Too fat to fly

[herr_oberst]

I recently took a flight where my 2 seatmates were obese. It's the old cliché; they waddle down the aisle looking at numbers and my dread is confirmed when they take A and B next to me in C. I immediately put my elbow on the armrest, vowing silently to hold that like a hand grenade.

Fortunately, the flight is relatively short, but I settle in with my kindle. I don't move a muscle, and I don't talk.

About halfway thru the trip, unsolicited, the woman asks me if I need to use the restroom.

I gotta tell you guys, that was my Grinch moment where my heart grew two sizes that day.

I'm not saying everyone would be that self aware, but she certainly was and I was moved and touched by such a small gesture on her part. (It might have been that I was fishing my dick out and getting ready to pee in a cup that made her ask)
But seriously,
The second half of the flight we engaged in small talk, and the hard, hot pit of anger that I had been holding in my gut was gone by the time I reached my destination.

This story in no way means that I'm suddenly a fan of sitting next to people that are far too large for hours on a crowded flight; but at least at that moment I had some compassion. Now get the hell off of my lawn.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

I recently took a flight where my 2 seatmates were obese. It's the old cliché; they waddle down the aisle looking at numbers and my dread is confirmed when they take A and B next to me in C. I immediately put my elbow on the armrest, vowing silently to hold that like a hand grenade.

BTDT - although I've never had a really huge neighbor.

Fortunately, the flight is relatively short, but I settle in with my kindle. I don't move a muscle, and I don't talk.

About halfway thru the trip, unsolicited, the woman asks me if I need to use the restroom.

I gotta tell you guys, that was my Grinch moment where my heart grew two sizes that day.

I'm not saying everyone would be that self aware, but she certainly was and I was moved and touched by such a small gesture on her part. (It might have been that I was fishing my dick out and getting ready to pee in a cup that made her ask)
But seriously,
The second half of the flight we engaged in small talk, and the hard, hot pit of anger that I had been holding in my gut was gone by the time I reached my destination.

This story in no way means that I'm suddenly a fan of sitting next to people that are far too large for hours on a crowded flight; but at least at that moment I had some compassion. Now get the hell off of my lawn.

Wow, nice.

[KFC911]

LOL .... I gotsa go.... My sides are hurting from laughing .... no mas Herr

[GH85Carrera]

On TV and in the movies people sit next to some hot chick, and engage in witty conversation. In every single flight on a commercial flight I have either sat next to that it is obvious they don't want to chat at all. Fine with me.

On the last flight the guy must have been on some medication. As we rotated, he nodded off, and did not wake up until the wheels hit the runway. It was weird to see anyone that sleepy and out of it. At least he slumped over away from me.

[asphaltgambler]

I bet if you cut her, gravy would come out 😙

[masraum]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

On TV and in the movies people sit next to some hot chick, and engage in witty conversation. In every single flight on a commercial flight I have either sat next to that it is obvious they don't want to chat at all. Fine with me.

On the last flight the guy must have been on some medication. As we rotated, he nodded off, and did not wake up until the wheels hit the runway. It was weird to see anyone that sleepy and out of it. At least he slumped over away from me.

I've done a fair amount of flying, but not as much as some of you, I'm sure. I was once a United Platinum flyer, but have only been 1-2 round trip flights per year since then and none in the past 2.5 years. In all of that time, I've only been seated next to a hot chick once, and I think the flight was something like 9pm-2am or something like that. There was no chit-chat.

I'd be happy to chit chat with someone interesting, but I generally just don't talk to anyone around me any more than I have to.

[ted]

Aeronautical engineers have to design the floor of the passenger area to survive the very heavy lady's weight even when they are walking in high heel shoes.
That's like a few hundred pounds directed into a small pointy heel.

[GH85Carrera]

My dad told me about a flight he had on 747 Pan Am, before deregulation. He was going from NYC to LA, non stop. He loaded just shortly before they closed the door. He said the aircraft was almost empty, with just a handful of customers. The stewardess, just called all the passengers to the first class cabin. She said they were not going to walk back there and they had a ton of seats in first class. They had the super duper first class service, and he played cards with one stew for the flight, and had free drinks, the first class meal, and personal service from an attractive stew for the entire flight. It had to have cost Pan insane money to make that flight. Now days of course, if the plane is not almost full, it just gets canceled. Back then the law was if it was scheduled, it had to go. I wonder what a 747 cost to fly coast to coast with a full crew.

[gacook]

I'm a relatively tall, big (not fat) guy. Coach already sucks. Obese people make it unbearable. I usually pray that I'm sitting next to a very small man or a petite woman but more often than not end up being next to guys like me; just my luck, I suppose.

