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A flight of fancy - or a really big problem?

Staff

Tuesday, 1 December 2009

The picture from www.flightglobal.com, sent "with an absolute assurance that it's genuine"

www.flightglobal.com

The picture from www.flightglobal.com, sent "with an absolute assurance that it's genuine"

This picture of an oversize man on an American Airlines flight has heightened the debate about obese passengers who cannot fit into economy seats.

It was sent to www.flightglobal.com's Kieran Daly. He says it was from an AA Flight attendant with the assurance that it was genuine.

"Sympathise with the guy or not, he's a major safety hazard in an evacuation, a gross inconvenience for the cabin crew, and I would suggest a totally unacceptable travelling companion for the guy next to him," says Daly.

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One poster on the site, who also claimed to be an AA flight attendant, said the passenger was allowed to stay but "the guy in the middle seat was pulled from the flight and given $$$ voucher for future travel + f/c [free carriage] on the next available flight".

Daly added: "A good friend of mine had a similar experience sitting next to a guy who was big but I don't think as big as this, for a long-haul flight and was effectively injured by sitting for several hours in a contorted position with his fellow pax half on top of him. The airline that did that to him was utterly unsympathetic throughout a lengthy correspondence afterwards. OK, Emirates since you ask. Ironically my chum is now in a senior position with another carrier."

 

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Vampyres suck.
[info]ron_broxted wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 04:13 pm (UTC)
Worst neighbours I had were not obese just chavs.
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The guy to the right.
[info]sameth99200 wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 04:24 pm (UTC)
You can tell what the guy to the right is thinking... "Every time they're next to me goddammit, EVERY F*CKING TIME!"
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Big problem
[info]maninch wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 04:29 pm (UTC)
I can sympathise with people with eating disorders or other damaging habits. I smoke, so I guess I might smell a bit like an ashtray to any passenger sitting beside me.

However, the guy in this photo is something else! Aircraft are tricky things to evacuate in a crisis and economy seating, being as it is, (pathetic, especially long-haul) is uncomfortable at the best of times. How long does it take to get past him if you need to visit the loo? Could he even get in the loo if he had to visit?

I guess this has to be a judgement call by the gate staff. Someone this size really ought not to be allowed on board - or maybe he can be but should stump up for an extra seat (with intervening armrests illegally raised to accommodate him).

Then again, perhaps he could slim to half that size before flying again.

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Oversize airline passengers
[info]exnomad wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 04:35 pm (UTC)
I travelled next to an enormous lady, who needed an extended seat belt, moreover she had a baby on her lap, and could not get a belt around the baby.It would have been impossible for her to take up the "brace" position for an emergency landing, and would have seriously comprised my exit in an emergency, (My wife and I were iin the two seats outboard of her).
In my opinion she should havr not been allowed to fly.
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disgusting
[info]contrastcolour wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 04:35 pm (UTC)
Fill a plane full of people like him and the plane won't even take off.

That man probably weighs more than my own person and a very (very) generous luggage allowance.

Possibly the only segment of humanity I would ever feel prejudiced against are people like this. I don't believe there are medical excuses for a human being to become like this.

Obesity: a disease of gluttony and profligacy...
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Ryanair
[info]mattymorland wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 04:49 pm (UTC)
If he were on Ryanair he'd be charged an extra 50 quid per arse cheek, 20 quid for every 10 kilos that he's overweight (which I'd say would be at least another £120), and another £45 surcharge for breathing. Plus a pound if he wants a piss of course.
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Re: Ryanair
[info]coochrisyorks wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 05:02 pm (UTC)
PMSL!
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Ashamed to be British
[info]rabbitlug wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 04:54 pm (UTC)
You know, reading the bile in this comments section makes me realise what a bunch of divisionist, prejudiced, narrow minded bunch of whining cretins the British are becoming.

I take it that the commenters here personally know the guy in the picture - does he have a medical problem? Was he flying to see a doctor? To go to a funeral? Nah, he's too fkn fat to have any reason for existing.

It was all about some model being too skinny the other day, now it's about fat b'stards and Mr Broxted above even managed to squeeze in some class prejudice.

Blacks next?

It's no wonder this country is going to the dogs.
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Re: Ashamed to be British
[info]tjsw12 wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 05:40 pm (UTC)
So what exactly are the people around him supposed to do? Why is someone allowed on a plane who simply will not fit in the seat? If he turned up next to me I would simply tell him not to encroach on my space - and if that was impossible then he doesn't fly.
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Re: Ashamed of your simplistic and ill-considered comment
[info]zcftdr7 wrote:
Friday, 19 February 2010 at 12:45 pm (UTC)
My understanding of divisionism is such that one can only be called a divisionist if one creates a distinguishable division between one group and another. In this case it is the fat guy who has created the division not I or the other passengers onboard the flight. His size is his responsibility regardless of his circumstances.

The reason he is flying is not the point of debate in my mind. He could be flying to save world hunger or cure HIV, the point still remains that he is too big for the space that he purchased. There are other ways to travel which may be more accomodating.

Your unbelievably idiotic attempt to assymilate anti-fat attitudes of the guy in the picture with racism scares me. Not only is his size a thing of choice (as a doctor, even medically he has options) but it does place him in a position where he is physically unable to do things other people can. that's not discrimination that is physics.

And look up the definition of prejudice. We are not calling this man a wife-beater or a theif or anything related to a pre-judgement of his character. we are making a JUDGEMENT based upon undeniable physical evidence - not a pre-judgement!

