What about freakishly tall people...you know...like 6' and taller?

 

And some people are not able to control their weight.

 

I'm confused by the height question. How does it apply here? If a person is like ttl's husband how does their height affect the people sitting around them?

I'm confused by the height question. How does it apply here? If a person is like ttl's husband how does their height affect the people sitting around them?

 

Well, many flights I've been on, people either move their legs into my space or into the aisle making it difficult to maneuver in the aisleway. In addition, I once had a tall person tell me I couldn't lean my seat back because he needed the space for his knees. IMO, you want more space for your legs, buy 2 seats and then you can position your legs in the space meant for the person sitting next to you. Just as annoying to me. Sitting next to a stranger who does that is very creepy to me. And the aisle thing makes me see red.

Exceptions cannot always be used to nullify logical rules.

 

But then we get into questions of whether or not there may be a genetic predisposition to "largeness." (I'll use that term instead of obesity, if only to distinguish between any genetically-caused issues and ones created by diet and lifestyle that we can term as causes of "obesity.") If we can question whether genetic predispositions may cause someone to have far greater difficulty in slimming down, we're looking at a nasty slope of whether or not insurance companies can charge extra to insure people based on genetic markers. To me, it's a nasty slope. I'm not saying it isn't okay, but it's certainly something to think about.

 

We also live in Kentucky, one of the fattest and one of the poorest states in the country. That combination means that extra individual healthcare costs are problematic. The food that is the worst for you is also often the cheapest and the easiest to obtain. It's a nasty circle.

Well, many flights I've been on, people either move their legs into my space or into the aisle making it difficult to maneuver in the aisleway. In addition, I once had a tall person tell me I couldn't lean my seat back because he needed the space for his knees. IMO, you want more space for your legs, buy 2 seats and then you can position your legs in the space meant for the person sitting next to you. Just as annoying to me. Sitting next to a stranger who does that is very creepy to me. And the aisle thing makes me see red.

 

The difference is you can ask the tall person to move his/her legs or you can tell the guy behind you tough. If a person's fat is coming over in my space there isn't much they can do about it.

But then we get into questions of whether or not there may be a genetic predisposition to "largeness." (I'll use that term instead of obesity.) If we can question whether genetic predispositions may cause someone to have far greater difficulty in slimming down, we're looking at a nasty slope of whether or not insurance companies can charge extra to insure people based on genetic markers. To me, it's a nasty slope. I'm not saying it isn't okay, but it's certainly something to think about.

 

We also live in Kentucky, one of the fattest and one of the poorest states in the country. That combination means that extra individual healthcare costs are problematic. The food that is the worst for you is also often the cheapest and the easiest to obtain. It's a nasty circle.

Genetic predisposition to "largeness" does not mean you will be large. It means you are at a greater risk to be large. You have to be more careful about your diet and maybe work a little harder in the gym. The fact Americans are become fat at an increasing rate because as a group we are lazy. McDonald's drive through isn't full every day at breakfast, lunch and dinner for nothing. Americans eat what they want when they want, don't exercise then wonder why they are overweight. We wonder why healthcare costs in this country are sky rocketing. It's because we're fat and out of shape. I'm all for personal choice and you (not you specifically but you in general terms) eating what you want and doing what you want but don't cry when an airline wants you to buy two seats because your 300lb butt won't fit in one. And don't cry when your asked to pay a premium for healthcare because you can't walk ten feet without getting out of breath. Americans treat food as a recreation instead what it really is, fuel.

Absolutely not. My husband is 6'8" (37" inseam) and believe me, he is miserable on an airplane. He always tries to get exit row seating but sometimes he is not able to. When we flew to Mexico, he had bruises on the insides of his knees because the person in front of him was reclined the entire flight. The point is, he is unable to control his height.

If I'm somewhere such as a movie theater, concert, etc. and I'm behind a taller person a lot of times I have to get out of my comfort level to have a good view. I am unable to control my height, so should I get automatic front row seats so I don't have to strain my neck or look around a tall(er) person?

 

No disrespect to you or your husband, but if he wants more than the space alloted he should have to pay extra.

No doubt they should. If you take up two seats, you pay double. Why should the airline suffer because of someone else's problem?

 

Agreed, why should other passengers suffer for that matter.

