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| Fat people now have to buy 2 tickets...!! |
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| ahmer |
| 06/19/02 at 23:20:17 |
| [slm] my baddd.. i dont intend to make fun of anyone ... but it's hilarious to actually read this..hahahha..lol.... maybe everyone should start posting his/her waist size here..!! lol hahaha.. see who has to pay for 2 seats... i start wid myself... it's only oneeeee!! and by a huge difference..hehe.. (no offense..) [wlm] ahmer Southwest starts enforcing plus-size passenger policy By Christy Oglesby CNN (CNN) --Southwest Airlines says it will begin enforcing a 22-year-old policy next week when it routinely charges large passengers for a second seat on its flights. Starting June 26, Southwest passengers who are booked on full flights and need seat belt extensions, or whose bodies extend beyond the 18 3/4 inch cushions, will be required to purchase a second seat, said Christine Turneabe-Connelly, a Southwest spokeswoman. "It's a policy that has been in place since 1980," Turneabe-Connelly said. "Over the years, we allowed some flexibility with the agents at the time of check-in. As of June 26, we will be consistent." After examining the impact of the policy during the last few years, the airline's managers determined the flexibility created inconsistency and caused more stress for passengers and gate agents than it eliminated, Turneabe-Connelly said. Gate agents might not have asked large passengers to purchase second seats on their outbound, partially-full Wednesday flight, but then those same people would get slammed with an extra fee on the overbooked Friday afternoon return flight. Scenarios like that exacerbated tenuous interactions between employees and "people of size," Turneabe-Connelly said. "It's already a very difficult and sensitive issue to address." All of Southwest's flights offer coach-sized seating. Business and first-class seats do not exist. And the "people of size" policy only applies to full flights where a larger person would not have access to an empty seat. If a larger person required a second seat on an already full flight, then the flight would go into an oversell situation, and the crew would ask for volunteers to give up their seats, Turneabe-Connelly said. The policy does not necessarily mean large people will pay double fares. If a person bought a ticket within the 14-day advance purchase window and knew they needed extra space, then that passenger would buy two tickets at that discounted fee. However, if a person was buying a full-price ticket at the last minute for business or bereavement reasons, one seat would sell for the higher, walk-up fare, and the second one at the 14-day advance purchase price, Turneabe-Connelly said. If a passenger buys a second seat and the plane is subsequently not full, passengers may get a refund. That too, Turneabe-Connelly said, has been the airline's policy since 1980. The policy is really to ensure the comfort of all passengers, said Beth Harbin, a Southwest spokeswoman. Complaints from people of size have been rare, she said. Most complaints have come from people who felt discomforted by sitting next to larger passengers. |
| 06/19/02 at 23:21:06 |
| ahmer |
| Re: Fat people now have to buy 2 tickets...!! |
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| eleanor |
| 06/20/02 at 06:21:30 |
| [slm] (not that I need to buy a second seat but...) if a wheelchair bound person wants to fly, they will be accomodated; then why not a fat person? The onus is on the company to provide safe and comfortable seating for ALL their passengers, and if one passenger weighs over 200 kilos, then in my opinion it is up to the airline to provide a seat which accomodates them. It is neither fair, nor reasonable, to provide seats which only fit "normal" people. I think requiring a fat person to buy a second seat is discrimination of a minority group. wasalaam [] |
| Re: Fat people now have to buy 2 tickets...!! |
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| Kashif |
| 06/20/02 at 06:42:17 |