Take your haed out of your utopic communist ass and try living in the real world where not everyone is the same!
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if you have a special need....
[info]xandre773 wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 05:23 pm (UTC)
do you really expect an airline and all passengers to just cope with it? I expect the obese man in the photo knows he won't fit in the seat. Knows he will impinge on the space of his innocent fellow passengers, making their flight miserable. Surely, he must realize that his size exacerbates any emergency situations. Does he expect everyone else to pay for his personal choices? If he attempted to make preparations to accommodate his unusual size, such as purchase two seats, we don't know. We only have the photo.
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This happened...
[info]smarttog wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 06:01 pm (UTC)
On an American airline and with there aggressive compensation culture. I imagine the airline probably had to put up and shut.

The level of prejudiced against the obese is quite shocking though, a lot of people who are obease have either a medical or psychological problem..

So more understanding would be good, I suggest!!
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Re: This happened...
[info]jah3 wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 09:38 pm (UTC)
A lot of the obese do not have a medical or psychological problem. A lot of them simply eat too much.
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Re: This happened...
[info]brazil2009 wrote:
Wednesday, 2 December 2009 at 12:35 am (UTC)
I'd like to think that a great many people who are obese have a medical problem. But I find it hard to believe this is so. I feel sorry for the big guy as obesity is one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide. But I'm also sorry for his neighbours and the natural environment. They are all loosers big time here.They are all victims here. Some more than the others and I think safety does matter where a long flight is concerned.You can't have your cake and eat it. It is just not right. More so in situations like this.
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Standing not sitting
[info]bob_idle wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 06:27 pm (UTC)
He's standing up and leaning on the seat. He's not sitting in it. He doesn't have a seatbelt on either. The plane isn't flying. People at the front are still getting on.
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Re: Standing not sitting
[info]kodak321 wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 07:43 pm (UTC)
It's Afghant...our regular US-European basher ...see his 'curious' reply below....poor dear...
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Yes, Sympathy for a Few but ...
[info]afghant wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 06:37 pm (UTC)
Though one has to be compassionate for those few who have metabolic deficiencies caused by a myriad of diseases and really can't help being "big", my ire is reserved for the growing masses in many American states who are simply "pigs". If one has ever had the misfortune of taking a connecting flight from Ohio, Iowa, Texas or Virginia you would see what I mean as grunting, bouncing lard arses are herded into the plane and who, upon finally stuffing their ample rumps into the seats, immediately look around furtively for the snacks hostess. Worst is seeing these buggers relish each morsel as they demolish the poor contents of those little bags and good God! some can make the stuff last and last, entertaining all within earshot with the deep offending groans, smacking of lips and disgusting sounds of masticating and swallowing their trophies with loud gulps. They really ought to seat oinks in the 4 corners of the aircraft so that it is balanced and that the rest may proceed without wanting to vomit. Of course it is these very buggers who then make a bee line for the toilets which remain occupied for the duration of the flight. Perhaps they can have "Fat Flights" reserved only for the obese. I am sure Airlines would not loose any money in US's mid-west.
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Ummm...
[info]pixaholic wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 06:50 pm (UTC)
What about those two empty seats behind him?
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Re: Ummm...
[info]corporeal_v001 wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 07:05 pm (UTC)

Two very small people?
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Re: Ummm...
[info]kodak321 wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 07:16 pm (UTC)
They're occupied by his pet chihuahua....and pamper kit...
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charge per kilo
[info]pittaway wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 07:54 pm (UTC)
an equally important question is that of baggage allowance
i've concluded that the fairest way is for airlines to start charging for body+baggage
i'd be very upset if i was behind the gentleman pictured in the check in queue and was charged for overweight bags
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Sympathy
[info]techmex wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 09:07 pm (UTC)
I am appalled at some of the cruel & vindictive comments made about this poor, if obese, man. I personally feel sorry for him, Obesity is horrible because it is an "accepted" form of discrmination, its "ok" to make fun of the fat, despite the fact many are obese due to the fallacies of diet (cheap food= unhealthy, so the poor can be fat), genetic or health reasons. And yet, you here are all treating the man like a pariah! He is someones friend, someones father, son, brother etc- he is a human. Its true he ought to have bought two seats, and he might be a bit of a problem, but please, be a bit kinder, if it was your relative, and he was traveling to have a chronic genetic obesity disorder diagnosed- would you treat him like you have in the comments.
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Re: Sympathy
[info]annoyed_zambia wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 09:33 pm (UTC)
Put him in the cargo hold and charge him $50 per Kilo the same as DHL do for any large package. And Sympathy, what about some sympathy for all the other fare paying passengers on the flight, especially in an emergency evacuation scenario?
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Re: Sympathy
[info]jopanda3 wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 10:28 pm (UTC)
If he was my relative I'd tell him he was a fat bastard and that running is free.
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Re: Sympathy
[info]kodak321 wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 10:46 pm (UTC)
If he was your relative, he'd sit on your face...and you'd probably enjoy it...
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Obesity on planes
[info]jah3 wrote:
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 at 09:35 pm (UTC)
I read last year that United was going to ban passengers who could not fit into the seat and fasten the seat around them. Whatever happened to that idea? All the airlines should do it. This is a safety hazard.
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[info]airin22 wrote:
Monday, 1 February 2010 at 08:34 am (UTC)
The same situation is in Ukrainian Airlines but probably it will be solved soon.
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