# Airline passenger's blog rant goes viral. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 1, 2014, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650 "2014-01-01T19:06:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/1 "2014-01-01T19:06:55Z")
😛 Epic rant. I’ve been there and smelt that myself. Theres nothing quite like a multi hour flight with screaming kids or sweaty passengers. btw did you see the news last month that [airlines are making the seats smaller](http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2013/10/15/new-seats-let-airlines-squeeze-in-more-passengers/2986215/)? Oh joy. Just what we needed. > **[Airline passenger’s complaint about having to sit next to obese man](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2531797/Airline-passenger-complaint-having-sit-obese-man.html)** > > Traveller Rich Wisken wrote on a blog that he paid an extra $A25 (£13.50) for an exit row seat, but found himself seated beside an obese man on an Australian flight. Just a small sample of this guys rant. 😃 > [@](#): > > As I boarded the plane, I mentally high-fived myself for paying the additional $25 for an emergency seat. I was imagining all that extra room, when I was suddenly distracted by what appeared to be an infant hippopotamus located halfway down the aisle. > > As I got closer, I was relieved to see that it wasn’t a dangerous semi-aquatic African mammal, but a morbidly obese human being. However, this relief was short-lived when I realised that my seat was located somewhere underneath him. > > Soon after I managed to burrow into my seat, I caught what was to be the first of numerous fetid whiffs of body odour. His scent possessed hints of blue cheese and Mumbai slum, with nuances of sweaty flesh and human faeces sprayed with cologne - Eau No. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/2 "2014-01-01T19:45:53Z")
What the fuck? Reading the snippet you quoted, my first reaction was to think about what a huge asshole that ranter is. There’s a difference between ranting about the many ways airlines are fucking passengers over and making flying a miserable experience without giving a single fuck … And ranting about a passenger who is just as screwed over by the airlines as he is. Especially when a good portion of his assholishness is “applicable” (sarcasm quotes most definitely intended) to fat/obese people in general. He called the passenger “the beast” and “Jabba the Hut” and ‘mistook’ him for a hippopotamus, for fuck’s sake! It’s quite possible the passenger should have had (and paid for) two seats. The ranter should have focused on that specifically instead of how inhuman and disgusting the passenger was. Fuck, can you imagine how that guy would feel if he read this (and since it found its way into the Daily fucking Fail, don’t pretend like that’s an absurd possibility)? Anything else I could say, including my opinion of your post and attitude, OP, would be only Pit appropriate, so I’ll stop here. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/3 "2014-01-01T20:07:17Z")
The evil people here are the greedy airlines that keep shrinking seat sizes. Despite knowing that the average person today is heavier and bigger than they were even 25 years ago. The blogger was just venting. No names were given or flight numbers. It’s extremely unlikely the obese passenger would ever be identified. We don’t even know if the rant was directed at a specific person. This guy seems to fly a lot. He my have created a composite character based on many uncomfortable flights. It’s a rant. The guys pent up anger and frustration is what makes it funny. I’m laughing at the blogger. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/4 "2014-01-01T21:36:44Z")
Seems like there are two issues going on here that the ranter is conflating. 1. Fat guy taking up too much space. This could be the guy literally being too big, or it could be the ranter being a bit of a prissy bitch and the fat guy not fitting totally within the confines of the tight-for-1940-people seats on airliners these days. 2. Less than optimal hygiene on the part of the fat guy. This doesn’t usually have anything to do with being obese, unless you’re SO obese that you can’t handle washing. I’m considered obese, and it’s not difficult at all to take a shower and wash every square inch of my body with plenty of soap and water. Being fat != bad hygiene, and bad hygiene != fat. That’s a misconception and negative stereotype that needs to go away. Sure there are people who are morbidly obese and who have bad hygiene, but they’re few and far between in my experience. ---
**Author:** ![Jesse\_Pinkman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@Jesse\_Pinkman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jesse_Pinkman)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/5 "2014-01-01T21:44:32Z")
> [@zweisamkeit](#): > > Fuck, can you imagine how that guy would feel if he read this Hopefully, motivated to lose weight and take a shower. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/6 "2014-01-01T21:58:44Z")
