"Fat tax": Do you think obese people should pay for 2 seats while travelling?

Question

My tutor at college told us this would be our discussion for the morning, and we had to give for and against points... so I'm after other peoples opinions.

Say if an obese person travels on a plane, and they're taking up half of the next seat beside them because of their weight, do you believe they should pay for both of those seats, which they are essentionally using?

I personally think yes. I can understand how it might be seen as discrimination and I don't like anyone to feel like they're are personally targeted... But why should that person sitting next to them, have to pay the price for a whole seat, when they only get half of it and are in uncomfortable conditions during the whole flight. Some may say "But it may not be there fault, they might have medical/health conditions", which i completely understand, but then again, it wouldn't be the person they're sitting next to's fault either.

What are your views?

PS- when I said "fat tax", that wasn't made up by me and i wasn't being snide...

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en-us&q=fat+tax&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Answer 1

I am a fat person & I agree with you. If you take up 2 seats then you should pay for 2 seats. I'm sure some people would say the airlines should provide larger seats but that's just ridiculous! Should we just keep making things bigger in order to make fat people feel ok about themselves? No! Being fat is a health hazard, there's no arguement about it. Rather than complaining fat people should do something positive & lose weight. Hospitals here in the UK are having to spend much needed cash on buying bigger beds, stronger lifting equipment, wider mortuary drawers & reinforced ambulances. Obesity related illnesses cost the NHS millions. That money would be better spent on real sick people or better pay for nurses.
We shouldn't pander to this problem. It is NOT ok to be fat, it is unhealthy, why do so many fat people resist this idea? If we keep making things bigger then people will just continue to get bigger!

Answer 2

But will the person seated next to them receive a discount? what if they are seated in a middle seat. They overflow into a seat on each side. How would that be handled? I have been penalized by having to sit next to a broad person. Some athletes are also broad. They will also cause an issue. Is there really a fair way to do this?

My opinion is, yes, anyone who exceeds the standard width should pay more. That would have to be identified when they check in. They may not realize that they are too wide until then. What if they refuse to pay more? Would they get a refund? Should this be treated like someone with luggage that exceeds the weight that is permitted?

There are SO many associated issues. Why should they have to pay a premium price for a standard size car, when a slimmer person pays less for a compact? Should the government subsidize their car purchase?

How about a physically disabled person who needs hand controls? Should government subsidize that purchase?

Sorry for going off on so many tangents. This issues is much more complex than airline tickets.

Answer 3

I have actually read an article relating to this at one point in time. It's a problem because yes, there are people out there who do take up more than one seat.

I was on a crowded train to New York to visit my boyfriend, and the announcer came on and specifically told us that if we were taking up more than one seat (as I was, but, I was laying down all comfy like ;D), we'd be charged for it.

I myself am not skinny but I am not obese either. I can fit into a plane or train or bus seat fine, but I have seen people (mostly on the bus / subway) who cannot.

Most people would consider it discrimination, so I'm not too sure that it would be put into effect... however, you do make a valid argument when you mentioned the situation where two people had purchased a seat beside each other, and one person took up half of the other's. I would be furious if I was forced to sit cramped next to someone and paid full price.

But you can't force someone to automatically change their weight given the situation. I think that a fat tax would make people who have the problem of being obese want to travel less because of their appearance.

And it would also force the airlines to check the weight of their passengers before they made seating arrangements. It would be too much of a hassle.

Answer 4

If they are actually taking up more than one seat, then yes, they need to pay for what they are using. However, there are a lot of fat-haters out there who would complain about sitting next to a large person just because they were large, even if they were completely within the confines of their own seat.

Last summer I sat next to a tall, thin person on a plane all the way to Tokyo who used most of the area where my legs and feet are supposed to be for his own. While I can appreciate that the airlines are cramming more and more seats into planes, and thus it is difficult for a tall or larger person to fit into the space, this was horribly uncomfortable for me - I didn't know where to put my own feet and legs, which were crammed into a corner. No one has suggested that tall people pay anything extra!

And what about the person (I get one of these every couple of flights) who sets up a laptop and sits, elbows out and poking into my shoulders regularly (I'm short), typing away? Or the person whose baby cries the whole redeye flight and keeps me from sleeping before my meeting? Or the passenger who has not bathed recently? Overall, I would say that unless you are so large that you cannot fit into the seat without raising the armrest and clearly lapping over into the other seat, they should not charge extra. Dealing with the inconveniences posed by traveling with the public is just a fact of life. If you are lucky, you get a good, comfortable seat. If not, it is just one of those things that happen.

