Fat War Wages On in the Skies

(CBS)  The debate about treatment of overweight passengers has flared once again -- ever since movie director and actor Kevin Smith was thrown off a Southwest Airlines flight over the weekend because he was -- in his words -- "too fat to fly."

Southwest later apologized and gave him a refund, but Smith is still talking about it, releasing on his Webcast Wednesday more vitriol aimed at the airline.

Although he claims he was able to fit within the required 17 inches of the two arm rests of his seat, he says he was told he "needed more than one seat to complete his flight" and was taken off the plane.

In his Webcast, Smith says, "The employees can make the decision that you're too fat to fly, or that you need more than one seat to fly Southwest Airlines."

According to a Southwest statement on its Web site, the airline says it tries to convey the "sensitive" message with "discretion."

But Smith says passengers shouldn't have to be put through that treatment.

"Folks don't do it to yourself," he told his Webcast viewers. "Just think twice before you choose a carrier, choose someone who doesn't come up to you and tell you you're fat."

"The Early Show" reached out to Southwest Airlines, but they did not return our calls.

Golda Poretsky, a blogger and activist on weight issues, said on "The Early Show" she hasn't been asked not to fly, but she says it's happened to her friends.

"It's a fear I have when I fly," she said.

"Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith who interviewed Poretsky while sitting in standard 17-inch airline-sized seats, pointed out they don't seem comfortable for anyone.

"I'm 6'2", 225 (pounds), and I don't really fit in a seat like this," Smith said.

"Early Show" weather anchor and features reporter Dave Price said he's been on both sides of the equation with flying, saying that he was morbidly obese for a long part of his adult life.

"Keep this in mind," he said, "Do we have laws if you're too tall to fly? ... Do we have rules if you're too buxom to fly? If you've worked out too much and you have a thin waist and a big top? There's a stigma that's taking place here and for a lot of people who are challenged like this."

Poretsky, who said she isn't comfortable in airline seats, said she can make it through a flight. However, she said the overarching point is that no one is comfortable in airline seats -- no matter their weight or size.

Price agreed, saying "We pack more seats into coach than ever before. We've eliminated leg room. We have rows of seats right up at the exit at this point. No one has made a stink about that. My point is that it is uncomfortable for many people to fly."

Poretsky said the incident with Smith wasn't fair "on any level."

She said, "They were not adhering to their own policy which says if the arm rests are down, you're okay to fly. And according to Kevin Smith, he had his arm rests down. But I think, also, it's just an unfair policy we see again and again that it's a subjective determination."

To Poretsky, it's a matter of making scapegoats out of heavy people.

She said, "It's not fair to pick one group and say that you're reason that everyone's uncomfortable, when the reality is we're all uncomfortable."

[thundersnail]

The shear apathy and schoolyard bully mentality of the majority of those who responded to this article is pathetic, and downright scary if it is any sign of the proportional view of the population. It seems that difficult political and economic times have pushed peoples' levels of frustration to the point where adults consider it to be acceptable to discriminate against people because of size. Would it be so horrible if we all took a step back and looked at this situation? First off, yes, most adults are uncomfortable in coach seats. Moreover, only the smallest frame people can actually fit completely in one coach seat without their shoulders or any other part of their body encroaching into the seats next to them. Remember, this is PUBLIC transportation. What if I were to submit the theory that if you are too uptight, snobbish, and elitist to deal with the fact that there are people who are larger than the parameters of a standard coach seat, then THESE PEOPLE should either fly business/first class, purchase two seats, or arrange for their own private transportation? I say this because I believe Southwest's policy to be the start of a slippery slope, and that it is wrong for those who are not overweight to judge the situation of someone who is. It is not as easy as snapping your finger to change one's size; there is a multitude of circumstances that determine one's size, including heredity, individual metabolic rates, and yes, lifestyle. I am not in any way defending or promoting a lifestyle of sitting on the sofa playing video games all day and eating nothing but fast food and the like. But for heavens sake, can't we all be civilized enough to not sound like schoolyard bullies who take their own frustrations out by tormenting those who they deem to be inferior because of some physical characteristic?

