They sell me a space including the portion that includes a seat. By your logic, a person could completely lean over and rest their head on my shoulder as long as they weren't touching the cushion I'm sitting on.

 

And by your comments above, you feel that it's OK if they do as long as they're not heavy...and you can choose to rectify it someway, as you mention in the same post.

And by your comments above, you feel that it's OK if they do as long as they're not heavy...and you can choose to rectify it someway, as you mention in the same post.

 

No. My example proves that it has nothing to do with weight. I'm sure you agree that I do not have the right to put my head on your shoulder the entire flight, correct?

No. My example proves that it has nothing to do with weight. I'm sure you agree that I do not have the right to put my head on your shoulder the entire flight, correct?

 

 

Well, I don't know. By your logic, even the person who is seated next you you is guaranteed their right to comfort when they buy a ticket. I would suppose they had the right by that logic.

Well, I don't know. By your logic, even the person who is seated next you you is guaranteed their right to comfort when they buy a ticket. I would suppose they had the right by that logic.

 

The person next to me is guaranteed their space. How comfortable they are is upto them.

 

Just like the fat person who doesn't have the right to have their girth hanging over the armrest into my space the person who wants to put their head on my shoulder in my space doesn't have that right.

 

However, the 2nd person can lift their head up and keep it in their space. What can the fat person do to fix the situation?

 

Its a space issue. If you can rectify getting in my space I have no problem. If you can't rectify getting in my space you need to get off the plane.

The person next to me is guaranteed their space. How comfortable they are is upto them.

 

Just like the fat person who doesn't have the right to have their girth hanging over the armrest into my space the person who wants to put their head on my shoulder in my space doesn't have that right.

 

However, the 2nd person can lift their head up and keep it in their space. What can the fat person do to fix the situation?

 

Its a space issue. If you can rectify getting in my space I have no problem. If you can't rectify getting in my space you need to get off the plane.

 

YOU can rectify it for yourself. If they've been allowed to purchase the ticket and aren't being asked to leave, then you are welcome to get off the plane as well.

This seems weird to me, I've seen MUCH larger people than Kevin Smith fly with SW before.

YOU can rectify it for yourself. If they've been allowed to purchase the ticket and aren't being asked to leave, then you are welcome to get off the plane as well.

 

Why should I ? What have I done? I fit into my space.

 

Why are we afraid to tell the person "we understand you have the right to gorge yourself and not do any exercise but you do not have the right to have your fat hanging over onto my seat?"

 

How far do we take this? What if they weigh 450 pounds? 750? Do we just say "well, he's fat but I don't want to hurt his feelings?"

 

Not me. If you're fat you deal with the repercussions. If you can't handle it, lose weight.

Why should I ? What have I done? I fit into my space.

 

Why are we afraid to tell the person "we understand you have the right to gorge yourself and not do any exercise but you do not have the right to have your fat hanging over onto my seat?"

 

How far do we take this? What if they weigh 450 pounds? 750? Do we just say "well, he's fat but I don't want to hurt his feelings?"

 

Not me. If you're fat you deal with the repercussions. If you can't handle it, lose weight.

 

 

You're advocating a subjective line of thinking. A person can be unhealthy and thin. A person can gorge themselves and be thin. A person can exercise and eat healthily and be overweight. You're basing your assessment on "fat" on purely subjective reasoning.

 

Many people who are overweight have medical issues that contribute to their weight. Some diabetics, for instance. Some with hypothyroide problems. Some with other medical conditions. And again, the appearance of "fat" doesn't necessarily equate to "unhealthy". You are applying a bias toward all people who have weight issues that's subjective.

 

And you ask "Where do you draw the line?" Well, where do YOU draw the line? A 5'2" woman who doesn't excercise and weighs about 160 could be completely out of shape and "fat". But you're OK with that because she "fits in her seat". A 6 and a half tall linebacker could be in great shape and not "fat". Where do you draw the line? Is it your "disgust-o-meter" reading?

You're advocating a subjective line of thinking. A person can be unhealthy and thin. A person can gorge themselves and be thin. A person can exercise and eat healthily and be overweight. You're basing your assessment on "fat" on purely subjective reasoning.

 

Many people who are overweight have medical issues that contribute to their weight. Some diabetics, for instance. Some with hypothyroide problems. Some with other medical conditions. And again, the appearance of "fat" doesn't necessarily equate to "unhealthy". You are applying a bias toward all people who have weight issues that's subjective.

 

And you ask "Where do you draw the line?" Well, where do YOU draw the line? A 5'2" woman who doesn't excercise and weighs about 160 could be completely out of shape and "fat". But you're OK with that because she "fits in her seat". A 6 and a half tall linebacker could be in great shape and not "fat". Where do you draw the line? Is it your "disgust-o-meter" reading?