Just booked my flights to and from the USF @ Notre Dame game, in September. I purchased 3 seats (12D, E, & F) for myself and Mrs. S., as I always do when we travel together. It gives us the room of First/Business Class at less than half the cost, and I get 2 extra carry-ons. See, I don't like touching other people just as much as they don't like touching me.

 

I always purchase 2 seats for me, when I fly or attend games in stadiums that have bench seating and I don't have Mrs. S with me. We never attend the movies when we know the theater will be crowed. We prefer go late Tuesday or Wednesday night and usually have the place to ourselves. For the rest, when I am with Mrs. S, we sit in handicapped seating, so that's not a problem.

 

As you can see, I'm willing to pay for my choice of body type. Comes down to personal responsibility and I'm all about personal responsibility.

 

Mrs. S, however, is another story. She's unable to exercise due to her handicap. That's how she got as big as she is in the first place. She does water aerobics, but that only does so much, and I'm not going to starve her just to maintain some pleasant body type for somebody else. As long as she is healthy, we're fine. As much as I hate litigation, I would have no qualms about pulling the Americans with Disabilities Act card, if somebody discriminates against her.

I applaud you, personal responsibility is lost on most of our country.

But then we get into questions of whether or not there may be a genetic predisposition to "largeness." (I'll use that term instead of obesity, if only to distinguish between any genetically-caused issues and ones created by diet and lifestyle that we can term as causes of "obesity.") If we can question whether genetic predispositions may cause someone to have far greater difficulty in slimming down, we're looking at a nasty slope of whether or not insurance companies can charge extra to insure people based on genetic markers. To me, it's a nasty slope. I'm not saying it isn't okay, but it's certainly something to think about.

 

We also live in Kentucky, one of the fattest and one of the poorest states in the country. That combination means that extra individual healthcare costs are problematic. The food that is the worst for you is also often the cheapest and the easiest to obtain. It's a nasty circle.

 

To be clear, you're saying that people who cannot fit into one seat should not have to buy two seats?

And some people are not able to control their weight.

 

A large number of people can but choose not to and say they can't help it. If someone has a thyroid problem then that's one thing but far too many people just "can't control their weight", but yet don't have a medical reason to back up that claim.

But then we get into questions of whether or not there may be a genetic predisposition to "largeness." (I'll use that term instead of obesity, if only to distinguish between any genetically-caused issues and ones created by diet and lifestyle that we can term as causes of "obesity.") If we can question whether genetic predispositions may cause someone to have far greater difficulty in slimming down, we're looking at a nasty slope of whether or not insurance companies can charge extra to insure people based on genetic markers. To me, it's a nasty slope. I'm not saying it isn't okay, but it's certainly something to think about.

We also live in Kentucky, one of the fattest and one of the poorest states in the country. That combination means that extra individual healthcare costs are problematic. The food that is the worst for you is also often the cheapest and the easiest to obtain. It's a nasty circle.

 

It already happens, do young males not pay more for car insurance simply because they're males? I see no problem with either scenario, health or car insurance.

To be clear, you're saying that people who cannot fit into one seat should not have to buy two seats?

 

I suppose my comment was more directed at the segment of the thread on health insurance costs than at the original question of airline seats. I'll agree with your premise on the seating question: people who can't fit into one seat should probably buy two. That said, as someone who is nearly 6' 5", I find airplane seats to be terribly small.

I suppose my comment was more directed at the segment of the thread on health insurance costs than at the original question of airline seats. I'll agree with your premise on the seating question: people who can't fit into one seat should probably buy two. That said, as someone who is nearly 6' 5", I find airplane seats to be terribly small.

 

I don't think you'll get an argument there, I'm only 5'10 and I hit my knee's on the seat in front of me. Air plane seating is almost like roller coaster seating, just not really designed for comfort in my opinion.

It already happens, do young males not pay more for car insurance simply because they're males? I see no problem with either scenario, health or car insurance.

 

That wasn't exactly what I meant and it's pretty far off topic. Maybe I'll start another thread.

As I said in the other thread on the subject, I don't have a problem with airlines requiring two seats for larger passengers. My main problem is with the haphazard way these rules appear to be implemented. I didn't watch the Today show piece, but as was the case with Kevin Smith and similar stories, the passengers were already on the plane and buckled in when they were told they were too big to fly. I think if airlines are going to go about enforcing this, they need to have clearly stated metrics that passengers can understand before they purchase their ticket and the should have a way of determining whether there will be a problem before the person gets on the plane. I also don't think it should be left up to the eyeball judgement of employees, either.