Southwest tells woman, mother they are "too fat to fly."

"Generalisimo Franco" > wrote in message
...
On Jun 16, 8:44 am, brad herschel > wrote:
> On Jun 12, 4:15 pm, Jeff Meredith > wrote:
>
> >http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42996971/ns/travel-news/
>
> >http://ru-crazy.com/wp-content/uploa...iggeman-600x46...
>
> > Just take them up, open a door and push them out. They'll "fly."
>
> > GALLIANO, La. — Kenlie Tiggeman is impressive, to say the least. She's a
> > budding gardener at her mother's home in Galliano, a political
> > strategist
> > working in New York City, a blogger, and in the last two years — she's
> > lost 120 pounds.
>
> > ..But unfortunately, some people only look skin deep.
>
> > "It doesn't matter how far I have come. I have a long way to go, but no
> > one sees that. All they see is my exterior — someone who is fat,"
> > explained Tiggeman.
>
> > She said that's what happened during a layover in Dallas on Easter
> > Sunday,
> > when she and her mother were singled out by a Southwest employee for
> > their
> > weight.
>
> > "I asked him what the weight restrictions were and he said that he
> > didn't
> > know, just that we were too heavy to fly. Too fat to fly," said
> > Tiggeman.
>
> > Southwest's "Customers of Size" policy states passengers are required to
> > buy a second seat if they cannot fit between the armrests, which measure
> > 17 inches across.
>
> > 'Oversized' Kevin Smith ejected from Southwest flight
>
> > "I know that I have a lot of weight to lose but I am definitely not too
> > fat to fly. I do it all the time, domestically and internationally, and
> > I
> > have never had anyone approach me and particularly in the way that they
> > did," said Tiggeman.
>
> > Issues with Southwest's "Customers of Size" policy are not new. A
> > spokeswoman said employees are told to speak with customers in a private
> > area and if necessary, check if they fit in the seats prior to boarding
> > and always use the utmost discretion. However, Tiggeman and her mom,
> > Joan
> > Charpentier, said the 45 minute conversation, which included questions
> > about their weight and what size clothing they wear, in front of more
> > than
> > 100 people, was anything but discreet.
>
> > "It was the worst time I've ever had in my whole life. I was
> > embarrassed,
> > humiliated," said Charpentier.
>
> > The worker then tried to strike a deal. Tiggeman, Charpentier and a
> > third
> > overweight woman could fly, if they would sit together.
>
> > "Of course my daughter was okay with that. But I wasn't because the deal
> > I
> > made with Southwest when I left, I bought a ticket and it's open
> > seating,
> > and you can sit wherever you want," said Charpentier.
>
> > After a supervisor's intervention, the women were allowed on the flight
> > without buying additional seats. They were even given flight vouchers
> > and
> > an apology, which was recorded on Tiggeman's phone.
>
> > Tiggeman shared what happened in her blog. It caught the attention of a
> > Southwest executive, who contacted her to apologize and offered
> > additional
> > vouchers. But Tiggeman isn't looking for compensation.
>
> > "Their sensitivity level needs to change, period. It needs to be
> > different," said Tiggeman.
>
> > "But I really want them to do more training with their employees, from
> > the
> > top to the bottom. Because if it happened to us, it's going to happen
> > again," said Charpentier.
>
> > But there has been some good to come out of all of this. On her blog,
> > Tiggeman wrote an open letter to fitness guru and New Orleans native
> > Richard Simmons, since his videos played such a large role in her weight
> > loss. She said she wanted to use her free voucher to visit his studio in
> > Beverly Hills, and somehow Simmons saw the letter and wrote to her
> > personally and asked her to work out with him.
>
> Fat, and often smelly, types, should be flown in freight planes. Fed
> Exp?- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Sounds like a Maryanne Kehoe (aka Loafhead) story. Pack 'em in cattle
cars gets my vote!!

franco

How come that when someone has a problem, you guys feel free to ridicule
them, unless it happens to be your problem too? I personally believe it's
rude people, people with bad breath, and people who fart a lot who should be
in cattle cars.