| assalaamu alaikum I don't agree Eleanor. There is much more leeway to prevent becoming obese as opposed to being disabled. People don't become disabled by choice but being overweight often is. And check out this: "More than 60% of Americans are officially overweight, nearly a quarter are classed as obese, and 5% are "morbidly obese", and thus likely targets of the new policy." http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4444550,00.html] I also read of a place in Mississipi where the average adult weight is 20 stones! My word... that is unbelievable! However, people say this is alot to do with the sitting in front of the TV-fast food culture that has become so much a part of people's lifestyles now. Especially the kids. Obesity & being overweight in kids and young adults will be reaching epidemic levels in Europe if you believe the press. I also personally, don't like the political correctness involved in the issue of obesity. Being obese is one thing, but then you hear people saying that there is no practical difference between being obese and 'normal.' Of course there is. Being obese is very, very bad for your health. Also check this out: "The National Health Service faces costs of up to £16bn over the next decade as a result of increasing obesity and related illnesses, according to research." http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1055000/1055093.stm Kashif Wa Salaam PS. I'm not condoning discrimination of obese people or implying they are inherently good or bad people. |
| NS |
| 06/20/02 at 06:44:26 |
| Kashif |
| Re: Fat people now have to buy 2 tickets...!! |
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| eleanor |
| 06/20/02 at 10:03:01 |
| [slm] I must disagree on one point - if you are a very slim person, eat whatever you want, never do sports, yet still never put on weight - are you slim by choice? I don't think so. I think you are just lucky. Take a person who has a very slow metabolism... leads the same lifestyle as the person above, and turns out to be obese, are they obese by choice? Why? Is it not just a bit unfair? If your body reacts differently to fat and sugar than someone else's then is that by choice? wasalaam eleanor |
| Re: Fat people now have to buy 2 tickets...!! |
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| Barr |
| 06/20/02 at 10:37:30 |
| Assalamu'alaikum :-) [quote]It is neither fair, nor reasonable, to provide seats which only fit "normal" people. [/quote] If I do remember a module on "Human Factors in Design" back at uni, I think airlines, actually, design seats that are supposedly to be suitable for the average Joe and maybe a couple of sizes larger to accomodate for the slightly bigger Joe as well. Ya know.. just in case ;) I also noticed that the spaces between bus seats in the UK are slighly bigger and the bus ceilings are higher in the UK than in Singapore. And I think the human factor is an important component when they design things for public usage. So.. would it be unfair then, to the average European 6 footer who comes to Singapore and finds that he risks bumping his head everytime he's on the double decker? The thing is... they are not be able to accomodate to every Joe especially if he is way beyond the average one. In this case, it must've been a rare thing for a person who is big enough to even occupy 1 and a half seats, especially if airline seats are usually bigger than those in buses or trains. But if 60% of Americans are overweight and 1/4 are obese, and these figures are increasing through time... then I think it's probably fairer that airlines review their seat designs... rather than charge twice the fares. Afterall, the average Joe is growing, and they need to accomodate that. Allahua'lam :-) |
| Re: Fat people now have to buy 2 tickets...!! |
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| Kashif |
| 06/20/02 at 13:55:49 |
| assalaamu alaikum This also reminds me of tarawih a few years ago when masjid at-tawheed was being built. Big brothers would come late and try to squeeze into a space that only half-a-person could fit into. It was really uncomfortable sometimes. And once this bro sat next to me, and when we came to the tashahhud he was virtually sitting ON me. It was like there is Sh. Suhaib, then this big brother and between their shoulders is someone's head popping out. hehe But my funniest memory in the masjid is walking in late into salaah once and seeing the congregation all in sujood. And then all by his own accord one brother gets out of sujood and stands half-up before realising that the imam still hasn't said Allahu-akbar. Kashif Wa Salaam |
| NS |
| Re: Fat people now have to buy 2 tickets...!! |
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| Kathy |
| 06/20/02 at 22:23:43 |
| ...time to go back in the dark ages and get my girdle! :P On the other hand- Ali is skinny and would only take up 1/2 a seat- so he only has to pay half the fare! :-[ Trust me- us fat people feel really bad about spilling over! I do everything I can to avoid it! :'( I have actuallu gotten black and blue from being squeezed in... hmmm... maybe I should sue... :D |
| Re: Fat people now have to buy 2 tickets...!! |
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| siddiqui |
| 06/21/02 at 16:23:14 |
| [slm] hey guys i have started saving money now its quiet expensive to pay for two tickets :) bohooo :'( [wlm] |
