Fat people have the right to a free 2nd seat: Court

[brendan]

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/obese-have-the-right-to-two-seats-court-20081125-6gn3.html

[bturville]

NO! NO THEY DONT!

Disabled people in a wheelchair of course, but fat people?

[brendan]

The keyword here is FREE. There isn't anything wrong at all with fat people being given 2 seats, but then forcing airlines to charge the exact same price for those requiring only one seat is ludicrous as it is authoritarian.

[enwiabe]

I only agree to that policy if the obese person is obese because of a medical condition. If they've done that to themselves, then they should be charged for the extra seat.

[Voltman]

Why should they get special privileges? They should pay equally like everybody else.

[brendan]

The difference between an individual company policy, and a policy imposed from above by the State and enforced by the State.

I'd have no problems if an individual company did this on their own accord, my problem is with having such a policy imposed on them from above.

[enwiabe]

Equally, in what world does it make sense for such discrimination against a medical condition?

[shonakennedy]

why dont they just make some seats bigger?

[brendan]

Equally, in what world does it make sense for such discrimination against a medical condition?

Regardless, that does not justify any law banning people what prices they may or may not charge.

[hard]

this is ludicrous. Obese people should pay for that extra seat not get it for free. 

[enwiabe]

How is the law NOT justified in the face of such brazen discrimination? I cannot agree with you, simply out of principle.

[brendan]

How is the law NOT justified in the face of such brazen discrimination? I cannot agree with you, simply out of principle.

Because its their business, they can charge whatever they like. If its your business, you should be able to charge whatever prices you like. No one has any moral right to forcibly extract services from people for free.

Furthermore, I think you will see more fat people being refused service outright by certain airlines particularly low cost airlines, quite simply because of the inability to charge more for the added cost.

[bucket]

And how exactly is this helping with the obesity epidemic? They're never going to lose weight now.

[bturville]

Has anybody seen Ricky Gervais' rants about obesity in his standup? (he actually talks about obese people on the planes specifically too). I love him.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/latest/2008/07/15/ricky-gervais-has-dig-at-fat-americans-on-his-us-tour-115875-20644259/

"Gervais joked that obese Americans should have a smaller luggage allowance on flights as it should all be in proportion to their weight."

[brendan]

And how exactly is this helping with the obesity epidemic? They're never going to lose weight now.

ahah interesting point