On Jun 12, 4:15*pm, Jeff Meredith > wrote:
> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42996971/ns/travel-news/
>
> http://ru-crazy.com/wp-content/uploa...iggeman-600x46...
>
> Just take them up, open a door and push them out. *They'll "fly."
>
> GALLIANO, La. *— Kenlie Tiggeman is impressive, to say the least. She's a
> budding gardener at her mother's home in Galliano, a political strategist
> working in New York City, a blogger, and in the last two years — she's
> lost 120 pounds.
>
> ..But unfortunately, some people only look skin deep.
>
> "It doesn't matter how far I have come. I have a long way to go, but no
> one sees that. All they see is my exterior — someone who is fat,"
> explained Tiggeman.
>
> She said that's what happened during a layover in Dallas on Easter Sunday,
> when she and her mother were singled out by a Southwest employee for their
> weight.
>
> "I asked him what the weight restrictions were and he said that he didn't
> know, just that we were too heavy to fly. Too fat to fly," said Tiggeman.
>
> Southwest's "Customers of Size" policy states passengers are required to
> buy a second seat if they cannot fit between the armrests, which measure
> 17 inches across.
>
> 'Oversized' Kevin Smith ejected from Southwest flight
>
> "I know that I have a lot of weight to lose but I am definitely not too
> fat to fly. I do it all the time, domestically and internationally, and I
> have never had anyone approach me and particularly in the way that they
> did," said Tiggeman.
>
> Issues with Southwest's "Customers of Size" policy are not new. A
> spokeswoman said employees are told to speak with customers in a private
> area and if necessary, check if they fit in the seats prior to boarding
> and always use the utmost discretion. However, Tiggeman and her mom, Joan
> Charpentier, said the 45 minute conversation, which included questions
> about their weight and what size clothing they wear, in front of more than
> 100 people, was anything but discreet.
>
> "It was the worst time I've ever had in my whole life. I was embarrassed,
> humiliated," said Charpentier.
>
> The worker then tried to strike a deal. Tiggeman, Charpentier and a third
> overweight woman could fly, if they would sit together.
>
> "Of course my daughter was okay with that. But I wasn't because the deal I
> made with Southwest when I left, I bought a ticket and it's open seating,
> and you can sit wherever you want," said Charpentier.
>
> After a supervisor's intervention, the women were allowed on the flight
> without buying additional seats. They were even given flight vouchers and
> an apology, which was recorded on Tiggeman's phone.
>
> Tiggeman shared what happened in her blog. It caught the attention of a
> Southwest executive, who contacted her to apologize and offered additional
> vouchers. But Tiggeman isn't looking for compensation.
>
> "Their sensitivity level needs to change, period. It needs to be
> different," said Tiggeman.
>
> "But I really want them to do more training with their employees, from the
> top to the bottom. Because if it happened to us, it's going to happen
> again," said Charpentier.
>
> But there has been some good to come out of all of this. On her blog,
> Tiggeman wrote an open letter to fitness guru and New Orleans native
> Richard Simmons, since his videos played such a large role in her weight
> loss. She said she wanted to use her free voucher to visit his studio in
> Beverly Hills, and somehow Simmons saw the letter and wrote to her
> personally and asked her to work out with him.

Fat, and often smelly, types, should be flown in freight planes. Fed
Exp?

On Jun 16, 8:44*am, brad herschel > wrote:
> On Jun 12, 4:15*pm, Jeff Meredith > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> >http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42996971/ns/travel-news/
>
> >http://ru-crazy.com/wp-content/uploa...iggeman-600x46...
>
> > Just take them up, open a door and push them out. *They'll "fly."
>
> > GALLIANO, La. *— Kenlie Tiggeman is impressive, to say the least. She's a
> > budding gardener at her mother's home in Galliano, a political strategist
> > working in New York City, a blogger, and in the last two years — she's
> > lost 120 pounds.
>
> > ..But unfortunately, some people only look skin deep.
>
> > "It doesn't matter how far I have come. I have a long way to go, but no
> > one sees that. All they see is my exterior — someone who is fat,"
> > explained Tiggeman.
>
> > She said that's what happened during a layover in Dallas on Easter Sunday,
> > when she and her mother were singled out by a Southwest employee for their
> > weight.
>
> > "I asked him what the weight restrictions were and he said that he didn't
> > know, just that we were too heavy to fly. Too fat to fly," said Tiggeman.

