Man sues White Castle to get bigger chairs

[IDrinkaRum]

290 pound man sues White Castle to get them to provide bigger chairs

Martin Kessman is 64 years old and weighs 290 pounds. He has found he cannot sit at the stationary booths (the ones where either the table is bolted to the wall and therefore you can't move it around).

He says he has written to the corporate headquarters of the restaurant and was incensed that he received coupons for free hamburgers.

...and the restaurant responded to his written complaint with three "very condescending letters," the New York Post reported Monday.

"In each letter was a coupon for three free hamburgers -- but the cheese was extra!"

He says White Castle is violating the Americans With Disabilities Act as not only can he not sit at these booths, but also pregnant women and handicapped people.

He claims the restaurant has said they'd get bigger chairs for the past 2 years, but so far have done nothing about it.


I can see where he is coming from. I'm not 290 pounds (close though) and even when Mr. Rum was 476 pounds, there were certain places we avoided. Like the local Glory Days Grill restaurant as the entire restaurant was primarily made up of booths. One of the local steakhouses has a lot of booths too, but the tables can be moved so it's not an issue.

[Rapscallion]

Am I thinking wrong in that the fact he cannot fit into the seats at a fast food restaurant is a hint he should be eating elsewhere?

Is he actually disabled? The article is unclear.

Rapscallion

[Andara Bledin]

My boyfriend is 300 lbs, and so far, we have yet to run across a place that he could not fit. Though a few have come very, very close.

I think that the complaint is legitimate, but the whole "They gave me coupons for free burgers, but I'd have to pay for the cheese" comment is just begging for people to mock him and really trivializes the real issue. >_<

^-.-^

[IDrinkaRum]

I don't think Mr. Rum & I have ever thought of actually suing a restaurant because we can't fit in their seats. We just made a mental note and didn't visit that restaurant again. Therefore, we're voting with our wallets. (Though we could have sent a letter to corporate, I suppose).

[mikoyan29]

People will sue anything these days thinking that they will be the next person to win a lawsuit. Sadly, the only people that win are the lawyers.

[Boozy]

You know what I hate? Sitting down in a booth to find that the table is three goddamned feet from my body, with no way to adjust either the table or the seat, so I eat my entire meal perched on the very edge of the bench, leaning forwards.

Restaurants with fixed-chair seating are going to piss off somebody, no matter how it's built. I understand why busy restaurants like it, but I hate that kind of seating. No one is every comfortable.

[Mytical]

Hmm wonder if that means I can sue local faires for me not being able to ride any of the rides due to my size? I'm a big boy..there are a lot of places I just do not fit..difference is I don't blame others for it. Grab the food to go if you have to have White Castle. People are sue happy (as somebody already said)

[HYHYBT]

I've seen very few places lately that have *all* their seating fixed, and none of them built or remodeled in the last several years.

[anakhouri]

I read in another article that he was still eating their food, he just sent his wife to fetch it and ate it at home. Problem solved! Unless he really loves the White Castle ambiance... Or maybe he lives far away and it got cold? I can't see how reheating it would make it any worse...

Does White Castle not have chairs? I haven't been to one in probably 20 years, every other fast food place I've seen has chairs as well as booths.

At any rate, if the restaurant told him they'd address his complaints they should have done it, but since it seems like he's found his own solution already I think he's after the money.

[Peppergirl]

Does White Castle not have chairs? I haven't been to one in probably 20 years, every other fast food place I've seen has chairs as well as booths.

I usually just grab coffee there (they have the BEST coffee), but I'm pretty sure it's all booths nailed down to the floors. No tables/chairs as far as I can recall. Next time I pop in for coffee I'll pay attention. The damned place is walking distance from my house. So dangerous.

[HYHYBT]

Many (but not nearly as many as 20 years ago) fast food places have the chairs and tables permanently fastened to the floor as well; either a single post under the chair, like a stool, or with the chair and table a single item.