viking01 - 01/12/2009 17:38 GMT
Wasn't as fat as this guy
but he was still pretty fat
The fattest person I have ever sat next to...
Posts
Cashsuds - 02/12/2009 06:59 GMT
This is the reason why SQ boasts of the widest seats they have on their planes..If this guy travelled Biz or First Class on SQ A380. or the 777's he would pay exactly the same fare as you and me, but would have the most comfortable seats -but subsidised heavily (pardon the pun), no doubt by our goodselves and left a larger than normal carbon print. SQ is the only way to fly!! And further more, we get "squeezed" with how much luggage we can check in or on board and have to pay for extra charges based on per kg over the limits. In being politically correct nowadays, how about we have airfares based on how heavy we weigh - That would be a fair way to travel??
PaulJennings - 02/12/2009 09:35 GMT
I've often thought that at check in the passenger should be weighed with their luggage and charged for the total.
viking01 - 02/12/2009 11:10 GMT
A joint weight allowance for passenger and lugage would undoubtedly be the fairest way of doing this, although in the case of someone very fat, but travelling light, it is unlikely to be much in the way of consolation for the person in the neighbouring seat.
My suggestion would be to yes, weigh someone with their luggage, but then additionally have some kind of sizing machine next to check in for larger customers. These could be of two sorts.
The first would be like the metal cage which is currently used for checking the size for hand luggage ("If it doesn't fit in here..." etc). It would be the same format but with seat arms at the normal width. If the bottom of the person didn't fit, then two seats would have to be purchased by that person.
A second, alternative, would be to have a large piece of plywood with the silhouette of a normal-sized person cut out. If the suspect person could not fit through the silhouette but instead got stuck, then again, they would have to pay for an upgrade, an extra seat, or simply charter their own jet.
In this way regrettable incidents of normal sized people being squashed would be avoided.
Daniel9 - 02/12/2009 15:30 GMT
As a FFT - fat frequent traveller - I find all this talk of charging me and my large brethren insulting and unfair. I am on a diet at the moment due to increasing concerns expressed about my weight by my wife and my friends. So last night on my flight from Amsteram to London I rejected the offer of my snack and also only drunk water - under your draconian suggestions, surely I should get back the money I would have had to pay for spilling out of my fat cage for saving money on catering. I am now off to buy some celery.
Gin&Tonic - 02/12/2009 16:34 GMT
I am no size zero myself, and if we are talking of fellow travellers that cause us grief and inconvenience lets widen the search, but how would we collect revenue from these?
Elbows over the arm rest and digging into your side.
The broad sheet paper reader who after years of reading broadsheets seems incapable of folding them.
The busy executive who has no time to wait for luggage so crushes your hand luggage and jacket in the overhead bins with his/her oversized hand luggage, laptop case, handbag, overcoat, umbrella etc.
The executive who really needs to have air force 1 to use, as he just has to use his mobile or blackberry despite your altitude.
The person that sits in your seat and ask would you use there allocated seat to change moving (they have a middle seat and knew it!).
The busy executive again who insists on boarding last and then has this confused and dazed look when he cant find space for his oversized suit bag.
The nice lady who has packed so much into her trolley bag she can’t lift it, and asks you to help, giving you the hernia.
So we all have little problems lets not simply associate it too one.
No one can fly in a first class suite every trip. (I never have!)
MarcusUK - 02/12/2009 17:05 GMT
Celery would not be a good move for the passengers sitting behind you!!
I once made a comment on a really fat guy on a United flight from LAX to Sydney "Lucky he's in Business class" i said. He was rather more relaxed when we got off, covered over with a blanket, but still sitting in the same position, having died on the flight.
Some smaller island flights in Asia or South America you are charged according to your weight n luggage. I did this once on Phillipines on some small one off Airline, with a turboprop (10 yrs ago), so a fat American guy had to pay 3x my fare!!
However the plane was very old, & sitting round like a parachute regiment in the seats around the edge of the plane, was unnerving. But not as worrying as the open cockpit, which when we had been trying to take off along the runway, the pilot pulled out a hammer to knock the thrust bar to where it should have been half way down the runway... it was stuck at too low a power!
Ah the days of luxury dangerous travel!!
LuganoPirate - 03/12/2009 23:11 GMT
Are you sure he was dead? It's amazing what people will do to get an upgrade these days!!!
I'm no flyweight myself, but my kids are. They pay full fare so I presume as they are so light they would get a refund?
JoyceWong2 - 04/12/2009 07:56 GMT
Can I add: the baby who screams throughout the flight and the chld who thinks that kicking the chair in front of him is 'fun'>
Parents should be charged $1 per kick. Or scream. Whatever is most annoying.
viking01 - 04/12/2009 07:59 GMT
In principle I'd say that children, being on average lighter than the full fare paying adult, should be allowed more luggage (up to 32kg, say). In those cases families could redistribute their luggage allowance across the family group, therefore.
Children can often be noisy and irritating, however. So as a future revenue stream for airlines, flight attendants should be given noise meters to determine if a child (or chidren_ is being too noisy.
If they are, then instant on-the-spot fines, payable by swipe card through the duty free handheld machine could be levied. Video cameras could also be employed in case of dispute.
nagoyafrog - 08/12/2009 02:26 GMT
If we are going to air all our flying grievances, my pet hate along with chair-kickers are passengers in the row behind you who pull the back of your chair every time they get up and sit down - waking you up or disturbing the movie you are enjoying. Even worse - they accidentally grab some of your hair along with the back of the seat and pull. Ouch! Whatever happened to live and let live?