| Re: Fat people now have to buy 2 tickets...!! |
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| nouha |
| 06/21/02 at 18:55:27 |
| [slm] i have to agree that it is discrimination.... to women even more so the thing is, when guys gain wieght, they gain a belly so it sticks out, they can still sit on those chairs, when women gain wieght, theygain on their hips, and what about those who are pregnant? or who are skinny yet jus have very mother bearing hips, its not their fault, just liek its not the fault of people who have disabilities. anyway just throwin out my two cents:) wasalam nouha:) |
| Re: Fat people now have to buy 2 tickets...!! |
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| bhaloo |
| 06/21/02 at 22:24:39 |
| [slm] Its outrageous what Southwest Airlines is doing. I was hearing some ways that people suggested that they could accomodate obese people. One was to have a few seats that are wider, maybe 3 or 4 on a plane, and when someone large comes on the plane, they are assigned that seat. That way it saves anyone from being embarassed. |
| Re: Fat people now have to buy 2 tickets...!! |
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| Kathy |
| 07/04/02 at 09:21:32 |
| [slm] Last night I watched "Shallow Hal" ... made me think of this post and it's subject's cheesy laughing smiley.... sigh... Did anyone else see it? and do you think this can really happen in life? |
| 07/04/02 at 09:23:00 |
| Kathy |
| Re: Fat people now have to buy 2 tickets...!! |
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| se7en |
| 07/06/02 at 23:30:38 |
| [quote] Did anyone else see it? and do you think this can really happen in life?[/quote] Kathy what happens in the movie? |
| 07/06/02 at 23:31:09 |
| se7en |
| Re: Fat people now have to buy 2 tickets...!! |
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| Kathy |
| 07/07/02 at 22:44:05 |
| [slm] Shallow Hal- is looking for a woman/wife. He is only interested in women who are a perfect ten. .. and he is about a 7 1/2. One day he is hypnotized and only sees the girl as her inner beauty is. So if the woman was mean he would see a scag. If the girl was warm and kind he would see her as a beauty. So he meets the girl of his dreams who appears to him to be gorgeous but is really about 300 lbs. To make the story short.... he comes to see her as she really is, dumps her, realizes what a fool he was and they go on to live happily ever after. :-[Alhumdullillah I have been fortunate to find a handful of men that see my inner beauty, but wonder if these men were the exception? :'(ps... I have also had my share of brothers who took their one look and ran! |
| Re: Fat people now have to buy 2 tickets...!! |
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| Barr |
| 07/08/02 at 01:05:44 |
| Assalamu'alaikum :-) [quote]To make the story short.... he comes to see her as she really is, dumps her, realizes what a fool he was and they go on to live happily ever after. [/quote] Awww.. mashaALlah.. that is sooo sweeet :-* We should have more movies like that. I wonder too wot will happen if my physical condition is being made in accordance to my akhlaq and iman... and I shudder. Reminds me of the du'a when we look in the mirror... "Ya Allah, U made my physical condition good, so make my akhlaq good too....." [quote]and do you think this can really happen in life? [/quote] Yup... inshaAllah. Definitely. Allahua'lam |
| 07/08/02 at 01:09:58 |
| Barr |
| Re: Fat people now have to buy 2 tickets...!! |
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| bhaloo |
| 07/08/02 at 02:57:27 |
| [slm] I know some people think this is funny or a joke, but its discrimination and opens the door for other people to be discriminated. What if southwest said, Muslims can only fly on this plane, they can't fly on other planes, just certain ones, because people are scared of some hijacking. I would hope everyone would be outraged by this. |
| Re: Fat people now have to buy 2 tickets...!! |
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| UmmZaid |
| 07/11/02 at 02:00:25 |
