Obesity Onboard Aircraft: Growing
August 31st, 2010 by Nearly The Bionic Woman
Okay first of all, I will admit that I have never been a very politically correct person. If I find it true, I will say it. If it will intentionally hurt someones feelings in a non necessary way, then I will keep my mouth shut. This topic however seems to be a growing issue and it affects my other passengers and my heart when it reaches the health of naive children so all bets are off.
If you are traveling on a public mode of transportation, then there are certain things you are forced to tolerate. It’s a fact of life, sorry. Crying children, bad smells, inconvenient times, whatever. One thing that I do not think you should have to tolerate is an obese person taking up your space. This doesn’t mean everyone should be rail thin. You know who you are.
Each passenger pays for their own seat on the airplane and they should have that right. They pay for the space under their own seat to place their bag (as long as it fits properly) and shouldn’t have to share with the person next to them if they do not want to or to feel blocked in by the other person’s bag, as it is a safety issue in my book. A friend of mine worded it perfectly when she said, “You have all the rights in the world until your rights overlap someone else’s.”
So, what happens when the person who’s ticket puts them in the seat right next to you is the size of more than just their seat? I’m not talking broad shoulders here people, I am talking about just plain fat. Should you have to lean to the left or right the whole flight or like I saw the other day, completely trapped up against the wall of the fuselage? NO! We are not allowed to say anything technically; however, if I have an empty row or a seat that would be a better fit, I will find a way to gently suggest/ask if one of the passengers would like to move. If however, you are that person smashed cheek to wall, PLEASE say something. We will not make a big deal about it. You can simply right a note, excuse yourself to the bathroom (then come see us) and let us know you are not comfortable with it. A customer service agent trained in this matter will come out to the plane and if there is no were to move the passenger, then they will have to take a later flight. I know it sucks but they should have thought about the other person’s rights they may be sitting next to. Southwest Airlines makes these people who choose this lifestyle buy two seats!
When I asked our gate agents why “we” don’t do this, they replied that they didn’t want to offend the large passenger. Of course, I wondered about the offense being offered to the other passenger(s). Do you want to risk offending and possibly losing the one large passenger or how ever many passengers they sit next to during their airline flights?
I had a large woman on my flight last month that had purchased two seats and I wanted so badly to thank her for being so kind and responsible! It’s amazing that some people are so thoughtful.
My other thought process is the obese children that I have seen more and more of lately on my aircraft! The Mom yesterday actually ordered a full glass of Coke and two packs of cookies for her overweight little boy! “The Coke helps his ears she says.” Really? The sugar isn’t doing a thing for his body there dear! He’s only 5 and you should be ashamed of yourself!
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