Photo: Too Fat to Fly? - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**travelpunk** · 12-04-2009, 02:59 AM

Wow! This photo (taken by the flight attendant) is....well, I guess I'm kind of speechless

Original article here

**juliagulia** · 12-04-2009, 07:04 AM

Oh god. As much as I would feel horrible having to be the person to enforce this, I would say that there needs to be something done about situations like that. I like the idea of asking for two seats to be paid for and then refunding the second if there are extra seats at departure (perhaps even more so if the second seat is cheaper). It seems unfair, but that really is a hazardous situation :-\

**pinknic38** · 12-04-2009, 10:39 AM

That is fucking ridiculous. I do not feel sorry for this person. He HAD to know he wasn't going to fit. I'm sorry, but you're AWARE of that. And by the looks of the picture, other people had to be uncomfortable also! Buy another ticket or find another fucking method of transportation. That is disgusting. And major FAIL to the airline for letting him board the damn plane.

**ScarlotteDorian** · 12-04-2009, 11:53 AM

No, I think there should be seats for people that need more room. It's not their fault that the airline wants to save money by jamming everyone in like sardines.

Rhine · 12-04-2009, 01:16 PM

This guy should have never been let on the plane in the first place. The pilot in command should have been made aware of this guy and kicked him off. I cant imagen what it would be like in an emergency situation with someone that big on board. He probably would get stuck in the emergency exit and be the death of several people.

Living in politically correct world endangers lives.

**micdans** · 12-04-2009, 09:37 PM

And it costs the airlines much more money. Stuff like that bring prices up for the rest of us to balance it all out...

**space virgin** · 12-04-2009, 11:15 PM

Hmm... I'm smelling a rat here. Look at how freaking TALL he is compared to, say, EVERYONE ELSE ON THE PLANE. His head is at least a foot and a half higher than the seat. I'm thinking it's very possible that the photo's been doctored a bit.

Although I'm sure he's a large man regardless.

Rhine · 12-04-2009, 11:40 PM

Its because he is so fat he has to sit on the arm rests. the isle side arms rest dont go up, so he may have some sort of booster seat to to jack him up to the level of the arms rests.

Or he just doesnt feel the arm rest stuck up his ass, which is quite possible do to his....gurth.

**travelpunk** · 12-05-2009, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhine

Its because he is so fat he has to sit on the arm rests. the isle side arms rest dont go up, so he may have some sort of booster seat to to jack him up to the level of the arms rests.

Or he just doesnt feel the arm rest stuck up his ass, which is quite possible do to his....gurth.

... Sorry, but that was pretty funny

.

**juliagulia** · 12-05-2009, 07:33 PM

I don't really think it matters whether or not the photo's doctored (I honestly don't think it is... I just assumed that he was sitting on the armrest). I think it's good to discuss it, regardless of the legitimacy of the photo, because it's a situation we all know COULD happen.

**maracle** · 12-05-2009, 10:00 PM

It wasn't doctored, but the guy had a whole row to himself (I guess he was just chatting with someone?)

However what i read, it said they bumped someone so he could have adequate room. Which, if it were me who was bumped...I would be pretty fucking steamed...

Should this man be able to fly on a plane? - NYPOST.com

**expatben** · 12-06-2009, 03:33 AM

Its a sticky debate alright. On the one hand as someone who has his fair share of...gurth I can totally see an upside to larger seats. On the other hand, to make money on these larger seats airline companies would probably jack up the price of them.
1 thing is for sure that guy was causing a fire hazard and should not have been allowed on. I know it sounds harsh and perhaps a tad hypocritical given my chunky nature but it is dangerous.

**travelpunk** · 12-06-2009, 05:58 PM

Can you imagine the chaos if the plane made a crash landing and this guy was injured and was blocking the aisle, an emergency exit, or even was landed on top of you and unable to move? Holy.....cow?

Pandemonium, man...

Rhine · 12-06-2009, 09:16 PM

There needs to be a fat person seating area in the plane....aka the cargo bay.

**Sijuki** · 12-07-2009, 04:51 PM

My issue with the photo is that, if that were his seat he blocks the path of the beverage/snack cart, and you know those stewardesses wouldn't let anything get in the way of their carts.

I know my parents are bigger, they can still fit in the seat, but they often look for first class tickets, just because of the roomier seats. I have often thought that planes could do several classes of seats. Or in the case of larger people, the two seat option probably remains the best option or 1st class.

You have different types of big people though. Would a 7 foot tall person of average build be considered to 'big' to sit in a seat. Because of their height, their width may very well be bigger than the seat.

**expatben** · 12-08-2009, 05:49 PM

see what would be awesome is some sort of big and tall airlines. Like big and tall shops but with planes. Someone should totally do that!

**MeTurk** · 12-09-2009, 05:15 AM

I can see legal problems with fat seats as your singling people out for special treatment possibly putting them at a disadvantage in an emergency if fat seats where far from exits. From a safety point of view something has to be done, I don't think concessions should be made in the form of a fat seat because I don't think we should accommodate people this big TBH, we shouldn't do anything that might be seen as encouraging people to be this large.

I don't see anything wrong with buying an extra seat or row, that's what you require then that's what you should have to pay for. It's the best solution to the problem.

It does make me wonder if I wore all my cloths and bought an extra seat on the likes of Ryanair would it work out cheaper than checking in those extra 2 kilos of luggage?