On 6/16/2011 5:44 AM, brad herschel wrote:

> ...
> Fat, and often smelly, types, should be flown in freight planes. Fed
> Exp?

Krist, next thing you know, one will sit on some other passengers lap
and kill them. Or, stumble and fall against someone and kill them, as
they are boarding a plane!

Some people need to be told to take a train or a freighter! Too bad if
it hurts their feelings, probably won't hurt their feelings bad enough.
I suspect that will go on cramming handfuls of food down their throats
and defecting elephant piles!

--

Regards,
JS
“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain
the people, it’s an instrument for the people to restrain the
government.” -- Patrick Henry

Per brad herschel:
>Fat, and often smelly, types, should be flown in freight planes.

My kneejerk reaction was "+1"... but then I thought "Wait a
minute... I'm taller than most... will the next thing be making
seats physically inaccessible to people over 5'11"? "
--
PeteCresswell

On 6/16/2011 11:19 AM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
> Per brad herschel:
>> Fat, and often smelly, types, should be flown in freight planes.
>
> My kneejerk reaction was "+1"... but then I thought "Wait a
> minute... I'm taller than most... will the next thing be making
> seats physically inaccessible to people over 5'11"? "

Shouldn't be a problem, unless some fat arsehole is hanging over your head!

--

Regards,
JS
“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain
the people, it’s an instrument for the people to restrain the
government.” -- Patrick Henry

"(PeteCresswell)" > wrote in message
...
> Per brad herschel:
>>Fat, and often smelly, types, should be flown in freight planes.
>
> My kneejerk reaction was "+1"... but then I thought "Wait a
> minute... I'm taller than most... will the next thing be making
> seats physically inaccessible to people over 5'11"? "
> --
> PeteCresswell

Unless your height is all in your neck they have been doing that for years.

Per NotMe:
>Unless your height is all in your neck they have been doing that for years.

That's what prompted my remark - although I though maybe it was
just me....

I stopped all voluntary flying after having to stand all the way
from Philly to Oakland. If I sat, the pressure of the seat
against my kneecap for 4+ hour was definitely going to cause some
sort of injury.

Now I'm hearing that they have restrictions on people getting up
during some parts of the flight.
--
PeteCresswell

On Jun 16, 2:37*pm, "NotMe" > wrote:
> "(PeteCresswell)" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> > Per brad herschel:
> >>Fat, and often smelly, types, should be flown in freight planes.
>
> > My kneejerk reaction was "+1"... but then I thought "Wait a
> > minute... I'm taller than most... will the next thing be making
> > seats physically inaccessible to people over 5'11"? "
> > --
> > PeteCresswell
>
> Unless your height is all in your neck they have been doing that for years.

True dat. And a steerage class airline seat is generally narrower
than my shoulders; at my fattest I've never weighed over 190 lbs. so
it's not like I'm a porker or anything. Dang, I really hate flying.

nate

"N8N" > wrote in message
...
On Jun 16, 2:37 pm, "NotMe" > wrote:
> "(PeteCresswell)" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> > Per brad herschel:
> >>Fat, and often smelly, types, should be flown in freight planes.
>
> > My kneejerk reaction was "+1"... but then I thought "Wait a
> > minute... I'm taller than most... will the next thing be making
> > seats physically inaccessible to people over 5'11"? "
> > --
> > PeteCresswell
>
> Unless your height is all in your neck they have been doing that for
> years.

True dat. And a steerage class airline seat is generally narrower
than my shoulders; at my fattest I've never weighed over 190 lbs. so
it's not like I'm a porker or anything. Dang, I really hate flying.

{{
At one time the military had standards of how big/small you could be to
qualify for flight
training. I don't know how accurate the report might be but one of my co
workers (a fighter pilot in the navy) once commented that while his
dimensions qualified him to fly combat if we used a strict interpretation of
the rules he would not qualify to rid coach in any of the US commercial
carriers.


This after a ~13 hour return flight from Japan in coach.