TYT: Should Obese People Have To Buy Two Seats On A Plane? (w/ Poll)

[ihavenobias]

Run time: 05:22 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z74EqQfWMUA   Posted on YouTube: December 05, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: December 08, 2009 By DU Member: ihavenobias Views on DU: 3889

 
To participate in the TYT Poll and read a summary of the issue, . To read the DU version of Cenk's new blog that destroys Sarah Palin (#1 rated diary at DailyKos this morning), .

PS---

[OhioChick]

1. K&R n/t

[happygoluckytoyou]

32. EQUALLY IMPORTANT.... SHOULD MIDGETS AND DWARVES GET A REBATE FOR UNUSED SPACE

[ProfessorPlum]

40. LOL!

[hlthe2b]

2. Uggh... that insensitive woman: "but AA is going to be besieged...

by a bunch of fatties!" I like Cenk and most of his guests... While I detested Jill when she was on there, I thought he'd had the good sense to get a more educated side-kick this time around. I think I was wrong. Geebus.

[gadjitfreek]

12. Spoken like someone who has either never had a weight problem...

Or used to have a serious weight problem but found religion, lost the weight and now hates what she used to be. Heck, I'm overweight, and I disgust myself, but not to the degree that this skinny little kid does!

[KansDem]

3. Do we assume the plane was completely full?

It looks like the seats right behind him are empty. The last time I flew, when the door was closed, the flight attendant looked around the cabin and spotted a few instances where there was a large passenger and offered the person sitting next to them a seat that was empty (cancellations, missed flights, etc). Some people got up and moved, others didn't.

This, or course, would not be possible on a completely-full flight.

I don't know; it's a tough call...

[theFrankFactor]

35. If You Owned the Plane and Sold the Tickets...

what would you do?

Sorry. I've had a weight problem since I was six. I've lost as much as 100lbs over a summer, been anorexic and had a heart attack and I think when you use twice the resources you pay twice the price. Are Big and Tall clothes more expensive than regular? Why? Because they use more material!

Two seats? Two tickets.

And, no, sitting with the arm rest up your butt crack isn't sitting in one seat.

[Lerkfish]

4. As an obese person

I say no. But not because I'm obese but because its the airline's fault for not designing in at least two larger seats per flight, that could be used by an obese person or a disabled person unable to sit in a normal seat.

The airline would be exacting a 100% tax based on weight, which would only be fair if they charged everyone by their own weight on a sliding scale.

[DWilliamsamh]

44. So would you be ok with....

charging more for the larger seats? Say 1.5x as much for one of two larger seats that are using the space that would otherwise accommodate 3 seats? (in effect they already do - it's called business class)

[doc03]

5. Why not make a couple rows of wide seats for people

that big, airplane seats don't have that much room for the average person. The last time I flew was about ten years ago I had a middle seat and just an average person on each side of me and I felt like a sardine.

[LaPera]

11. I too as an "average" person want a wider seat, why not?

As stated, "just an average person on each side of me and I felt like a sardine".


Exactly, I feel the same way and I'd like a wider seat as well!

[doc03]

13. That was back when they gave you one of those

so called meals to eat and it was practically impossible to eat with both my elbows tucked in my sides and I am just about average.

[pauldg0]

22. I say design.....

.....and build some bench seats with special seat belts at either the front or rear. I mean after all how many super obese people will be on one flight.....two...three....maybe four tops?

A good engineer can figure this one out and the marketing people can figure a fair way to price this out!!!

[tclambert]

33. Are you suggesting airlines try to provide comfort for their passengers?

What are you, some kind of socialist? Airlines are in it for the money. Just wait, eventually they'll have passengers standing in the aisle.

[Lost-in-FL]

6. I say make some roomy seats for big people...

and areas with extended leg room for the tall people. If they want more people flying they better make it better.

[bbinacan]

7. Yes they should. n/t

[Skittles]

8. there appears to be an empty row right behind him

WTF?

[ihavenobias]

9. If I remember right passengers were still boarding at the time of the pic. n/t

[stray cat]

10. Should you be able to use your entire seat?

[DWilliamsamh]

14. I think if you need two seats you should pay for two seats

But while I agree that the people who left comments that come down to "it's you own fault fat ass," definitely don't have a clue about the wide range of reasons for obesity, understanding the reasons for obesity doesn't have any thing to do with the question being asked.

