02-16-2010
12:02 AM
As someone who flies southwest and also a bigger guy, I see both sides. Here is some of my noticing on this type of thing.
1. This is not checked consistently. I had one guy who used a seat belt extender next to me, in the middle seat, could put the armrest down, but not 100% and be comfortable, so it was up slightly between us. My pants leg was damp by the time his leg of the flight was done. Why didn't this guy get flagged? I can put the arm rest fully 100% down and sitting next to him, I would've preferred it, but his large leg prevented it. He was in the back on a middle seat, clearly enough time to figure out he may need an extra seat. If they look like they need two seats and the flight they aren't originally scheduled to be on is almost full, just tell the passenger the flight is full. Whose going to know the difference?!?
2. Perhaps like the luggage bag size things (which seem to have gone away because of people who bring larger bags on nowadays), why not a chair in the back room that's from an exit row that's solid and have passengers sit in. It could be a good gauge of measure to determine who needs to buy a second seat. Humiliating? Maybe, but I'd rather do this than get singled off once in the plane or something along those lines.
3. If the flight is empty or a middle seat has been bought by someone else and they're okay with someone of size overflowing into it, then no problems, don't even address it.
4. If the person has bought two/three/ten seats, it doesn't necessarily mean they won't fit in one. In the case of Kevin and in his podcast, he said he has the dough and likes to have one extra space of seat next to him, even though he said he fits into one seat. This shouldn't be the judgement of whether or not someone needs to come off a flight at all.
Contrary to belief, most people think that obesity can be hereditary. It isn't. Poor eating choices and using food as an escape is. I know. I'm a product of a family who did do that and also still struggle with it. Drink more water, cut down portions, eat a little healthier, take some vitamins and go out for a walk. Things like this do help. No excuse for being fat, but it's your life. You don't have to fly southwest, you can go somewhere more accommodating.
I guess what is probably the worst and southwest isn't the only one is that because I'm not famous or have a large audience who will listen to me within arms reach, who is going to give a crap if I get singled out and thrown off a plane? I'll get the "here, have $100 and shut up." type of thing and that'll be the extent of it. Overall I will say that I haven't had really any bad experiences with Southwest, so I guess I'm fortunate, but it seems like if you do have a bad one, that it is really bad.
... View more