I had a work assignment in China for 4 months almost 20 years ago. Walking around the streets at night in the market area I saw a scale. I think it was something like 2RMB to check your weight. I kinda looked at the scale, looked at the guy running it as to say "Do you think it will hold me?" He waved me on, The crowd swarmed around as if I was at a fish hatchery and had just tossed in a full handful of food. The scale would say your weight, in Chinese and in KG. Once the number was announced there was a lot of hooting and howling as the crowd dispersed.

On that trip I was even asked to be in a TV commercial for a restaurant that we went to occasionally. I guess advertising that fat american's eat here was of some value to that place. In the shots they just had me surrounded by three or four beautiful gals and some food.

 

Pics or it didn't happen!

 

We are on this earth for such a short time, can't we just hold hands while we are here?

Now, where is that what are you drinking thrad? Hic!

 

As the "douchiest" poster I wonder why it's considered, somehow wrong to comlain at being squashed by an overweight traveller for hours?
Other people have written how passengers pray not to have an obese person next to them. Are they wrong?
Or do you honestly feel that sitting on part of another's seat or partially blocking the aisle is is any way acceptable?
Is it a great way to start or end your Vegas vacation?
What would you personally do when the adjacent traveller is encroaching & making an already stressful time much worse?
Please let me know, then maybe I can become less douchier.

 

Become less douchey, I believe.

Look, we've all been there, and I get it, but your delivery is a bit over the top. Coach class air travel in 2016 is just a slight upgrade over bus travel, so if it's truly that bad, check out business class. If you can't/ don't want to/ what have you, then there's nothing to discuss. Americans are large. You are going to encounter this issue in coach air travel again and again.

It's like discussing asshole drivers.... Yeah people are dicks on the road. Next subject.

 

I read your post & thought about it for a while & I suppose it could be pointless complaining on here about overweight travellers.
Then I read your post again. Are you seriously suggesting that regular sized people spend thousands on BC or 1st class simply because a small percentage of selfish overweight travellers are too mean to spend their money &/or the airlines don't enforce their own rules.
You want me to rethink my views & you want me to spend extra money, Wineguy wants me to move. At no time do either of you accept that it's never my responsibility to take an action because of another's lifestyle. If you are 350lb, you should never try to travel economy. If anyone should "check out business class" it the overweight. I should not have to spend a penny because as someone else is too fat for their seat
No one can help their height or age but we all have the ability to take steps not to become & remain overweight to the extent that we will need to use seating paid for by another.
You don't like my "delivery" I don't like your attitude, which basically is, as there are huge travellers that demand to use cheap economy cabins, get used to having your seat used by another or pay extra, That is ridiculous, you are attempting to put the responsibility on other people.
You never agree that the present situation is unpleasant, unfair & on a very long flight, detrimental to health but you do take the time to complain at my delivery.
A final thought re asshole drivers, you seem to want folk to ignore their dangerous habits as it's pointless discussing them?
Please stop attempting to shift the fault from enormous folks onto innocent travellers.

 

I've been wondering how long it would take for you to play the "fat" card. FWIW, I'm 6'6" and 352lbs...16% body fat. Yes, i'm a large human, always have been. But to assume one is fat/overweight because they are this size and need to "take steps" to change is a big mistake. I've said it before, and will say it again: GFY. I truly hope we have ether chance to meet someday.

 

What if someone had broad shoulders and that reaches over. What if someone hoards the armrest? Packs to much crap in their "personal item" and stuffs it under your seat too. I would assume a majority of the people ( overweight or not) traveling have no care for the person in the seat next to them in front of them, behind them, etc. The seats are tiny on coach airplanes now. I would say its less comfortable then bus travel. Those charter bus seats are nice.

I don't know anyone that looks forward to flying coach. Its just a cheap quick way to get from point A to point B. Looking at it any other way is foolish.

 

6'0" 320# here (I love my cheeseburgers and pizzas)...

When I travel Southwest (like I do most often) I always buy the Customer of Size seat, then I always get the refund. Its never been denied, even on oversold flights.

If you don't buy the Customer of Size seat in advance but feel that you want an extra, empty seat next to you because of your size, you can ask the gate agent and s/he may give you the extra seat at his/her discretion. Always "no" if its a full flight (which is why they want you to buy it in advance) but it also opens up the gate agent to do a seven-second profile before rendering a verdict. I pass on that completely by buying the extra ticket.

Also, Customers of Size are allowed the preboard to assure that two seats together are available. Now in theory, they could board after the "A" group and still get two seats together, but that is the reason behind it.

My worst experience as a big guy was my worst travel nightmare. I bought a super-cheap RT from Chicago to LV over Super Bowl weekend in 2015 (about $140 RT which included the additional cost for larger seats). Unfortunately, a blizzard in Chicago cancelled my flight, but my wife and I were given the last two available seats on a flight to Washington DC (with a later flight into Chicago). Since they were the last two seats, the larger seats were not available. I was stuck in the last row of the plane, in the middle, on a redeye. I couldn't recline, stretch or anything. The guy at the window had already staked claim to the armrest, and I allowed my wife (on the aisle) the other armrest. Most miserable five hours of my life.

Point is, I always try to pay extra to accomodate my size regardless of airline. Subpoint is that sometimes even the best laid plans go awry and being a big guy in regular coach seating is brutal. Only assholes have an expectation of being a big guy and still getting to stretch out as much as they want.

ETA - why is my word p/i/z/z/a blocked out above? Is it offensive to vegetables?

 

First thing you have written that I can agree with I too would like a face to face meeting. I try never to post anything I would not say to another person's face. Shame that's not true for everyone.You seem quick to yell GFY & other insults but take offence at a generic term for the overweight obese traveller,
If you read what I said, it was, we have the ability to take steps, never said "need to" did I? Get it right!
Small point You wrote "16% body fat" Not 16% body large or body big. So fat is not a dirty word, it's a medical term we can both use
What I said was, certain factors are beyond control, weight is not part of that, it is in our control. It's certainly our choice whether to travel on a plane knowing full well we cannot fit our "large " butt into the small seat.
Your problem is, you flat out refuse to accept that by travelling economy, for whatever reason, that you personally make someone else's trip very unpleasant You sir do not have a right to do that.
You are willing to say & do anything to deflect the blame onto anyone anything else. You are the problem. When anyone complains, you rush to put forth totally spurious arguments as to why it's not your fault or responsibility, You just won't accept you are wrong
How would you feel if a taller, heavier person sat down next to & on top of you? Come on let's understand how you would appreciate having a bigger inconsiderate traveller imposing on you for hours on end. A person who is absolutely unwilling to listen to your problem. I wonder if you would be yelling GFY face to face to a larger person.