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On An Airplane Next To A Fat Guy

guitardeac said:
I had the middle seat recently with my son in the window seat and a MASSIVE dude in the aisle seat. No way in the world he should have been allowed to buy one seat. 400 lbs plus all day long. I was smushed beyond compare. Anyway, I didn't know what to do so I went up to the front to speak to the flight attendant. I didn't want to hurt the big dude's feelings so I said loud enough to my son "I used to live next door to that flight attendant up there, be right back I'm gonna go speak to her". I just didn't want the dude to know I was going up there to talk about him.

So I did that and the flight attendants said yeah there's no way that guy should be in that seat and a supervisor came aboard the flight and said sir sorry about that I will go pull him off the plane since the plane is full and we can't move him or you. That was all I was looking for - to be able to move. So I told them I just couldn't do that to the guy. SO I was stuck and sat there the whole flight. It was awful.

Ehen the flight ends and its time to get off the plane, the guy says go ahead that he's going to stay there because his wife and daughter are sitting several rows behind us. I couldn't believe it. SO I watch and his wife and 5 year old daughter come up and they get off the plane. I even see them at baggage claim. the daughter was in the middle seat and weighed about 50 lbs.

The dude could have asked me and my son if we wanted to switch with his wife and daughter, or switched with the person sitting in the back next to them. Either way, I wouldn't have been contorted for 3 hours. I was so pissed and mad at myself - once again - for being too damn nice.
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So, do airlines have policies for 400+ to need two seats?
 
61raddeac said:
So, do airlines have policies for 400+ to need two seats?
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They don't explicitly state a weight, but some airlines like SWA (who famously kicked off Kevin Smith a few years ago) have a policy for "overweight". Not sure how they make that determination though.
 
Yeah I was there and I don't think I understood the policy. I really think it's based on the person stuck next to them. If that person says that it is essentially impossible to fly in that seat, then they can complain and the supervisor makes a judgment call based on the eyeball test. that's what it seemed like to me. The supervisor could easily see that it wasn't fair AT ALL to have someone sit next to this fellow and pay airfare to do it. He basically looked at me and said that guy is too big for that seat, so sir it's up to you as far as what you want to do. I don't know what most people would have done in my position, but I just couldn't embarrass they guy like that and I couldn't mess up his trip. But I am "the least likely to have a confrontation" person in the world. I would rather suffer.
 
guitardeac said:
I had the middle seat recently with my son in the window seat and a MASSIVE dude in the aisle seat. No way in the world he should have been allowed to buy one seat. 400 lbs plus all day long. I was smushed beyond compare. Anyway, I didn't know what to do so I went up to the front to speak to the flight attendant. I didn't want to hurt the big dude's feelings so I said loud enough to my son "I used to live next door to that flight attendant up there, be right back I'm gonna go speak to her". I just didn't want the dude to know I was going up there to talk about him.

So I did that and the flight attendants said yeah there's no way that guy should be in that seat and a supervisor came aboard the flight and said sir sorry about that I will go pull him off the plane since the plane is full and we can't move him or you. That was all I was looking for - to be able to move. So I told them I just couldn't do that to the guy. SO I was stuck and sat there the whole flight. It was awful.

Ehen the flight ends and its time to get off the plane, the guy says go ahead that he's going to stay there because his wife and daughter are sitting several rows behind us. I couldn't believe it. SO I watch and his wife and 5 year old daughter come up and they get off the plane. I even see them at baggage claim. the daughter was in the middle seat and weighed about 50 lbs.

The dude could have asked me and my son if we wanted to switch with his wife and daughter, or switched with the person sitting in the back next to them. Either way, I wouldn't have been contorted for 3 hours. I was so pissed and mad at myself - once again - for being too damn nice.
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Lol his family didn't want to sit next to him.
 
BiffTannen said:
Delta makes a guys sit in dogshit and he still comes off sounding like a jerk.

https://nypost.com/2018/11/06/delta-passenger-claims-he-had-to-sit-in-dog-poop-during-flight/

181106-delta-airlines-dog-poop-feature-image.jpg
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They treat us non-Sky Miles common folk like shit.
 
Most airlines say that if you can’t sit with both armrests down then you have to buy two seats. But it’s usually up to their seat mates to make it an issue before anything is done about it.
 
6 hour delay on my flight back from Austin last night, and the cause for the delay...static. I shit you not, they had to de-static the plane before it could arrive from its prior destination. The original 8 PM arrival turned into a 2 am arrival. Also maybe one of the parents here can assist me with this one, but if your 3-4 year old child is crying for a long period of time, why would you just let him keep crying rather than trying to be active about the issue?
 
TimmyClutch said:
6 hour delay on my flight back from Austin last night, and the cause for the delay...static. I shit you not, they had to de-static the plane before it could arrive from its prior destination. The original 8 PM arrival turned into a 2 am arrival. Also maybe one of the parents here can assist me with this one, but if your 3-4 year old child is crying for a long period of time, why would you just let him keep crying rather than trying to be active about the issue?
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yeah, I'm sure the parents were not actively trying to deal with the situation. That's par for the course.
 
What actions do you recommend for the parent to be “active about the issue?”
 
toddlers have almost no capacity for managing their emotions, especially if tired/hungry and given prolonged periods of time where they have no [sense of] control.

lengthy, unplanned delays are the kobayashi maru situation for parents
 
Hey toddler, why not talk your parents into leaving you at home next time ?
 
I'm usually excited when this thread gets bumped. Today I have been disappointed although I did enjoy looking up what kobayahsi maru was
 
06deacon said:
What actions do you recommend for the parent to be “active about the issue?”
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Playing with the child, reading a book, putting a show on the iphone, offering food or juice, attempt to soothe the child? I am sure these are all things that can be be attempted rather than sitting there scrolling facebook waiting for the kid to tire themselves out.

I like to think that there is some social contract on airplanes in that if the parent is actively trying to quiet an upset child, then the other passengers have no right to complain, these things happen, and the parent is attempting to manage the situation, but if the parent is just sitting there letting the tantrum happen, then I am allowed to roll my eyes and gripe about it on online message boards the next day.

I am fully aware that I may be forced to eat crow for this comment in a couple years once I have children.
 
TimmyClutch said:
Playing with the child, reading a book, putting a show on the iphone, offering food or juice, attempt to soothe the child? I am sure these are all things that can be be attempted rather than sitting there scrolling facebook waiting for the kid to tire themselves out.

I like to think that there is some social contract on airplanes in that if the parent is actively trying to quiet an upset child, then the other passengers have no right to complain, these things happen, and the parent is attempting to manage the situation, but if the parent is just sitting there letting the tantrum happen, then I am allowed to roll my eyes and gripe about it on online message boards the next day.

I am fully aware that I may be forced to eat crow for this comment in a couple years once I have children.
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believe me, the parents are doing their very best to keep you comfortable
 
TimmyClutch said:
Playing with the child, reading a book, putting a show on the iphone, offering food or juice, attempt to soothe the child? I am sure these are all things that can be be attempted rather than sitting there scrolling facebook waiting for the kid to tire themselves out.

I like to think that there is some social contract on airplanes in that if the parent is actively trying to quiet an upset child, then the other passengers have no right to complain, these things happen, and the parent is attempting to manage the situation, but if the parent is just sitting there letting the tantrum happen, then I am allowed to roll my eyes and gripe about it on online message boards the next day.

I am fully aware that I may be forced to eat crow for this comment in a couple years once I have children.
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Yeah you will
 
Any airplane social contract was gone long ago. Planes are the People of Walmart of the sky these days.
 
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