I've just been reading about the fat lad who suffered what he calls humiliation when turning up to take a flight and the airline determined (by measuring him in a public place) that he needed to pay for a second seat because his arse wouldn't fit into a standard size seat.
The question of wether they should have taken the lad backstage to determine his arse size by either tape measure of arse calipers or whether he should have declared the fact before buying a single ticket, isnt really relevant to my question which is.
Should seating in public places and in particular, public transport, now be made wider to accomadate the trend in obese persons and thereby add cost to each and every seat or should the fat uns cough up and pay for the extra space that their bums take up.
Extremely large americans have been flying for years with no extra cost. I have to asume he is extremely large not just fat eg maybe over 25 stone? No one should be humiliated in public but making larger seating in all aspects of life is not the answer either. We all eat too much (including me) - maybe a massive generalisation but I look what I have in my fridge to what I had when I was a kid and there is no comparison. I come from the fast food generation and in the next year hope I can do something about that. If we go for larger seating in public places we will grow into them which maybe is not the answer. I dont want to diet but just eat healthier and although making seating larger would help many people, I would rather we looked at the cause and change our life styles away from eating and sitting in front of computers and TVs all night. It may take a couple of generations though so in the short term larger seating may have to be on the cards. If not maybe I will take shares out in a seating company!!!!!!!!
As I understand it 'average' sizes were determined in the early '50s. Clothes sizes and all sorts were based on these. Now, I wasn't there myself, but my Mum says there was something called Rationing in the 15 years prior to that. That means that the people being measured were underfed on a long-term basis.
We are getting bigger and taller and wider. Clothes, cars, airline seats, safety equipment etc should all be measured against a new set of measures. So easy to set up - volunteers in schools and workplaces measured and catalogued on this new fangled 'puter-device they have cunningly invented since the War.
As long as I can do a Dublin return for a fiver on EasyFret, or Ryan(dontcare), Im easy.
Well - after being away for several months now (yes I know - without permission!) McC looks into SH from the other side of the world only to find that Mr Dave J is not only still asking the searching questions but that he is now doing it from a position of power!
Now, to the question of arse size. Yes, it is indeed true that there are many large arsed people (mostly from the good old US of A but not only there) around and yes it is indeed unfair that if those of us with normally sized posteriors mayhave to pay increased air fares if we are to accommodate such people in their own comfort zone in airoplanes with larger but less seating.
As I am now based in Singapore I can reliably report that, in general, the arse size in the far east is considerably smaller than that found in Europe. Whether this be due to diet or genetics is debatable but it is certainly true.
I would therefore suggest that people look carefully at the airline they choose - US airlines should have big seat for big arses, Asian airlines probably have smaller seats but a better attitude and less chance of being shot down by a terrorist - you take your choice!
As for Sleasyjet and Ryandontcare - you will be lucky to get part of a wooden bench and an outside toilet!
Regards to anyone who remembers me - I am off to explore the new areas of SH Towers that seem to be available to me.
McC
McC's post reminds me.. there was an exhibition in Basildon town square a few months ago.. trying out a new bigger size toilet seat..
so if you pay for two seats......shouldn't you get two meals?
you are probably right.. they must cost all of The last transatlantic flight I did with BA to/from the States though, the meals were half decent.
On a variation, out of all the flights I have taken in recent years (about 10 I think), only 2 were comfortable enough for me to sit without getting cramped. I'm 6ft2" tall. The average height of people in general is increasing. Does that mean I have to pay extra for a seat that allows me basic comfort, by with I mean a couple of inches between my knees and the seat infront of me? Or do I have to try and get an exit seat, which nowadays is increasingly difficult?
The overall build of people since the post war surveys has become bigger, obviously. Therefore I think it makes sense for a new survey to be carried out to determine a new "average" (Yeah, I know) size which should be taken into account as new planes are made/old ones refitted.
However, do I think that we should head towards a system where obesity is accepted as inevitable and normal? Hell no.
Obestiy is dangerous, and yes I know that lots of other (mainly) self inflicted conditions are too- but are we not moving towards discouraging smoking etc? The food industry carries a lot of blame IMHO- in fact I feel a thread coming on, but individuals still have to take responsibility.
I was once too big to get on a kids ride at Alton towers with my little one- was I embarrased- yes- humiliated even, but I came away thinking "I need to address this"- not "they should make the seats bigger"
But no, the guy should not have been subjected to public ridicule.
An interesting question, and one to which I don't have an immediate answer.
Having said that, it did remind me of the last time I flew anywhere - I have the same legroom problems as Dlep, coupled with dodgy knees that tend to lock up if they're kept bent in the same position for any length of time. My ample arse does just about fit into a standard class seat, but my shoulders don't. :shock: My shoulderblades rested on the edges of the seat and my arms were poking out on either side. Should I be charged for two seats, if I ever decide to let an airline have any more of my money?
Incidentally, I have similar problems on standard class in trains, but at least there it's normally possible to get up and move around a bit more easily, and affordable first class tickets aren't as difficult to find.
I've got to say that I like a nice big ass - but not when it belongs to a stranger who is invading my personal space, that I've paid plenty o' dosh for and who may be the wrong sex to boot. We are talking people of exceptional proportions here, I guess.
There are often wider seats available in the plane in the more expensive sections but then that's just moving the problem to a new neighbour innit? I would've thought paying fer two seats is a reasonable compromise. Making seats wider - or some seats - is probably not very practical methinks.
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its the reason why I didnt want to get into the way it was done, but was more interested in whether body size should be discriminated, for or against, in various situations or should be accomadated.