MarcusUK - 08/12/2009 13:14 GMT
Perhaps as we are charged a tax for everything else, a Child Passenger tax, at say £200 each, would deter parents from bringing them on board? Pam Ann places them all in overhead lockers...
Offending rude kids that run up & down or kick chairs, can be housed in the crew cupboard at the back where a steel cage could be erected on the door saying "Kid play Area".
I had this on the A380 in Business SIN -LHR a month ago. After so much kicking, i stood on the seat turned around & scowled at the child, & made a public announcement about the state of parents who are uncontrolled by their parents, clearly so the parents were embarrassed. I told him how to behave respecting other people.
It clearly worked!
Failing that, i recommend sedating them with valium Chocolate milk!!!
Cashsuds - 08/12/2009 23:06 GMT
Mark, You are a brave man to do what you did. With "airrage" much on the rise, one would think you'd better refer to the cabin crew to take care of things? After all, you're paying the airline for its services and to have a quiet "undisturbed" fllight? If it comes down to taxing these little rascals, you may find yourself upended as to the one who "Pays" more often has the right to "scream" the loudest!! In fact, I simply do not understand why airlines do not "train" their FA's to handle situations like this. They do have quite a bit of "clout" when it comes to handling "unruly paxs" who has too much to drink, so why not "crying babies" and "little monsters" on board?? FA's should tackle the situation head on with the irresponsible carers or parents on board!!
MarcusUK - 08/12/2009 23:37 GMT
I think some Airline crews find it easier than others & this is reflected in their home base countries. I have see some quite frightening but very professional KLM crews announce for children to behave or stay in their seats, as well as dealt with directly. Expecting SQ crew to do so in the premium classes wouldn't be likely, as in this case.
I am a Director in Psychiatry, so i tend to ascertain & evaluate the situation & people involved before. Sometimes using peer group pressure, or making it very obvious i am stating what everyone else wants to & then hears, adds a psychological method of managing behaviour. I take on board the rages risk, but often i have found with a direct assertive point made, also causing embarrassment, but polite can also help.
PaulJennings - 09/12/2009 08:24 GMT
Now we've started on unruly children I suspect the floodgates will really open. For years I've been advocating a no-BOB airline (no Brats-On-Board: brats in this sense can refer to the useless parents as well as their screaming children). Smoking has gone, why not screaming?
PaulRWoods - 10/12/2009 11:51 GMT
Children below a certain age, I think of less than 3 years cannot compensate for the difference in airpresure between cabin and their cavities around the nose and forehead. Try flying with a serious could which blocks your sinuses. Then you ill know what the screaming of the little kids is all about. When we were travelling with babies my wife tried nursing (breast feeding) - it helps somewhat. But not all airlines allow nursing a baby.
MarcusUK - 10/12/2009 12:58 GMT
I think we are talking about kids those that shout out "I Want", & hassle other people when they don't get it.
I watched a child do the same in Waitrose a month ago, mother was dis-interested even when the 7 yr old screamed abuse in the store. We were all supposed to put up with it.
then he pout his hand up & pulled down the whole displays on shelves walking along...and they all walked off!
Hard as it is flying, if kids cannot behave & hassle others or run up & down etc, then they shouldn't be brought to fly. Health & Safety, & confined spaces apply to children also...
I shall ensure a spare straitjacket is in my cabin bags in future...!!
Hess963 - 12/12/2009 08:49 GMT
Hi everyone !
I just want to share you my recent flight with CX from BAH to HKG in C Class. I was sitting in the front row. A family of four with mom and dad as well as one infant and a 19 months old girl. Mom was busy with the infant and sit on the left front seats with the bassinet, while dad and little girl sit behind my row. Both children have some periods of silence and have some very loud periods as well--where sleep or peace on this night flight was impossible. Luckily I had a chat with the father while standing at the gate on the lane for boarding and learned a bit from one another. So the two children are not that stranger to me before boarding. The parents are very aware of the situation that some C pax have no tolerance at all--when young children or infants get loud. So they tried their best to comfort the children and be quiet or settled. As I sit in the middle row of this A330 regional configuration. Most of the pax going to the loo on the right side of the plane were crossing my seat. I never had such a traffic infront of me--I had the feeling I had to be careful not to be overruned by the crossers!
So what do I feel after such a flight? Actually I was calmed, because I had the impression before the flight that the parents are aware of the situation and tried their best not to disturb the others. Regarding those crossing situations. I am honest--there are times where I just spread my legs so wide appart that no one dared to cross me. I definitely think it is really rude to cross over someone in such manner. They just have to take the effort and go through the galley
SimonRowberry - 12/12/2009 21:27 GMT
My son (now 10) has been flying with me since he was around 2 years old, almost always in Business Class, both short-haul and long-haul. Never on one occasion has he (to my knowledge) caused problems to any other passenger.
This, I think, is for three reasons. Firstly, he is one of those fortunate people who is able to go to sleep wherever he is (I think he could sleep on a bicycle) so he tends to get on board, have some food and then go to sleep. The second reason is that he knows that if he did annoy other passengers, he wouldn't be travelling up front with me again. In my case, this works.
Finally, I think he also knows that if he is well behaved he will often get incredibly spoilt by the FAs - he has a wonderful collection of airline cuddly toys and models of aircraft collected over the years.
Simon