Worst flight ever, I was in the aisle seat. A VERY large (obese) man was in the window seat, and one of the last guys on the plane--another VERY obese man gets on and comes to our row--yup, he was the middle seat. I spent that flight mostly hanging over my outer arm rest, leaning WAY into the aisle. It sucked.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by ted

Aeronautical engineers have to design the floor of the passenger area to survive the very heavy lady's weight even when they are walking in high heel shoes.
That's like a few hundred pounds directed into a small pointy heel.

The really impressive engineers are the guys building those heels!

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by masraum

The really impressive engineers are the guys building those heels!

Maybe not.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

My dad told me about a flight he had on 747 Pan Am, before deregulation. He was going from NYC to LA, non stop. He loaded just shortly before they closed the door. He said the aircraft was almost empty, with just a handful of customers. The stewardess, just called all the passengers to the first class cabin. She said they were not going to walk back there and they had a ton of seats in first class. They had the super duper first class service, and he played cards with one stew for the flight, and had free drinks, the first class meal, and personal service from an attractive stew for the entire flight. It had to have cost Pan insane money to make that flight. Now days of course, if the plane is not almost full, it just gets canceled. Back then the law was if it was scheduled, it had to go. I wonder what a 747 cost to fly coast to coast with a full crew.

Back in the day when the upper deck of a 747 was in its' original smaller configuration my employer (GSK) had a lock on the BA version of it. GSK employees occupied the entire upper deck. We had two attendants that catered to us and man did they spoil us. We conducted meeting while in flight, had first class food and drink all for the paltry sum of $5000 USD per head round trip. I flew so often that I started seeing the same attendants on my flights and they were not unattractive. Good times.

[rockfan4]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

On TV and in the movies people sit next to some hot chick, and engage in witty conversation. In every single flight on a commercial flight I have either sat next to that it is obvious they don't want to chat at all. Fine with me.

Going back at least 20 years, a couple of my coworkers claim they had a model sit between them on a flight to the west coast. She had a portfolio with her, and was glad to share it with them. Since this was before cell phones with cameras, I guess I'll have to take their word for it.

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

On the last flight the guy must have been on some medication. As we rotated, he nodded off, and did not wake up until the wheels hit the runway. It was weird to see anyone that sleepy and out of it. At least he slumped over away from me.

That could have been me. I can sleep on any moving vehicle. It's only a problem when I'm the one driving. I've nodded off on the 20 minute flight from La Crosse to Minneapolis, I've slept almost the entire way on a flight to or from the west coast.

On our first trip together, before we were married, I took my wife to Rennsport Reunion IV. On the way out she was anxious because of the weather we were taking off in and flying through, but she looked over at me and I was already out, about the time the wheels left the ground.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by rockfan4

It's only a problem when I'm the one driving.

"I want to die in my sleep like my dear old grandpa...not screaming in terror like all the other passengers in his car"

[gacook]

Originally Posted by rockfan4

Going back at least 20 years, a couple of my coworkers claim they had a model sit between them on a flight to the west coast. She had a portfolio with her, and was glad to share it with them. Since this was before cell phones with cameras, I guess I'll have to take their word for it.



That could have been me. I can sleep on any moving vehicle. It's only a problem when I'm the one driving. I've nodded off on the 20 minute flight from La Crosse to Minneapolis, I've slept almost the entire way on a flight to or from the west coast.

On our first trip together, before we were married, I took my wife to Rennsport Reunion IV. On the way out she was anxious because of the weather we were taking off in and flying through, but she looked over at me and I was already out, about the time the wheels left the ground.

One of my work partners is like that. We traveled together often, and he "read" the same book for a couple years. He only read it on flights. He'd open it, start reading and be out before the plane was off the runway. That many could sleep through anything, too!

[Rusty Heap]

oh great thanks for this thread, soon traveling half way around the world to Indonesia, starting in Seattle. groan..........33 hours of travel. At least we're in business class, are the women cuter and thinner in Business than Economy? hope so, prayers to the airline gods. Knowing my luck, I'll get Large Marj nest to me.

[RNajarian]

The only way to fly, on the flight deck sitting on the crew rest bunk.

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

On TV and in the movies people sit next to some hot chick, and engage in witty conversation. In every single flight on a commercial flight I have either sat next to that it is obvious they don't want to chat at all.

[sc_rufctr]

"There Are No Fat Seals"

- Jocko Willink

[Tervuren]

Seems to me it is a big plus for an airline to have this publicity from her.

How many will think, wow, they are willing to save me from being buried alive rather than just let it happen?

Originally Posted by masraum

exactly that. Scammers and bullies are using social media for exactly this purpose these days on a regular basis.