I was going to comment on a similar experience to the ranter’s but then I watched a video on that site that said “not for the squeamish” so instead I think I will just go vomit whilst suffering from terminal heebie-jeebies. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Vorlon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@The\_Vorlon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Vorlon)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/7 "2014-01-01T22:01:29Z")
How about this: make the dammed seat fit the average person? If they want more seats on a plane, add length or make the dammed things wider. There are few past puberty that can comfortably fit in a 17 inch wide seats. Oh, and make the FAA recert the planes with more seats–good luck extracting the extra cattle in case of evacuation. And the airlines wonder why peoples driving range now extends 1000 miles… ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/8 "2014-01-01T22:25:01Z")
I always want the Hygiene Fairy to come out, all smiles and light, waving her finger under the guy’s nose and saying “Oh no no no! We can’t have you on our airplane smelling like that! There are showers and laundry facilities on the other side of the airport. Now run along you big scamp! You should be clean enough for the next flight!” ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/9 "2014-01-01T22:48:02Z")
They should pull stinky people out of the security check-in line and hose them down. They have machines that can sniff out bombs. It’s shouldn’t be that much harder to make a machine that sniffs out funk. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/10 "2014-01-01T23:07:34Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > I always want the Hygiene Fairy to come out, all smiles and light, waving her finger under the guy’s nose and saying “Oh no no no! We can’t have you on our airplane smelling like that! There are showers and laundry facilities on the other side of the airport. Now run along you big scamp! You should be clean enough for the next flight!” Can we include those skinny assholes who smoke & try to cover up the stench with cheap deodorant and chewing gum? 'Cause then I’ll contribute to have said Hygiene Fairy transported to our plane of existence. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/11 "2014-01-01T23:09:49Z")
Welcome to 2014. Same as it ever was… ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/12 "2014-01-01T23:11:44Z")
> [@zweisamkeit](#): > > And ranting about a passenger who is just as screwed over by the airlines as he is. In what way was the morbidly obese passenger screwed over by the airline? ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/13 "2014-01-01T23:12:22Z")
And the FashionVictims who drench in an overpowering scent thinking we all like their choice of venomous brew? Migraine time. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/14 "2014-01-01T23:19:05Z")
> [@Jesse\_Pinkman](#): > > Hopefully, motivated to lose weight and take a shower. And you wonder why people react to you the way they do. Not enough :rolleyes:'s Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/15 "2014-01-01T23:24:42Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > In what way was the morbidly obese passenger screwed over by the airline? They gave him a seat next to a massive asshole? ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/16 "2014-01-01T23:27:36Z")
“Eau no” HAAAA! Haha! Ok, that really killed me. I gotta go read this rant. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/17 "2014-01-01T23:30:08Z")
> [@The\_Vorlon](#): > > How about this: make the dammed seat fit the average person? Average people do fit into airline seats. I’m 6’1" 205 and I’ve not come across an airline seat that I don’t fit. The gentlemen photographed in the article is well above average, and the airlines would have to take out half the seats in the plane to make seats that accommodate him. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/18 "2014-01-01T23:34:10Z")
Why exactly was this reported as news? I know it’s the Daily Mail, but still. The letter he wrote was what I’d consider a high-quality Pit rant. It wasn’t kind or accurate, but it was just his way of releasing anger. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/19 "2014-01-01T23:34:44Z")
In the US at least, persons seated in the exit row are supposed to be willing and capable of assisting in the event of an emergency. That includes opening and moving the exit door, which weighs about fifty pounds. Would the large passenger be capable of doing so? Would he be able to get out via the window exit door? ---
**Author:** ![Cerealbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Cerealbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerealbox)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/20 "2014-01-01T23:37:48Z")
> [@Octarine](#): > > Why exactly was this reported as news? I know it’s the Daily Mail, but still. The letter he wrote was what I’d consider a high-quality Pit rant. It wasn’t kind or accurate, but it was just his way of releasing anger. The same reason the news reads off celebrity tweets and their facebook comments. To cynically make money. At any rate, it’s a funny and entertaining blog post, but I don’t really see the big deal. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650.md?page=2)