Fatass Forces Passenger to Stand for 9 hr Flight

[Flagg]

MSNBC

Flier, displaced by obese seatmate, forced to stand
By Joe Myxter, travel editor

A passenger on a US Airways flight said he was forced to stand for seven hours after he was squeezed out of his seat by an obese man sitting next to him.

“I didn’t fly from Alaska to Philadelphia on Flight 901,” Arthur Berkowitz told Christopher Elliott, a consumer advocate who operates elliott.org. “I stood.”

“His size required both armrests to be raised up and allowed for his body to cover half of my seat,” Berkowitz said. “It did not allow me to use my seatbelt during takeoff and landing as well as required me to stand in the aisle and galley area for most of the seven-hour-plus flight.”

The incident occurred on July 29.

Berkowitz said he alerted flight attendants to the problem, but they were unable to accommodate him, according to his account on elliott.org. “They were sympathetic, but they could not do anything. No other seats existed on plane. They would not permit me to sit in their jump seats, and fully acknowledged the mistake by their gate agent, in allowing this individual on plane without requiring him to purchase and occupy two seats,” he said.

Liz Landau, a spokesperson for US Airways, confirmed that Berkowitz was inconvenienced by a passenger of size and told msnbc.com “it was his choice to stand.”

“His seatmate had the same right to his seat as Mr. Berkowitz did to his. So here’s where the diplomacy and cooperation of all passengers comes into play,” the airline said in a statement.

Berkowitz was unhappy with the $200 voucher the airline offered him for his experience, at which point he contacted Elliott.

"We have attempted to address this customer’s service concerns,” the airline statement said, “but offering increasing amounts of compensation based on a threat of a safety violation isn’t really fair — especially when the passenger himself said he didn’t follow crew members’ instructions and fasten his seatbelt.

“The way to ensure you have space available next to you — whether you are a person of size, or you would simply like to ensure you have more personal space to relax on a long flight — is to purchase that additional seat, or First Class, in advance.”

I love the airlines reaction to essentially putting this man in serious danger were there any type of midair or ground disturbance. Here's an idea, kick fatty off the plane. If you're already airborn, land, then kick fatty off the plane.

[evilsoup]

What? Fuck, no way. No, this can't be real. How could these fuckwits be this bloody stupid? Can he sue them for this?

"We have attempted to address this customer’s service concerns,” the airline statement said, “but offering increasing amounts of compensation based on a threat of a safety violation isn’t really fair — especially when the passenger himself said he didn’t follow crew members’ instructions and fasten his seatbelt.

Maybe he could have followed your instructions if there wasn't an avalanche of fat threatening to swallow him up? Bloody hell. This just made my day, thanks for posting it.

[Alyrium Denryle]

"I am sorry, no. The seats are already small, and thus cannot be occupied with Fat Gunther is in the next seat, annexing the Sudetenland across the arm rest."

Still... I probably would have tried, and spent the flight speaking in the voice of Salacious Crumb....

[Havok]

People stand at work for 7 hours all the time. Guy needs to quit whining.

[Flagg]

People stand at work for 7 hours all the time. Guy needs to quit whining.

He should count himself lucky the guy didn't eat him amiright?

[Vendetta]

People stand at work for 7 hours all the time. Guy needs to quit whining.

OTOH, they don't pay for the privelege.

Yet.

I'm sure someone'll figure it out.

[Solauren]

The airline did not, and was unable to, provide the service the offered and were paid for.
This includes safety and accomidation.

This resulted in extreme mental stress being placed on him, as a result of his life being put in mortal danger in the even of a problem in-flight or in transit.

Also, the airline effectively treated him as an inferior person compared to the individual who subverted the service and accomidation in question.

This amounts to
Failure to provide a service once paid for - on the part of the airline
Failure to meat Federal Air Safety Standards (or whatever the term is) - on the part of the airline
Forceable confinement - on the part of the airline (by not landing to address these standards, they forced the situtation on the passanger so affected)
Theft - on the part of the obesse individual.
Violation of Federal Air Safety Standards - on the part of the obese individual, for preventing the function of safety equipment

And I'm sure a good lawyer could come up with lots more. Then toss on puniative damages and the like.

