# 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:** 2
**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, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/21 "2014-01-01T23:38:47Z")
> [@bump](#): > > 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. But the ranter didn’t imply that all fat people stink, at all. Does ANYONE really believe that? The ranter is saying THIS fat dude stinks. ---
**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, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/22 "2014-01-01T23:40:43Z")
> [@Battle\_Pope](#): > > They gave him a seat next to a massive asshole? In other words: They didn’t. I’m not for public shaming but seriously, if you’re going to make sure you’re clean and smelling good just one day out of the year it should be on the day that you’re going to be taking up three quarters of a row of seats on an airplane. ---
**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, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/23 "2014-01-01T23:41:08Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > And you wonder why people react to you the way they do. > > Not enough :rolleyes:'s > Roddy That was a joke. Sorry if I didn’t make that clearer. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/24 "2014-01-02T00:28:43Z")
> [@treis](#): > > 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. And what do the people sitting in the seats next to you have to say? Back when I was a skinny 5’7" broad and traveled a fair amount, getting stuck next to guys slightly over the normal height of 5’9 or so got uncomfortable. Broad shoulders, taking up the arm rest and slightly over tended to make me have to huddle in my seat unless i wanted to snuggle right up to some stranger. Men are like ice cream cones - you can have your ass fit the seat but your shoulders overlap into my airspace. It would be lovely if we [in general] could figure out how to pressure the airlines into actually installing a sane amount of seats sized to reflect the growing [heh] size of humans in the airplanes for both the safety of evacuation and the comfort of the passengers. I can deal with paying for drinks and snacks, or even entire meals, but I can bring my own goodies. What I can’t do is cram my ass in a smaller and smaller seat with less and less space for my legs and arms. Unless they roll us into cylinders and stack us like cigarettes how the fuck much smaller can they take the space they cram us into? They need to limit the weight of both checked and carry on luggage, make adjustments for the general increase in size and weight of the average passenger and consider not trying to squeeze out every penny for the stockholders while abusing the passengers. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/25 "2014-01-02T01:07:26Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > It would be lovely if we [in general] could figure out how to pressure the airlines into actually installing a sane amount of seats sized to reflect the growing [heh] size of humans in the airplanes for both the safety of evacuation and the comfort of the passengers. [snip] They need to limit the weight of both checked and carry on luggage, make adjustments for the general increase in size and weight of the average passenger and consider not trying to squeeze out every penny for the stockholders while abusing the passengers. Yeah, but are you going to pay for it? In general, the answer is “probably not”. People want cheap flights more than they want big seats or frills. They’re pretty rational to want that; it’s a value choice that most people make and I think they made the right one. If you’re willing to start paying double for a seat, you can probably do quite well for yourself flying. ---
**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 2, 2014, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/26 "2014-01-02T01:29:10Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > In other words: They didn’t. > > I’m not for public shaming but seriously, if you’re going to make sure you’re clean and smelling good just one day out of the year it should be on the day that you’re going to be taking up three quarters of a row of seats on an airplane. Well, we don’t know that. All we have is the story the dickhead posted on his blog. He seemed to be OK using hyperbole reguarding the guys weight, most likely he did the same about the guys odor as well. Perhaps the obese man had paid the extra money to get a seat with a little extra room as well and got stuck next to an intolerant dick for the duration of the flight. ---
**Author:** ![Cerealbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Cerealbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerealbox)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/27 "2014-01-02T01:43:40Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > Yeah, but are you going to pay for it? In general, the answer is “probably not”. People want cheap flights more than they want big seats or frills. They’re pretty rational to want that; it’s a value choice that most people make and I think they made the right one. If you’re willing to start paying double for a seat, you can probably do quite well for yourself flying. Exactly. You can already pay for extra room. And even when they throw in a couple of other perks like getting on the plane first and an extra bag of peanuts, but most people still don’t take that option. I think there’s a disconnect because people don’t understand how expensive air travel actually is. ---
**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 2, 2014, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/28 "2014-01-02T03:25:16Z")
I’m surprised more rants like this aren’t published. Flying has become such a miserable PITA. Starting with the parking, the TSA screening, long waits, and then the cramped airplane seats. I’ve reached a point that I drive if my destination is within 350 miles of my home. I rather spend that 6 hours in my car then waste it at the airport standing in lines and dealing with the TSA. ---
**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 2, 2014, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/29 "2014-01-02T03:27:26Z")
I’m not sure why you’re surprised not to see such rants published; a miserable experience flying has become the norm. ---
