Canadian carriers cram to obey obesity ruling

Amen.  I am sorry you have to fly a lot.  I tired of it years ago and have sworn off it for everything but death in the family type stuff.  And now, with this crap, we will have one more thing to hate about it.  I'm glad I don't live in Canada (for this reason only!) and hope this does not spread to the USA.  The airlines should tell the govmint to stick it and if they don't like it they can start their own damn airline!

You are SO totally misguided.  Please never run for public office.

I cannot agree with you enough! 

I totally agree with you Susan.  I resent the fact that obese people are considered disabled.  What do you think truly disabled people think about all of this?  I always wonder what people, who are legitamately wheelchair bound think when someone gets on their battery operated cart at the store just because they are lazy.  If you take up more than one seat, you should pay for more than one seat.  I am thin because I work out everyday and eat the proper foods.  I am sick of even looking at obese people and paying high insurance premiums because they have no self control.

I agree too!  I remember when I was child that the "fat" girl in our class would be nothing but normal now and I am not that old!   I'm a mom with 2 kids and even without dieting and extreme exercise I maintain a very decent weight.  It's called "getting off your duff" and doing something!  For most women now, just doing a GOOD housecleaning would work off enough calories but all you have to do today is look at most houses and see that the woman isn't doing the cleaning or other chores.   The same for men though.  It would kill most men to have to push mow their own lawns!  It's the sedetary lifestyle that Westerners have become too accustomed to. 

I also want to make a point that it also has nothing to do with income!  It used to be that the poor couldn't afford alot of food and they were THIN!  Now, thanks to our "socialist" programs, low-income people can sit on their bottoms AND buy junk food with our tax dollars.  It doesn't take a scientist to figure this out, just go to your local Wal-Mart or grocery store and watch what those on assistance buy!  Junk food, processed foods, and high fat foods.  It makes me sick to watch so extremely obese person check out with a cart full of this stuff and then try to play the pity game because the are TOO FAT to work!  If they worked, they wouldn't be so fat or so careless with everyone else's tax dollar.

The airlines do NOT owe fat people a free fare for someone to accompany them!  If they got themselves into that situation, they should face the consequences!  It is NOT the same as being truly disabled!   It is because we are accomodating them and ALLOWING them to be this way that they demand even more special treatment.  Obese people cost the rest of society enough as it is with high health care costs and insurance costs due to the high numbers of obese people.  FACT!  To go back to my earlier point regarding income, it's not they low income people are fat due to lack of money.  It is due to the choices they make and the mindset that they have that everyone "owes" them something and they KNOW that they don't have to be responsible for themselves.  It's these bad attitudes that points them in the low-income position!  The rest of us make choices to WORK and maybe even at a job we don't like, just to make ends meet until we can get a better one instead of just quitting every time we don't like something!   The rest of us chose not to overeat or eat too much junk!  It all boils down to personal responsibility which we have been brainwashed into thinking isn't important anymore.  That's what is causing all the economic problems now, too many people NOT being responsible for themselves and expecting others to take care of them. 

I do agree with Susan for the most part, I believe that obesity is self-induced to an extent. I think the person is mostly at fault, but I think that others can be blamed also. One thing that comes to my mind is the lack of education that some people have about obesity. Some people simply are not educated enough. Doctors should try to educate their patients about obesity and how to help prevent it. Another thing that comes to mind is fast-food. Fast-food should be a lot healthier than what it is. All fast-food restaurants should be required by law to offer healthier foods. Another thing to blame is medications that some people are on. Some medications can increase weight gain and some of those people really struggle with maintaining a healthy weight.

On the flip side, some people are lazy these days. Technology (video games, television, internet) can be blamed for this, but the person does have a choice too. They can choose whether to exercise or spend time behind a computer or TV screen. Technology is not a bad thing by any means, but like anything, it should be used in moderation. It's just like certain foods should be used in moderation.

Obviously,  Susan has been blessed by good health.  Thank God for it.  Walk a mile in someone elses shoes before making such sweeping judgements...

  Try going on years of steroids for chronic lung disease...(and no...I have never smoked a day in my life) see how far your precious self dicipline will get you when you can barely walk because the steroids have attacked your joints!   If I could BREATHE, a long walk would sound LOVELY!

I used to be a cross country runner!

Those stickers are so easily obtained it would lead to certain abuse. Just for fun, go to a Wal-Mart on Saturday and look at the people who park in the handicap spots. Most of them will get out right of their car and walk right into the store with a normal gait. Then explain to me how they got that sticker.

As appropriate as this sounds, the problem is the court has rendered this option unavailable....so the airlines need a solution.