 

Your argument is not related to this debate. I don't care why people are overweight when it involves them sitting next to me on a plane. It truly is insignificant to the situation. Are you saying because we should have pity on them that we should just accept them being on our side of the armrest? Thyroids schmyroids. Stay on your side.

 

Lets take your line of thinking out a bit further. Lets say that the person next to me fell and broke his arm. To set the bone properly he has to have his arm out to the right away from his body.

 

Am I supposed to just say "that's fine" and have his cast in my face?

Your argument is not related to this debate. I don't care why people are overweight when it involves them sitting next to me on a plane. It truly is insignificant to the situation. Are you saying because we should have pity on them that we should just accept them being on our side of the armrest? Thyroids schmyroids. Stay on your side.

 

Lets take your line of thinking out a bit further. Lets say that the person next to me fell and broke his arm. To set the bone properly he has to have his arm out to the right away from his body.

 

Am I supposed to just say "that's fine" and have his cast in my face?

 

What would you do? Do you think he should have to debark?

Your argument is not related to this debate. I don't care why people are overweight when it involves them sitting next to me on a plane. It truly is insignificant to the situation. Are you saying because we should have pity on them that we should just accept them being on our side of the armrest? Thyroids schmyroids. Stay on your side.

 

Lets take your line of thinking out a bit further. Lets say that the person next to me fell and broke his arm. To set the bone properly he has to have his arm out to the right away from his body.

 

Am I supposed to just say "that's fine" and have his cast in my face?

 

My argument is as relative to this debate as yours. You've yet to say what should define "too overweight to fly" as an objective standard. You've yet to outline a way for an airline to set such standards and apply them objectively. You've stood firm on applying subjectivity and that ensures that NO ONE is assured an objective assessment of their situation when a decision is made regarding their ability to occupy the seat they purchased on an airplane.

 

Let's take this in a slightly different direction. What if you were on a bus? What if you were sitting on a park bench? What if you were in a movie theater? What difference is it? None of those places, like Southwest flights, have assigned seating. You are as able to move your skinny butt in any one of those situations, as you are on the Southwest flight. The only difference is that the park bench is free. The rest you pay for your seat.

I don't have a problem with an airline setting regulations on the size of their passengers, or some other such metric that could reasonably inconvenience other passengers. The problem with Southwest is that they failed to outline and follow a clear guideline for those passengers. Their policy is apparently to require passengers be able to buckle the seat belt and have both arm rests down, and if Smith did this then the policy is rather arbitrarily applied beyond the explicit regulations. Also, to wait until a passenger is seated to determine if they are fit to fly is bad business. If they are allowed to board and there is a problem the airline should have tried to accommodate them in an aisle seat before kicking them off.

 

All of this is to say, if you want to restrict certain passengers they should have a reasonable ability to determine whether they will be allowed to board (i.e. a height/weight chart on the website).

What would you do? Do you think he should have to debark?

 

Unless the doctor put the cast on after he got onto the plane, yes, he should fly when there is room for him. No different than the fat person (regardless of the reason for their size).

 

Surely, you don't think I should just let the guy's cast be in my face, right?

My argument is as relative to this debate as yours. You've yet to say what should define "too overweight to fly" as an objective standard. You've yet to outline a way for an airline to set such standards and apply them objectively. You've stood firm on applying subjectivity and that ensures that NO ONE is assured an objective assessment of their situation when a decision is made regarding their ability to occupy the seat they purchased on an airplane.

 

Let's take this in a slightly different direction. What if you were on a bus? What if you were sitting on a park bench? What if you were in a movie theater? What difference is it? None of those places, like Southwest flights, have assigned seating. You are as able to move your skinny butt in any one of those situations, as you are on the Southwest flight. The only difference is that the park bench is free. The rest you pay for your seat.

 

What is "too overweight to fly?" Judgment call. Someone has to make the call.

 

You've already given examples of it not being simply a matter of total weight.

 

How can I move my seat if the flight is sold out?

I don't have a problem with an airline setting regulations on the size of their passengers, or some other such metric that could reasonably inconvenience other passengers. The problem with Southwest is that they failed to outline and follow a clear guideline for those passengers. Their policy is apparently to require passengers be able to buckle the seat belt and have both arm rests down, and if Smith did this then the policy is rather arbitrarily applied beyond the explicit regulations. Also, to wait until a passenger is seated to determine if they are fit to fly is bad business. If they are allowed to board and there is a problem the airline should have tried to accommodate them in an aisle seat before kicking them off.

 

All of this is to say, if you want to restrict certain passengers they should have a reasonable ability to determine whether they will be allowed to board (i.e. a height/weight chart on the website).

 

What do yo propose the airline do before someone gets on the flight to see if they will fit?