I'd be suing the airline's ass off.

[Havok]

I love how people talk about safety on planes. What safety? What happens on a plane outside of it CRASHING INTO THE GROUND OR OCEAN AT 400 MILES AN HOUR, that can't happen on a fucking city bus?

They compensated him for his ticket. What more does he fucking want or deserve?

And Solauren, it is assholes like you that make me want to punch assholes like you in the face. He had to stand for 7 hours. Still got to where he was going. Didn't get hurt, aside from his butt apparently, and didn't fucking die. Plus, he got a free plane ticket out of it.

Forceable fucking confinement? THEFT? He didn't own the seat dick head, he was renting it. The "service" is to get you from one place to another in the air, fast, without death.

Im' sure you would be suing the airline, you fucking worm.

[Alkaloid]

I love how people talk about safety on planes. What safety? What happens on a plane outside of it CRASHING INTO THE GROUND OR OCEAN AT 400 MILES AN HOUR, that can't happen on a fucking city bus?

Well, you can get launched into the ceiling if the flight becomes unexpectedly turbulent. There's a reason they ask you to have your belt on at all times while you are in your seat.

They compensated him for his ticket. What more does he fucking want or deserve?

Nothing, but that doesn't mean it should have happened or is in any way reasonable. The airline being so smug about it doesn't help either.

[That NOS Guy]

Im' sure you would be suing the airline, you fucking worm.

Why can't the fat guy stand? It's his fault he can't fit into a seat.

[MKSheppard]

People stand at work for 7 hours all the time. Guy needs to quit whining.

Guy paid for a seat, that he could recline and rest in for seven hours during the flight. Didn't get it.

Oh, and airline seats have built in emergency aids, such as seatbelts and overhead oxygen masks.

Yeah, I've run into quite a bit of these "land whales" on Amtrak. There's at least one of them in each Coach car...

[evilsoup]

Ever heard of turbulence, Havok? Unless you like to take a pneumatic drill to the roads around your area, I'm pretty sure that strong turbulence on a plane is a lot bumpier than any bus ride, plus planes are not designed for people to be standing up - there are no hand-holds, as you have on a bus.

When you buy a ticket on a plane, you expect to have a seat. That's part of the contract, and I'm pretty sure it's also part of the safety laws. The lawsuit-happy culture you guys have is pretty funny, but in this case I'd say fuck it in this case, they deserve to lose a big chunk of money to dissuade them from pulling this kind of bullshit again.

[Flagg]

Im' sure you would be suing the airline, you fucking worm.

Why can't the fat guy stand? It's his fault he can't fit into a seat.

What's worse, standing for 7 hours on a plane or sitting for 7 hours on a plane listening to fatty mcwheeze bitching about his ankles?

[Broomstick]

I love how people talk about safety on planes. What safety? What happens on a plane outside of it CRASHING INTO THE GROUND OR OCEAN AT 400 MILES AN HOUR, that can't happen on a fucking city bus?

Safety statistics are pretty clear on the fact that being buckled in whenever the aircraft is moving greatly enhances your chances of survival should an accident, turbulence, or other unexpected thing occur. Safety regs do allow passengers and crew to be unrestrained during the portion of flight least likely to result in a collision - cruise flight in smooth air - because people gotta pee occasionally and sitting for hours at a time in cramped accommodations carries its own risk. On taxi, take-off, and landing, though, the regs are clear - you must be buckled in.

[Broomstick]

When you buy a ticket on a plane, you expect to have a seat. That's part of the contract, and I'm pretty sure it's also part of the safety laws.

That is correct.

[Kanastrous]

I love how people talk about safety on planes. What safety? What happens on a plane outside of it CRASHING INTO THE GROUND OR OCEAN AT 400 MILES AN HOUR, that can't happen on a fucking city bus?

Turbulence that can slam you into the deck, overhead, or bulkhead, severely injuring you. This happens several times each year, it seems most often to flight attendants. Maybe because they spend more time walking the cabin, not strapped in.

