[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Lathum

For the most part I don't think people are looking to "punish" fat people, there are of course always exceptions where there are just nasty people out there. I think it is, or should be, about not punishing "average" people by having a portion of their seat space invaded. I am 6-2, 210 and easily fit in to my seat. Why should I have to have a portion of the seat I paid for taken over by someone who is obese and have their body literally rubbing up against me for hours, or put me in a spot where I literally can't move one of my arms? How is that fair to me?

You shouldn't. The problem is you are asking the passenger to pay for your discomfort that the airlines created for you by shrinking the size of the seats and not providing space for everyone to seat comfortably for the price of the ticket. The solution if enforced consistently and equally across the board ultimately means either there is a size standard for passengers similar to the carry on luggage standard to fly or once it is normalized that bigger passengers have to pay for the extra seat, there will consistently one less seat for the "average" passenger for each passenger who does not fit into the ever shrinking seat. Given the increasing size of the average American, that number is going to get larger as well.

I am sure I have sat next to passengers who have extended “more than 1 inch beyond the outermost edge of the armrest and a seat belt extension is needed”. Were these morbidly obese people? Absolutely not. One was a Division I college running back who was only about 225 but had no chance staying exclusively in his own seating space with his tree trunks he called thighs. We rubbed legs for the flight from Atlanta to Miami and went off on our merry way when we landed. If he is purchasing an extra seat, me or someone else on that flight does not make that flight.