TOO FAT to fly controversy

[SKY HIGH]

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/05/18/another-too-fat-to-fly-controversy-hits-southwest-airlines/

She and her mother were told by a gate agent they each had to purchase two seats.

“And said that we were, in fact, too fat to fly, without an additional ticket,” Tiggeman said.

Yet, this was a return flight, and they hadn’t been stopped before. The gate agent said it was policy.

“I was asked what size clothes, and how much I weigh. I gave answers in front of a gate full of people, some of whom were snickering,” Tiggeman said.

 

[gizmo_sc]

If anyone saw the news video of this event. The mother was HUGE, I feel sorry for anyone who has to sit beside one of the so called COS ( Customer of Size). In my 2 cents worth, if SWA has this policy about larger folks, there needs to be a HUMAN sizer box in the airport, If you dont fit in the Human sizer box you need to buy that extra seat. If my memory is correct when weight and balance is done on a flight the avg person is 200 lbs. So this blogger was 393 but dropped to 268 so at one point she was TWICE the avg size, but not that she has lost weight she is down to 268 still a rather large lady. SWA needs to enforce the BIG FOLKS RULE if it is going to be company policy. I for one would hate to have to sit beside someone that large for a flight over an hr.

 

[SparrowHawk]

You know it's really quite tragic that folks end up that large. Frankly it breaks my heart because nobody starts out in life saying "When I grow up I want to so large that I am the subject of laughter & ridicule"

5 or 6 years ago I took the family to SFO on holiday. Wonderful time, lovely city. I set it up so we were at the Westin Airport for the last two nights. So anyway the weather was crap so we decided before we went to breakfast to hang out at the hotel for a while. So we go down to breakfast which was an all you can eat buffet. My sister looks at me and whispers, "is it me or are there an awful lot of fat people staying here?" I replied "Yeah, must be a good buffet". End of story or so I thought. So I wander out to the lobby and I see a sign that says, The Westin Welcomes the NAAFA (National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance). So I'm thinking "OK well that explains the buffet" and I go up to change and go poolside. So I hit the pool and take a few laps oblivious as usual to my surroundings and head on over to the whirlpool. I get comfy as I'm the only one in there. Just relaxing and these three ladies come up and say "Mind if we join you?" I said "sure" not even looking up until the third one got in and damned near drowned me as the water rose so fast that a huge amount ended up on the pool deck. Now mind you this was an 8 person unit and three people took up the displacement of 7!!!! They were actually quite charming women save for the fact that there wasn't one of them under 400 pounds in my estimation. Over the next day and a half I saw women in their late 30's & 40's using scooters because they were to big to walk under their own power.

I didn't share this for yucks because there isn't one single thing funny about this. Not counting loss of loved ones and the like it was probably one of the saddest days of my life. These people are 15-25 years younger than me and I'll likely out live them. Which brings me to my point. WN should err on the side of compassion and sensitivity in cases like this one. She had already been boarded on a prior flight as a "regular" passenger and then is told "Oh no you're a person of size". This lady could have done without the questions. Trust me, she knows how big she is. Making her recite the sordid details only humiliates her more.

I'm fine with the policy as written, but somebody needs to make a decision to either enforce it 100% of the time or scrap the policy.