| Salaam 'Alaikum I'm just a wee bit troubled that any Muslim would think this is amusing in any way. Perhaps we should examine this "amusing" story from the other side. And think on what the Qur'an says about mocking and making fun of people. The second wife of the Prophet (aleyhi salatu wa salaam) named Sawda, radhi Allahu anha, was a big woman. Would we make fun of her? Would we laugh about her needing two airline seats? Astaghfirullah. >:( I read a story in a magazine about a heavy-set woman (who, btw, did fit into the seat) who was forced by the airline to buy two seats AT THE GATE and was completely humiliated by the gate agent in front of other passengers (she did get a refund, but not an apology for the way she was treated). I can't imagine how I would have felt if I were that woman. Heavier people have it hard enough in our society, without gate agents or airline personnel going one step further to make sure they are the punchline to a bad joke. As for the stuff about more and more Americans being overweight (what is a 20 stone anyway?), yes it is true, and no, it isn't all related to metabolism. It's an entire culture of food and enjoyment and sedentary lifestyles and the types of food that we are encouraged to eat and so on. But we might have a little more understanding for the women who birth the children (Muslim or not). I've had two, and it isn't always easy to lose what Allah subhannahu wa ta'ala has designed your body to gain so that you might nourish this new amanah in your life. |
| Re: Fat people now have to buy 2 tickets...!! |
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| theOriginal |
| 07/12/02 at 10:33:27 |
| [slm] I don't know if it's about discrimination. Anyone who travels regularly on long-haul flights knows how important it is to be comfortable. Sitting in front of someone who keeps kicking your chair, or behind someone who finds that the easiest way to eat meals is with his/her chair completely reclined, or next to someone who is leaning on you is equally as annoying as someone who seems to take up more of your seat than you do yourself. By virtue of the same fact, I would think it would be uncomfortable for an overweight person as well. By the way, I absolutely love this message board. I can't get over it! :D [wlm] SF. |
| Re: Fat people now have to buy 2 tickets...!! |
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| se7en |
| 07/14/02 at 00:00:03 |
as salaamu alaykum, [quote]I'm just a wee bit troubled that any Muslim would think this is amusing in any way. Perhaps we should examine this "amusing" story from the other side. And think on what the Qur'an says about mocking and making fun of people. [/quote] totally agree with sr. Umm Zaid here. |
| [coloRe: Fat people now have to buy 2 tickets...!! |
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| Jenna |
| 07/14/02 at 07:38:32 |
| [color=Black]Wa'alaikum Assalaam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh I believe that mocking anyone, be it Kaffir or Muslim is Haraam as well... I know what it feels like to be a bit overweight, Alhumdulilah I am not too much...... Yet I am real with myself and I have to consider this: If I am that big where I take up two seats I would feel obligated to pay for that extra seat, though I may not like it, but tough..I may feel embarrased but is that their fault?? No.. An overweight person would be taking a seat were someone else could be sitting in if the plane is full....I have heard on the news that Southwest will refund the extra seat purchase to the overweight buyer if the plane was NOT FULL.... It is not their fault people are overweight.....I personally understand their predicatment...They are a company that depends on travelers, I mean I know it just may seem like 'one seat'....But imagine the millions of ppl who travel and and take up that 'extra seat'...The company would definetly be losing a lot of money.... To me; its not about blaming or embarrasing its all about bussines.... And remember they DO refund the money to the person for the extra seat IF the plane was not full....... I do not see anything wrong with there new policy, yet I do see it wrong to make fun of ppl IF this is what is being done...Allahu'Alim Your Sis n'Islaam Jenna UmmMuffin :-)[/color] |
| Re: Fat people now have to buy 2 tickets...!! |
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| Jenna |
| 07/14/02 at 07:44:48 |
| [quote author=bhaloo link=board=bebzi;num=1024543218;start=0#14 date=07/08/02 at 02:57:27][slm] I know some people think this is funny or a joke, but its discrimination and opens the door for other people to be discriminated. What if southwest said, Muslims can only fly on this plane, they can't fly on other planes, just certain ones, because people are scared of some hijacking. I would hope everyone would be outraged by this.[/quote] Wa'alaikum Assalaam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh SubhanAllah this is already happening...I heard on the news not to long ago that an Arab was escorted off the plane becuz ppl were to scared of him although he did nothing!! Lailaha illAllah.. I personally believe the discrimination towards Muslims is happening now & is going to continue to happen regardless of this particular controversy... Allahu'Alim Your Sis n'Islaam Jenna :( |
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