The fattest person I have ever sat next to…

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  • Anonymous
    Guest

    viking01
    Participant

    Cashsuds
    Participant

    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
    Participant

    I’ve often thought that at check in the passenger should be weighed with their luggage and charged for the total.


    viking01
    Participant

    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
    Participant

    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
    Participant

    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
    Participant

    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
    Participant

    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
    Participant

    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
    Participant

    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
    Participant

    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
    Participant

    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
    Participant

    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
    Participant

    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.

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