I think they should work by a set of rules:

   - if you are disabled, you need to be able to prove it - certificate via doctor

   - if your disability requires you take 2 adjacent seats, you must declare it during ticketing prior to paying - the airlines should not have to re-arrange the flight for you at the gate

   -  if I were an airline, I would find a location on the aircraft where the impact of this would be minimal - such as in the rear or in a location where there are two only and block that location for disabled until flight time.  Then if you are certified and identify in advance, you can get assigned this spot.  It should be convertable to comfortably seat either 1 or two people.  Yes, there may be more than one big person - but if they identify and they certify, then I think the airlines can figure it out........

How do you define "fit"? If I want to lay down and sleep I will certainly not "fit" in just one seat! Even if I agree to sit upright, my body may still touch against the armrests on either side causing me discomfort. Whose job will it be to determine if I "fit"? Go back to the drawing board with your "idea"...

No exceptions. If you can't fit in one seat you must buy two. If a second seat is not available you get bumped to a flight that has seats. I'm obese but some of us cows need a seat belt extension they are so big. They can barely get it to lock with the extension. This is just a bunch of cry babies yelling poor me! Life is not fair. Never was and never will be. You need two seats you must buy two seats. There is plenty of room on AMTRAK.

Either that or I am crammed into a seat next to someone twice my size.  I am not skinny by any means but I have had many flights where I am slammed next to someone that should have had two seats and I am punished by having to sit upright, forced forward or into the window and no armrests because I am next to someone that takes up two seats.  The arrangements should be made to accomodate the space needed so other passengers and the one in need, are not all stuck ontop of each other.  I hate paying $700 a ticket and I can not move.

Thanks for the replies, my point for coming up with that sceneiro was to show the difficult decisions you are putting airlines in.  Which customer do they allienate?  How would they decide priority?  What will this do to the customer market for the airlines?  This can leave a lot of unhappy consumers which is bad for any economy.  Also what about the lost revenue for that seat that could occupy two people at full price but is only seating one of the price of one.  The would cause airlines to increase their rates cause of the money they could potential lose in that situation.

Agree with you totally.  Have had to sit next to some of these cows and fight for every inch of space.

Right on. I fly often and am the at the highest elite status with my airline of choice.  Why should someone who doesn't run 4 times a week like me and eat normally get upgraded to first class before me?  Why should they spill into a quarter of my seat that I paid for? Why should I have their body pushed up against mine because they can't get the armrest down?  If they go to McDonald's they dont' get 2 burgers for the price of 1 because they need more to eat than I do.  It's like the movies, if noone is next to you, you can spread out and relax.  If someone is next to you, you can't!

I agree.  The fat people have to pay for more food to make them fat, then they should have to pay for mare seats if they need them.  Why should us with control have to pay more for their lack of control.  If they get two seats for the price of One.  We will all just have to pay more for our tickets that we buy.

I am with ya!  I am no skinny woman.  I take up one seat but I have flown where someone next to me did.  I was ticked off because I was sitting under this guy.  Why should I have to be in that situation...or him??  By no means am I dogging people with weight, but the rule should be pay for what you get, myself included.  I am not needing two seats but if I did I would pay for them.

I couldn't agree more!  I have kids and I too could hold my daughter on my lap easily but I would be required to buy 2 tickets.   And what's even funny is that both of us combined wouldn't  "spill" over like alot of obese people.  We need to quit making it easy for people to be irresponsible and not take care of themselves.  We already pay more for medical care and insurance due to the high number of obese people.   Hospitals are having to buy larger operating tables and beds for rooms!  That costs everyone and is NOT fair.

It's only a matter of time before fist fights break out on commercial airliners. I can guarantee you that person behind me would have broken legs before I would refuse to recline my seat. I would start by politely explaining that she needed to sit more upright with her pelvis fully pressed against the back of her seat. Could her femurs really be that long? If so, she should have requested the seat directly behind the galley, where there is no seat in front of you. Please, she was just taking advantage of you for the sake of her own comfort. This is about the equivalent to road rage, and I would be fully smitten!

what a great idea!  i also think these larger seats should cost a little more, too, since they're taking up more room.  then it would still fall under the canadian government's policy of one person, one seat!!

Airlines already have this, it is called First or Business class!

The abuse factor for this is exponential. It costs about $20 to get a doctor in California to declare some one handicap. I know we're talking Canada, but they're govt just doesn't have the man-power for oversight. Bring it here and it will be out of control...everyone will be medically obese

Don't worry - your second happy meal at mickey dee's will not cost you anything! Since you're on the public dole, the taxpayers will be happy to let you inhale another quarter pounder or two! Hooray, Socialism!

PLEASE - get a team of lawyers and sue those bastards! This is an absolute travesty! You must be a very mild-mannered person to put up with this crap!