They compensated him for his ticket. What more does he fucking want or deserve?

The seat for which he paid, meaning that the other passenger should have been put off the plane. If you take up the volume of two seats, the onus is upon you to purchase the seats, not upon someone else to give theirs up.

And Solauren, it is assholes like you that make me want to punch assholes like you in the face.

Now I'm jealous.

He had to stand for 7 hours. Still got to where he was going. Didn't get hurt, aside from his butt apparently, and didn't fucking die. Plus, he got a free plane ticket out of it.

You are the airlines' dream customer. Assuming that you would put up with what you expect he should have. No reason to assume that you wouldn't, of course.

I think I've heard that some airlines -will- put an over-sized passenger off a plane if he or she cannot be properly accommodated. Not this one, I guess.

[Ryan Thunder]

What's worse, standing for 7 hours on a plane or sitting for 7 hours on a plane listening to fatty mcwheeze bitching about his ankles?

It'd be music to my ears.

Also, headphones.

[Enigma]

What's worse, standing for 7 hours on a plane or sitting for 7 hours on a plane listening to fatty mcwheeze bitching about his ankles?

I'm mostly deaf, so I couldn't care less.

Nevertheless, no-one who pays for a seat should be made to stand. One other thing, how did the guy survive the take-off and landing?

[Broomstick]

Most take-offs and landings are not violent events. The seatbelts are for the exceptions.

However, the flight crew were in gross violation of the regs for allowing anyone to stand during such operations and could get their licenses pulled by the FAA for doing so. A fine is more likely. Or maybe nothing. Just sayin', they were taking a risk with their careers with this.

[Solauren]

Havok, Havok, Havok.
The airline was....

Breaking...
The..
Law..

They violated a sales contract, violated safety regulations, put a client at an elevated degree of injury above and beyond the implied agreement in the rental of said seat, and made no corrective effort.

This isn't a problem that developed into the flight. It was apparent when the customer couldn't put his belt bucklet on at take off. Airplanes are not supposed to lift off (or are supposed to abort and return to the hanger as soon as possible) for flight if there is a known and apparent safety violation and concern.

And nothing is being done about it.

Quite frankly, a lawsuit might be the only way to cause anything positive to come out of this.

Lawsuits have a way of establishing precedents. Precedents have this way of coming back to haunt big businesses. Either the airplane would be forced to settle with the plantif out of court, meaning a cash payoff, or risk a legal decision against them that people could use against them in the future.

Either way, the airline would be forced, by their own investors and stockholders, to take further steps to ensure this doesn't happen again.

And if the only way I can see on the part of the affected passenger to cause the the airline (or airlines) to own up and deal with a problem like this makes you want to punch me in the face, well, there are already laws and legal prescedants to punish you for that action at well. I believe in this case, you'd be facing numerous criminal charges and jail time. Enjoy.

[AMT]

And the anti fat backlash on SDN continues apace I see...

[Ryan Thunder]

And the anti fat backlash on SDN continues apace I see...

Yes, and just for that, you can push the bandwagon.

[Alkaloid]

And the anti fat backlash on SDN continues apace I see...

Backlash? What are we lashing back against, exactly? And it's not anti fat anyway, its anti jackass. If a guy had to stand for a flight because the guy in the seat next to him punched him in the kidneys while he was in his seat, and the airlines response was, 'well you'll just have to stand in the isle, and if you want to ensure it doesn't happen next time, buy two seats' I imaging we would be reacting in much the same way.

[VarrusTheEthical]

And the anti fat backlash on SDN continues apace I see...

If anything, I think most of SDN's outrage is being directed at the airline rather than the obese passenger.

[SCRawl]

It seems as though the route the airline took was for PR purposes. If they had put the overweight guy off the plane, they would have been accused of discriminating against someone with a disability. They tried to cut the baby in half by having a passenger travel unsafely, with everyone still getting to their destinations on time. In my mind this is worse, but it's hard for the masses to dislike the airline for it.

The right thing to do was to accommodate the problem passenger before the tickets were finalized, but the crew (for whatever reason) was stuck with only bad options, and so they took the worst one available to them.