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes) meds later on......Do you have any snacks for sale, I missed breakfast today" :( He or she orders M&M's and Pringles (for "breakfast") (As the flight attendant is giving him or her their change they are thinking,"would you like anything else? hmmm, how about a 3rd seatbelt extension and a heart attack with that?")
At this point you have also sacrificed your tray table too cause his/hers won't come down and lay flat cause his/her belly is in the way and he/she has ordered way to much to hold so you let him/her put it all on your table.
I am not trying to be mean, insensitive, judgmental or anything else at all, This is just a scenerio that hits close to home and I am looking for some help. What do you think I should do as the flight attendant on this flight?? Should this passenger be allowed to fly on a ticket that costs just as much as the person they are sitting next to even though they are taking up that persons space as well as their own?
I have read some of the articles, I've listened to newscasters opinions of it on talk radio, I've discussed it with my co-workers and many passengers (small and large)...the bottom line is that I deal with this issue first hand on an almost daily basis and it's hard to know how to handle each situation. It would be nice to have a policy in place that would help everyone out. It would save a lot of awkwardness and embarrassment on everyone's part. Then if there are empty seats on the aircraft and the larger person could have had 2 seats without paying for the extra space in the first place they could get a refund for the extra they were charged as an insurance policy that guaranteed them the extra space they require.
It is a touchy subject, I know. Believe me, I KNOW.
Currently there is not a policy in place at most airlines.
Should the airlines have a policy regarding this?
How would you handle this?
What are your thoughts?
How is a flight attendant supposed to get a cart down that aisle not mention evacuate the aircraft with an obstruction like that?? It is not safe.
9 comments:
Tatum,
So I totally agree with you on the whole issue. recently I was on a southwest flight and there really isn't a lot of room for even a normal sized man/woman and the last photo that you posted that is a big problem when it comes time of an emergency hopefully you never have one but yes bigger people should have to have two seats.
I SO agree! I had a person like in the picture above that you took on a flight, and the lady sitting next to him asked if she could have another seat-- there were none. So, she wanted to talk to the gate agent. The gate agent told her she had to sit there or get on the next flight. I say the gate agent should have gone to the fat person and said, "Sir, if you can put your arm rest down we can keep you on this flight, but if not, we will have to put you on the next available flight"...why should the skinny person not get the seat she payed for?
I agree with these ladies, they should be required to buy two seats if they cannot fit between the arm rests. Not trying to be rude, but this is the way I see it, they can get mad about it, or they can get a treadmill, either way... :)
I was laughing so hard while reading your post. You are so funny! I loved the constant he/she mentions. I had a guy on my flight a couple weeks ago who wanted to be reimbursed because he was sitting next to a large pax...a valid complaint yes...the only problem was HE WAS LARGE TOO!!!!! I totally think there should be a policy about that.
Thanks for commenting! I totally know who you are. Matt is around my sister's age and somehow I just knew you? Or knew of you? I guess going to Snow might have had a hand in that, right? Anyway, thanks for commenting and for reading my crazy blog. Oh, and I've looked at yours before but never commented because I didn't think you'd know me. Glad to know that I can stalk without feeling weird :)
Wow, how sad that we aren't all as cute and petite and impeccable as you Tatum.
Frankly, I'm quite disappointed in your rude, discriminatory ramblings about other people and their malady. Shame on you and everyone who agrees with you. Maybe you should concentrate on the "beam" in your own eye.
Doesn't the airlines have ethical standards for their employees?
Anonymous-
I think it's sad that you feel like you have to be anonymous when you are stating your opinions. Everyone is entitled to their own set of beliefs and I can respect that.
However, I feel like you did take my post in the wrong context. I was not trying to boast up myself at all. I don't claim to be cute, petite or impeccable. Nor was I trying to sound discriminatory or rude. This subject is just a reality I face in my job on a regular basis. I was looking for input on the issue, not to be questioned on my ethics. If you disagree with me or others who commented, please leave your own ideas on what you feel would be a solution to the issue at hand. I realize it is a controversial subject and I realize there are two sides. I am sorry if I hurt your feelings.
I doubt you understand my job and all of my responsibilities therein and I am not going to go into it with you. I have my opinions for reasons you will probably never understand unless you were in my shoes while in this particular situation.
In the end, it is my blog so I will continue to write about what I want to and if you are so disappointed in what you are reading, I suggest you don't read it in the future. kthxbye.
I can't believe that "anonymous" person said that! Obviously, they read what you wrote and tried to be offended. Nothing about what you said was offensive at all.
And, by the way, I completely agree. I've had to fly next to someone who was basically sitting on top of me- and it's just not right!
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