Also, at what point would they charge more? If it is based on weight, it would penalize body builders who can easily fit into the seat because of the weight of their muscle. If size, then would you charge someone with a huge bust or stomach, which clearly wouldn't take up room in another person's seat, as much as someone with wide hips, which would? And since people's body types differ and they gain weight differently, wouldn't that be discriminatory (yes, I know it isn't a type of discrimination that would fall within legal categories, but it seems unfair nonetheless)?

Finally, this whole issue is basically the airlines' fault, so why should they be the ones to profit? As people in generally have become larger, their seats have become smaller and smaller. Then they want to charge us extra for not fitting into the seats that they already shrank in order to make more money? I don't think so!

Answer 5

If they cannot fit all their fat in one seat, then they should have to pay for two. It is unfair to the average sized person in the next seat to be cramped up when they paid for one whole seat. It comes down to who is going to discriminated against: the average or thin person who has worked hard to keep themselves fit and has paid for one whole seat, or the fat person who has done nothing to keep themselves in shape and blames anything or anyone else for their obesity? The fat person, by the way, also paid for ONE whole seat.

I understand that there are people who have diseases and conditions which make them gain weight, but that still doesn't make it right to punish the average size person who has to sit beside them.

The only other thing would be to require airlines to have several rows of seats that are larger (wider) than the average seat. This will mean fewer seats on the plane which would result in ticket prices going up. Airlines would charge more for the larger seats, too. So, either way, the fat person would be paying more for a seat more proportionate to their obese size.

Answer 6

the issue is has been skewed by the airline industry which has made their living by cramming as many people as they can into the plane. The average airplane seats measure 17.2 to 18 inches across which means anyone with more than a 36" hip is going to be classed as 'overweight'. perhaps your share of the discussion could be the unfairness of the airlines in making areas so small that an average size person is considered to be 'overweight'. it isn't just weight that's the problem its girth and all of it is unfair to everyone but the airlines. also consider the pitch: In first class airplane seats, pitch is seldom an issue. Most have a generous 80-inch (203.2 cm) pitch. On coach or economy class planes, pitch tends to be about 31 inches (78.74 cm). Some companies offer a larger pitch of 33-34 inches (83.82-86.36 cm). Boeing, in fact, has standardized a 33 inch (83.82 cm) pitch for airplane seats in its 777s. Smaller planes are likely to offer the smallest pitch, and international flights the largest pitch. In all, however, pitch is still by many accounts too small, which in turn makes airplane seats feel too small. A person over six feet (1.82 m) tall, with hips wider than 3 feet (.91 m) is likely to feel squeezed both vertically and horizontally on the smallest airplane seats with the smallest pitch. Anyone who has had the experience of having one’s seat kicked by a small child in a seat directly behind one, will also realize that smaller pitch makes this possible.

Answer 7

There is an argument for the airlines increasing seat space here and I would have a preference to that but in the meantime those not fitting the seats will need to pay for bigger seats in business/first or not travel.

I would be livid to get on a flight and find my seat being encroached on by someone else's body in this way. I would definitely complain to the flight attendant and expect to be moved or have the fat person moved where they are not causing a nuisance.

Answer 8

yes, if the vehicle is full.

The fat person taking up 2 seats is preventing a paying customer.

However it should be noted that then the person would have a right to the seat and any amenities that come with it.

If on a plane, for example, he/she should get two bags of peanuts. If the limit is one drink then the overweight person should be allowed 2 (more blood for Alcohol to dissolve in.)

If on a long flight they want two pillows and/or two blankets, well, they paid for them.

Answer 9

Reminds me of that drama "to grow with love" where fat man is in the aisle seat and fat tin is at the window and a guy has to sit between them.

The guy in the middle should of been compensated to have to deal with that.

Its an interesting point you bring up. I've never had a fat person next to me before. I've always had "thyphoid bob" coughing and sneezing. Which I think irritates me more. I would like to see this person denied travel, no tax needed. Drives me crazy.

Answer 10

I was thinking along the line to,"only have small single seats with arm rests" then they would have to stand, but I then realised, not a good idea,because they would block the aisles up.and normal people would not be able to get on or off. So I think they should pay for two seats.