**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 2, 2014, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/30 "2014-01-02T03:37:32Z")
I’m old enough to remember when flying was fun. We used to take a shuttle flight from Little Rock to Dallas for a day trip of shopping, sight seeing, and eating. Hit the clubs that night and watch a show. It left very early like 6:30 AM and we got back that night about 11. It was very competitively priced and affordable. No way would anyone do that now. I don’t think the airlines promote those day trips anymore. Flying isn’t supposed to be for fun anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/31 "2014-01-02T04:31:50Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > 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? Excellent questions. There’s a safety issue here. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/32 "2014-01-02T10:32:39Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > Yeah, but are you going to pay for it? In general, the answer is “probably not”. People want cheap flights more than they want big seats or frills. They’re pretty rational to want that; it’s a value choice that most people make and I think they made the right one. If you’re willing to start paying double for a seat, you can probably do quite well for yourself flying. I would be willing to pay another hundred or so for longer flights but if I were willing to pay double I might as well fly business class. Did you see the proposed [‘standing’](http://www.examiner.com/article/stand-up-sky-rider-airplane-seats-use-saddle-style-for-compactness) seating someone came up with? Talk about being crammed in like freaking sardines… for someone with impingements in both hips and erroded sockets these seats would disjoint my hips. Regular seats where I can’t shift around are torture enough. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/33 "2014-01-02T12:54:56Z")
> [@zweisamkeit](#): > > 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)? If reading the blogger’s description of horrid hygiene leads to instant self-recognition, maybe it would be a good thing? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/34 "2014-01-02T13:04:34Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > And you wonder why people react to you the way they do. > > Not enough :rolleyes:'s > Roddy Well I thought it was funny. And true. Since when was being motivated to improve one’s physical condition offensive? Those :rolleyes:s are rolling right back at you. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/35 "2014-01-02T13:12:30Z")
> [@Battle\_Pope](#): > > Well, we don’t know that. All we have is the story the dickhead posted on his blog. He seemed to be OK using hyperbole reguarding the guys weight, most likely he did the same about the guys odor as well. Exactly. If he’s going to compare the guy to a young hippo, I’m going to round down his claims of smell of feces to “maybe a little sweaty.” ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/36 "2014-01-02T13:16:06Z")
> [@The\_Vorlon](#): > > 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… Are they seriously only 17" wide? I’ve got a tape measure right here, and my ass is about 18" across, so it seems I’d have a rather uncomfortable flight. FTR, I’m a 5’11", ~180 pound man. Hardly a behemoth. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/37 "2014-01-02T13:22:12Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Men are like ice cream cones - you can have your ass fit the seat but your shoulders overlap into my airspace. I thought you were going somewhere else entirely with that metaphor, and am disappointed. I am a bad person. But sign me up to the list of people unsurprised by the Daily Mail printing vitriolic rants about, well, [anything](http://www.newstatesman.com/media/2013/12/man-who-hates-liberal-britain). Large salt grains may need to be taken with regard to factual accuracy. ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/38 "2014-01-02T13:54:26Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Are they seriously only 17" wide? The narrowest can actually be LESS than 17" wide (16.8" on some regional jets, I believe). And 18" used to be the standard for economy class seats on long-haul international routes, but many airlines are now reconfiguring those planes for 17" seats in order to cram more seats in. Imagine wedging your 18" butt into a 17" seat for 10+ hours. OUCH! A standard office chair is 20" wide. That’s a first-class seat on a plane. No wonder flying is so uncomfortable! ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/39 "2014-01-02T14:59:58Z")
Plane seats ARE too small, but honestly, many people are also too large. You could give people 20 inches of seat room and some rather large percentage of Americans (and Aussies, English, etc.) would still be encroaching on the “paid for” space of the person next to them. AND many people are also far too intolerant (although the combination of large stranger who you can’t avoid touching because he is taking up some of your eighteen inches WITH poor hygiene or a lot of cologne is pretty much the definition of intolerable for me, add in a poor set of personal boundaries so that he TALKS to me in too personal a manner (e.g. “flirting”) and I generally stage an intolerant rant after exiting the plane as well. The nice thing about the new electronics available on takeoff is that you can establish from the moment you board that you are really into your combination of headphone input and Kindle, rather than having the shield go through a drop in the beginning that encourages impertinence for the duration of the flight). You never need to allocate blame, there is plenty to go around. Many women who fly a lot fly with a large scarf. It can be used for warmth, draped over the head for sleep and can be used to shield - both privacy and smells when wrapped around the face. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650/40 "2014-01-02T15:19:34Z")
Man, I just flew on _Spirit fucking Airlines_, the preferred air carrier of Hell, and the seats were not too narrow. Jesus Christ. Legroom, though, was some serious, \*serious \*bullshit. Holy fuck, my knees touched the seat in front of me the entire time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-passengers-blog-rant-goes-viral/677650.md?page=3)