Should an obese person, who can't fit in one seat have to pay for an extra seat?

I basically think, "why should the airline have to give up the revenue of the extra seat?" Whatever the reason for the passenger's obesity, the airline should not have to lose revenue because of it. Each seat equals money.

And of course if there are empty seats, once the doors close, if folks want to move around so that an accommodation can be made on the spot, that could and should be without cost. The seat is empty and the ability to sell it is gone at that point. But when travel arrangements are made there is no way of knowing if there will be an "empty seat" option and the only way to insure the availability of the extra seat is to reserve it at the time of reservation - at the regular cost of the seat.

The person isn't being charged for their weight - they are being charged for the extra seat.

[Lost-in-FL]

16. It all comes down to the customers.

People forget obese people are customers too and companies should bend over backwards for ALL customers regardles of height and weight. But of course, the general public is helping airlines by humiliating obese people into paying more for a seat. With the millions airlines spend on marketing, losing $200 to $1000 ticket for an obese person won't make the company bankrupt. Even if they go bankrupt, it is our taxes who bail out airlines.

I don't see a lot of obese people on flights. I have never seen anyone as big as the person in the video in a flight (and I do extensive travel). If I had a company, I'll rather lose revenue of one extra seat for greater overall customer satisfaction. It is not just the obese people, it is their friends and relatives who travel too. Also, the person traveling next to the obese person should not have to suffer for the airline not being willing to satisfy the obese customer. Their experience would contribuite to more revenue on the long run.

[DWilliamsamh]

17. No body said the large person should not be *able* to have an extra seat....

Certainly I didn't say that. I just don't see why the airline should give it away for free. Nothing humiliating about it. I am not judging or poking fun at the larger folk. Want an extra seat? Buy one.

Put it this way from my own experience flying, which I have done quite a bit. I have larger than average shoulders. I wear a 44-46 suit. Sitting in coach is a pain in the rear end because there is not enough shoulder room for me to sit comfortably, because my shoulders literally are wider than the average coach seat. Certainly those next to me must feel cramped by me as well. That is why I upgrade to business class as often as possible, but sometimes I can't afford to and have to deal with feeling cramped, as does the person next to me. Should the airline have to give me a free seat? I certainly don't think so.

Now if we want to have a conversation about whether coach airline seats should be wider for a better customer experience, I would DEFINITELY be on that band wagon, but the airlines have made a business calculation that they "can" get x number of seats, y inches wide on to each plane to produce the needed revenue to make a profit on their flights. The alternative is to make the seats wider, yielding fewer seats on each plane, and charge more for each ticket. Obviously, the general aviation passenger market doesn't bear that trade off.


On edit .....added "not" to subject line. I didn't mean to say "No body said the large person should be *able* to have an extra seat...."

[Lost-in-FL]

20. Wider seats and also more leg room.

I have seen lots of people in situations where their legs are just too long and the company is quick to accomodate. They don't bear the stigma the way large people do. It is a touchy subject but I believe there are ways to solve this problem that should not involve paying double for a seat while the airline should still be able to make a profit.

And to clarify, no, you didn't pocked fun or judged larger people. I want to be clear, I was just giving my opinion.

A person of that size (like in the video which I am referring to) would still be too big (IMO) for a business class seat. In cases when passengers are morbidly obese (an I am being specific) accomodations should be made for them to travel humanly. It is ok perhaps to pay a fee but not by paying double. I still believe our culture makes it easy for airlines to not do anything for these passengers which are a minority. They are still customers, they have opinions, they don't travel for free and should be catered too. With this we aren't creating a "culture of lazy, fat people" like many believe but creating a healthy atmosphere for everyone and a pleasant travel experience. I don't think I should feel uncomfortable during my trip seen someone who looks totally miserable traveling. I don't think I am been unreasonable.

[kelly1mm]

19. How do you give the obese passenger an extra seat when the

flight is full? No extra seats are available. What then? If you need/want more than the alloted space buy 2 seats. I too would like a wider seat, more legroom etc.

[Lost-in-FL]

21. How can you make someone pay for two seats when there are no extra seats available?

The same as when others pre-purchase a ticket and when they get there there are no seats. They are bumped to the next flight.

