Petite passenger booted from Southwest flight

[Red Panda]

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/24/291...southwest.html

The local woman was flying standby, paid full fare for the last available seat, got on board, stowed her bags and sat down – only to be told she would have to deplane immediately.

The reason?

A late-arriving passenger required two seats because of her girth.

Thats absurd. You ask me I think if a passanger pays for one seat they get one seat. If they are too fat to fit in one seat and they pay for one seat then they don't fly. Its not like you don't know that you are too gigantic to fit in a single seat. The trouble is there are fat people who think that not wanting to excersize is a disability or something and they should get extra treatment. I'd rather see the oppisite. Your too fat to take part in something you don't get accomidations, you get told you are too fat and should try not eating 20,000 calories worth of food per day.

[Amina516]

I agree. If the late passenger only paid for one seat, as the article says, then she should have gotten one seat. I don't really understand the Flight attendants train of thought on that one.

However, someone was bound to be uncomfortable, either the larger lady squished into one seat, or whoever got stuck next to her.

ETA" I just reread it..i missed the ending part where the larger passenger was just 14 years old. So I can KINDA better understand why they didnt have her wait, although minors traveling with Southwest are on their own after the age of 12 according to their own policy. She wasn't a special passenger, like the younger ones are but still...shitty situation all around i guess. They should've asked for volunteers to deplane,

[Akasa]

Notice they said the person who took up 2 seats was 14? So the thing was either tell a kid you're too fat or tell the petite person to catch another flight. The flight staff was probably trying to spare the kid's feelings.

[Red Panda]

I don't see how being unfair to someone who doesn't deserve it is okay just because the other person might be upset by it. It might actually do the 14 year old some good to find out being gigantic is not okay. She is not going to be able to do the same things as normal people or have as good of a life. This could have been a wake up call for her, but instead they tell an innocent person "Too bad"

[crashhelmet]

Trickle-down effect caused by the Kevin Smith incident?

CH

[Plaidman]

Red Panda. You seriously need to stop assuming that a person being fat is just because they just eat food all day long. There are medical conditions where a person could just eat a carrot a day, and still be over 400 lbs.
Maybe you think everyone has lipodystrophy?



Hypothyroidism is a reason. It's when your hormones that burn calories doesn't function as fast as normal. So it means that food you ate takes a very long to process after it's stored, as compared to a normal person who can just use it after stored like taking money out of a bank. (As compared to the hypothroidism person, that is using a special bonds system where they can't take any money out at all period until a set time).

Other conditions out there too.

Really really pisses me off that people just scream insults without learning WHY a person is like that.

Are their lazy people out there, that are heavy overweight and refuse to diet and excerise? Yes.

But not ALL people that are overweight do that.

[smileyeagle1021]

Plaid, as much as I agree with you in saying it isn't fair to assume that someone is fat just because they are lazy, doesn't mean that they shouldn't have to pay for what they use. If they take up two seats, pay for two seats. No, it's not fair, but neither is having bad eyesight and having to pay for glasses, nor being diabetic and having to pay for insulin. That is part of being human, we have flaws and we have to deal with them.

[blas87]

I have to side with Panda on this one.

I'd be angry as hell if I had to get off of a plane because a large person who had to take up two seats was considered more important than me to fly on that plane.

[Jack]

Same. I don't really care why the person is fat, I imagine I'd be very angry (and I don't really get angry much) if I had to give up my seat I paid in full for because some fatbody couldn't think far enough ahead to buy enough seating.

[Plaidman]

Never said that said person shouldn't pay for two seats if they use two seats.

Just saying I'm sick of every single time the subject of overweight comes up, Red Panda immedity just screams stop eating. (amoung other members here). Not all do it because of food.

[BlaqueKatt]

Hypothyroidism is a reason. It's when your hormones that burn calories doesn't function as fast as normal. <snip>

from everything I've read and been told by medical professionals-there are a few extremely rare disorders that cause significant weight gain: significant as in more than 20-30 pounds. Average weight gain from hypothyroidism is 5-10 pounds-and that is retained salt and water. source: the American thyroid association
-once hypothyroidism has been brought under control(thyroid hormones in normal range on medication) ability to gain or lose weight is exactly the same as an individual that has no thyroid issues.

10 million Americans have hypothyroidism
101 million Americans are overweight, obese, or morbidly obese

78% of American's not meeting basic activity level recommendations: Basic activity level is 20 minutes of aerobic exercise per day(walking is an aerobic exercise)

Again hypothyroidism weight gain is ONLY 5-10 pounds, any weight gain beyond that is not due to hypothyroidism-and 5-10 pounds does not make anyone overweight, obese, or morbidly obese.

Are their lazy people out there, that are heavy overweight and refuse to diet and excerise? Yes.

Are there people that would rather blame a disorder most people don't understand for their weight gain-yes

I'm on the line between normal and hypothyroidism-I don't take the medication as of yet, I'm just watching my hormone levels with my doctor, if they drop any lower I will need to go on medication, so yeah I know about this a bit and get sick and tired of hearing it used as a crutch or an excuse.

[blas87]

I don't have a prejudice or hatred towards heavy people, I just stated I'd be upset if I had to move or get off the plane because a larger person requiring two seats was to be seated there.

I think almost anyone would be upset at that situation. Flying is stressfull enough as it is.

[lordlundar]

Trickle-down effect caused by the Kevin Smith incident?

CH

Yeah that thought was practically screaming at me as well.

Boils down to a "damned if you do, damned if you don't".

[Skelly]

I have to side with Panda on this one.

I'd be angry as hell if I had to get off of a plane because a large person who had to take up two seats was considered more important than me to fly on that plane.

Same here. Hell, I'd yell, call names and would be a royal asshole until they decide to get on to another flight. My seat that I paid for = me sitting in it during the flight, and using 100% of it, no less.

[HYHYBT]

No, you DON'T necessarily know you won't fit into one seat (or "fit" according to the judgement of whoever is deciding that day) in advance, unless either you're going to actually take up much of the second seat as well, or else you've flown recently.

Which doesn't mean the skinny one should have been booted.