[pgelisa]

I am not little and skinny (5'3 135 lbs.) I find it very unfair for me to have to sit next to someone who takes up their entire seat and a fourth of mine. If you take up more room than required, fly first class, or business, or buy two seats. I would never steal someone elses lunch, why would I feel comfortable stealing their seat. I certainly do not expect someone to steal part of seat I have paid for.

[francescopa]

I don`t want to share my sit with anybady.About putting them in the cargo area?

[Lisacaff]

Golda is encroaching on the other two seats via her upper torso. Notice that she has taken over both armrests, and the guy on the left is leaning away from her because her body from the waist up is spilling over. While she may feel it is fine to do so, I would not like sitting next to her shoulder-to-shoulder and I would complain especially if it were a long flight. Good for her if she flies like that and makes others uncomfortable.

[P0ST1ING_AWAY]

by Celtic_Bear February 18, 2010 4:57 PM EST
After hearing about what happened to Kevin Smith on Southwest I called them because my wife, boy and I were scheduled to go see my folks in Marlton, NJ. We were going to fly from Houston to Philly...........
............................................................................

As sad as your story is ......
What about Eat Less .... Get More Exercise.
You will feel better and live longer.

[Celtic_Bear]

I am 6'8" and my wife has a thyroid disorder. But thanks for your Christian love for your fellows.

[Celtic_Bear]

After hearing about what happened to Kevin Smith on Southwest I called them because my wife, boy and I were scheduled to go see my folks in Marlton, NJ. We were going to fly from Houston to Philly, round trip. I told them that my wife and I were both large sized folk, and long story short they would NOT let me give her my ticket so she could go with just the boy. I had to sell them back my low fare ticket and buy a high fare ticket because we didn't get her two seats to begin with, even though we?ve had THREE SEATS BOOKED SINCE LAST FALL. As a result, I will not be able to go with them when they go see my folks this Spring.

I feel I?ve been truly discriminated against for the first time in my life. I feel angry, ashamed, and, above all, powerless. This is the worst feeling in the universe.

[amyrb]

If a fellow passenger is tall or buxom, while they may be uncomfortable, they are not sharing my seat with me. I do not appreciate being squished for 5 hours by a large person. Obese people act as if their situation is out of their control, as if it is something such as cancer. If I were seated next to someone who is suffering from a disease, and it somehow affected my comfort on a flight, I would only feel compassion for that person, however, when it is because of lifestyle, and choices, it is not acceptable!

[ljburch-2009]

Your reporting was very one-sided. Yes, everyone has the right to fly, no matter their weight, but you failed to address the rights of other passengers. When you have paid for a seat you have a right to sole use of that seat for the duration of the flight, not have to share a portion of your seat with the person next to you.

The armrest rule is ridiculous. Overweight passengers can manuever themselves to get that armrest down and still encroach on the seats next to them by several inches. When you pay for an airline ticket you should not have to sit sideways or lean into the aisle to compensate for the person next to you.

This is not discrimation against overweight people. This is the airlines attempts to protect the rights of all paying customers. As a person who flys 200 segments a year, I fully agree with and support this rule.

[pragmatist1]

I'm just as outraged over whining screaming or ill-bred kids being allowed to be on the same plane as I. Same for people with hygiene problems. Let's accept the fact that the airlines cram as many people onto their flights by using narrow, uncomfortable seating, even for those that aren't considered obese or plus-sized.

[suebee64]

Don't thin people have a right to their seat, too. I find I have plenty of room in a airline seat if I'm the only one sitting in it. It's really unpleasant to have someone overflow on you during a flight. Maybe the seats should be made larger, but in the meantime don't be surprised if the rest of us don't appreciate sharing our seat with you.