I am sure airlines can make wider seats, and more leg room and still make a profit. It is on us to ask for this service to be provided. I am not saying that this will happen overnight but that I guess there's not a single company outhere that really care about customers and we are still ok with it.

Do you think this is unreasonable?

[kelly1mm]

23. If the flight is full is the obese person bumped or some random

passenger? If the flight is not full I am certainly OK with giving the person needing extra room (obese person, person with an infant etc.) an extra seat. If the flight is full you only get the seat you bought - nothing more. If you are taking up more than 1 seat then you are the one that gets bumped. If you are obese and NEED to get to your destination (in my world) you better buy 2 seats.

[Lost-in-FL]

24. Obviously this passenger should not be half-way into the hallway of the plane...

as this could be a safety hazard. Hallways should be clear for at least until the plane is at the desired altitude. This would be a safety violation by the airline not the passenger.

With this said, arraignments should be made to protect ALL passengers and this would required moving the passenger. He already paid for his flight. If the airline care for its customers, he would be bumped to the next flight and to a more comfortable seat.

Is this alien to you, that an airline should care for its customers? Or is it ok to you that they should be punished by paying double for a seat for being obese?

[kelly1mm]

26. I don't feel he is being punished so much as they are protecting

the rights of other passengers not to have their bought and paid for space encroached on by a person needing more space than they were alloted. Like I said, I have NO PROBLEM with giving those needing more space that extra space if available. If the flight is full though, it is NOT OK with me to bump an extra person because someone needs 2 seats. The person taking up more seats than they paid for should be the one who gets bumped. Do you not agree that if someone needs two seats and the flight is oversold that they should be bumped (one person) to allow two people to sit in those same seats? Seems perfectly logical to me. Good of the many over good of the few, or the one as Spock would say!

[Lost-in-FL]

27. If the flight is full I say yes, the person who is in need of the extra room.

In the case of the passenger in the video, he cannot block the hallway so the airlines need to make arraigments by accomodating this person in another flight. But he shouldn't have to pay extra for it.

[kelly1mm]

28. I think that is a good solution. Hopefully (s)he will not be too

inconvenienced by the bump. I am a little larger than normal (5ft 11, 220) but almost always fly with my wife who is smaller so I "encroach" on her side a bit. I really try not to encroach on other people though. I put the seat divider down as soon as I am able to make sure I stay on "my" side. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and have a great night!

[droidamus2]

34. Cenk got it right

Screw the profit motive. The easiest way out of this problem for the airlines is (if the flight is not full) give the occasional obese passenger two seats for the price of one. You are looking at the situation from the extreme,meaning that the passenger in question will obviously not fit well in one tiny airline seat. Where Cenk got it right is that the real problem is at the other end of the spectrum where the airline ends up saying you are too big you have to buy two seats and the customer insists they aren't and a big argument and discrimination charges ensue. The effect on profits by occasionally having to accommodate a large passenger is worth it to avoid the major hassles that trying to determine who is 'too big' and who 'isn't'.

[DWilliamsamh]

41. No I didn't say...and don't support mandating that some one HAS to buy 2 seats.

I would be totally against that. My point of view is IF the person thinks they need two seats, they should to able buy two seats. If they don't t buy two seats - then they have no right to bitch about the seats being too small. Under no circumstances would I think it acceptable for airlines to take a look at some one and say, "you have to buy a second seat." The air line should have no more right to force someone to buy two seats, than they should have an obligation to "give" a person a second seat.

And I said it plainly that IF once the doors close, there are unoccupied seats, and other passengers are willing to move, an accommodation SHOULD be made. The idea of actually purchasing a second seat, is only to guarantee the second seat availability.

[droidamus2]

46. Sorry

Guess I need to up my reading comprehension. I like your solution the airline could even go as far as to offer large people a cut rate on the second seat to give them an incentive to go with your plan.

[DWilliamsamh]

49. I would love it if that compromise could be struck

A discount on the second seat could be the literal half way point between unacceptable compulsion of action on the part of the passenger OR the airline. Of course being a big business, the airline would resist this, because it would still represent a "loss" of revenue on the discounted seat. But I think they could be sold on the customer service and satisfaction dividend from there larger sized customers, as well as the folks sitting next to them. And that doesn't mention "full" capacity flights (even if only one butt fills two seats so to speak. LOL Sorry I have a kind of wicked sense of humor. Sometimes I can't help myself. :-)

[BennyD]

37. In a world of social justice, the prices the other customers pay should

be adjusted to pay for the extra seat needed by the horizontally challenged person. After all, it's likely that whatever caused his excessive weight gain is not of his own doing. It could be genetic. It could be a medically related problem. It could be that our societies push to over excel drove him to eat to cope with the stress. There are a myriad of possibilities; none of which are of his own making.

The other passengers should be surtaxed to subsidize his need. What's a few more dollars when you're already paying $250-$350 per ticket? Have a heart!

[DWilliamsamh]

42. Ha. That. Was. Clever.

And not in any way responsive to my post. Go pound sand.

[dae]

15. Why would I buy any if I don't fly?

:crazy: :crazy:

[Rhiannon12866]

18. Well, for one thing, the seats/leg room seem to have gotten smaller over the years...

And it's a hardship for anyone who's forced to sit next to someone who spills over into the next seat. That's happened to me and flying, these days, is stressful enough. :-(

p.s. I subscribed on YouTube, okay? :hi:

[pansypoo53219]

25. double wide seats.

more than 1 seat.

[bbgrunt]

29. the answer for the airline is clear: Design the

seats for the average size of a 6 year old. Now they can charge everyone double just to take up the room of a "normal" adult--and make even more profits.

Honestly, the way they have crammed people into smaller and smaller seats is inhumane and a testament to our willingness to conform for their profit.

[kelly1mm]

30. Most americans only care about the bottom line, hence Walmart &

airline "service".

[Guilded Lilly]

31. Make the damn seats wider for everyone...

and quit all this ugly crap about weighing or measuring. Put a section in a part of the plane for wider seats or deeper seats for taller people (with a son who is 6'6 and in very athletic condition I hear more about no leg room than no hip room!)

Does anyone suggest that a person who is very skinny and isn't filling a full seat ride in the overhead compartment? Come on. Compassion. The airlines are screwing us in every other way possible to ride in their friendly skies, give everyone a comfortable seat.

I am not obese, am not skinny, and am an average 5'7...but I would sure as hell love to get on a plane and sit in a seat in coach that isn't built for Olive Oyl.

Peace,
Lilly

[BeyondGeography]

36. I sat next to a guy like that once, and he was in the middle seat

Me, on the aisle. The person next to him obviously came on the plane with a bad stomach ache, and she spent the last part of the flight doing a Linda Blair/Exorcist impersonation with an airsick bag. Whatta flight.

I felt bad for the guy, mostly. He was so big he bumped up against the tray table in front of him (which was in the full, upright position). He was nice and somewhat apologetic. But he really didn't fit in that seat.

[pleah]

38. I don't like the idea of forcing larger people to buy two seats.

The potential for abuse of this rule is to great. Build a couple of larger seats for those few large people to sit in. It isn't that hard to figure out.

[DWilliamsamh]

43. I agree with NOT forcing any one to buy an extra seat...

and your idea of a couple seats that are wider is a good one - if you don't mind the airline charging more (maybe 1.5 more) for putting say two seats in the space that would otherwise accommodate three.

[pleah]

39. Poll results. 38% yes (pay for two) 59% no, 2% unsure. n/t

[mackdaddy]

45. Maybe Fatso's should have seperate water fountains too.....N/T

[MrObama]

47. Eat More Fat and Less Carbs

...and you will get slim fast. Easy, healty and natural (in a evolutionary perspective).

[20score]

48. k&r

[Unca Jim]

50. Look at the picture!

That guy is also basketball-player tall. He's screwed either way.

As a fat and beefy person who is relatively tall (6 feet and 300 pounds), I can squish my fat butt into the seat with the arm rest down on either side for a three-hour flight. It sucks for me, and I'm sure it's no fun for people sitting near me, but since the airline doesn't charge extra for tall people, unwashed people, or screaming babies (all of which can also make everyone's trip less pleasant) I don't see why I should be singled out.

Further, I don't have any problem with tall people, stinky folks, or screaming babies being on the plane.

That's just travel reality. You're in the mass of humanity and you have to deal and try to be tolerant.


That said, if you can't fit in the seat for whatever reason what are they supposed to do for you? Sadly, you just need to buy a business-class seat, take the train, or drive. It has nothing to do with fairness, it's just reality.