'Why don't you try and sit between those two pigs': Rude flyer has epic meltdown on United Airlines flight because she has to sit in a middle seat between 'big' passengers as she fat shames the duo blasting 'I eat salad'

A video posted on Facebook captures a woman on a United Airlines flight complaining about her seat neighbors being fat
Norma Rodgers, a nurse from New Jersey, recorded her rude fellow passenger launch the tirade on a flight back from Las Vegas to Newark on January 2
The complaining passenger repeatedly made comments about her fellow passengers' size
She also sparred with other passengers at one point calling her seatmates 'pigs' and saying she was 'not politically correct' before being escorted off the plane
The video has been viewed more than 2.3 million times since being posted a week ago garnering over 12,000 comments

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6642561/Rude-flyer-meltdown-United-Airlines-flight-sitting-middle-seat-big-passengers.html

Well she was rude and insulting, and she could have handled the whole thing with a lot less fuss and antagonism.

But......the two morbidly obese people were taking up most of the space, they were travelling together so why didn't they sit together?
Instead they were spread apart leaving some poor sap in the middle being squashed...and for a 4 hour journey that's no fun.

Airlines should improve their seating, they pack as many into small spaces as they can. We always book extra leg room because I cant stand being cooped into such a small space, but these seats are limited, which means the majority of passengers, tall, fat, or handicapped in some way, have to sit in discomfort for hours.

Syl wrote:Well she was rude and insulting, and she could have handled the whole thing with a lot less fuss and antagonism.

But......the two morbidly obese people were taking up most of the space, they were travelling together so why didn't they sit together?
Instead they were spread apart leaving some poor sap in the middle being squashed...and for a 4 hour journey that's no fun.

Airlines should improve their seating, they pack as many into small spaces as they can. We always book extra leg room because I cant stand being cooped into such a small space, but these seats are limited, which means the majority of passengers, tall, fat, or handicapped in some way, have to sit in discomfort for hours.

Well, as was pointed out in the thread about how old folks are treated, it was pointed out, and in away that implied "correctness", that care homes are not there to benefit the elderly in their care but to make a profit....and that also applies, in spadefuls to air lines...they ARE NOT there to pander to your comfort but to make money, yes, by cramming you on like cattle.
after all if 4 hours of being "squashed" aint fun, neither is 4 years (on average) of being half starved, fed shit, being beaten, mistreated and left festering in piss and shit for hours.
and at least 1 of those applies to the majority of these "prisons for the elderly" and in some instances all of em....which is why, after my father had his stroke last dec 2018, when he came out of hospital, he went to live in a specially adapted room at my brothers untill he passed this december aged 91, with 24 hr paid for care from a succession of (6 weeks at a time) duo's of lovely Polish ladies, who not only cared for him but kept us lads well and tatstily fed whilst we were there. Our respect and gratitude for their help is endless, and we have stayed in touch with them.

Without getting into the cross-references to other discrimination issues, I agree that this woman was not exactly in the wrong to complain.  My only question is, was she effective?

Obesity (and fat-shaming) is not precisely like race or ethnicity.  If you don't like sitting next to a man with black skin, it's on you.  Color is only going on in your head (ie, the racist).  But it's not all in your head if some obese person makes your cross-country 3 or 4 hours flight miserable.

The next question is, who is to blame?  Airlines are notorious for making more money by minimizing space per passenger (British Airways is the worst for this).

When you make a complaint--anytime, over anything--have a reasonable (cooperative and accommodating) remedy in mind.  Always be prepared when a stewardess asks, what would like us to do?  If a person is obese, what good is fat shaming? It has no immediate effect.  Public shaming is not going to cause him/her to suddenly alter his weight.  You are pissing in the wind.

But you can at least have a more manageable solution by comparing passenger space before you choose an airline, and letting the airlines know they make you unhappy....when they do.

To be fair though, if you get stuck in the middle of two hugely obese people, no matter how carefully you have chosen your airline or seat, unless you are travelling first class and paying a fortune for the privilege, you are going to have a bloody uncomfortable journey.

The two  people on either side of this woman obviously chose not to sit together when they booked their seats.....no airline is going to deliberately split up 2 people travelling together and book another passenger in the middle of them.
Also, whilst the blonde was incredibly rude and insulting, the woman sat next to her  who filmed the encounter was hardly classy herself, calling the woman a bitch several times and inviting her to kiss her fat arse....

Lord Foul wrote:

Syl wrote:Well she was rude and insulting, and she could have handled the whole thing with a lot less fuss and antagonism.

But......the two morbidly obese people were taking up most of the space, they were travelling together so why didn't they sit together?
Instead they were spread apart leaving some poor sap in the middle being squashed...and for a 4 hour journey that's no fun.

Airlines should improve their seating, they pack as many into small spaces as they can. We always book extra leg room because I cant stand being cooped into such a small space, but these seats are limited, which means the majority of passengers, tall, fat, or handicapped in some way, have to sit in discomfort for hours.

Well, as was pointed out in the thread about how old folks are treated, it was pointed out, and in away that implied "correctness", that care homes are not there to benefit the elderly in their care but to make a profit....and that also applies, in spadefuls to air lines...they ARE NOT there to pander to your comfort but to make money, yes, by cramming you on like cattle.
after all if 4 hours of being "squashed" aint fun, neither is 4 years (on average) of being half starved, fed shit, being beaten, mistreated and left festering in piss and shit for hours.
and at least 1 of those applies to the majority of these "prisons for the elderly" and in some instances all of em....which is why, after my father had his stroke last dec 2018, when he came out of hospital, he went to live in a specially adapted room at my brothers untill he passed this december aged 91, with 24 hr paid for care from a succession of (6 weeks at a time) duo's of lovely Polish ladies, who not only cared for him but kept us lads well and tatstily fed whilst we were there. Our respect and gratitude for their help is endless, and we have stayed in touch with them.

that's really nice to know

I remember those Polish ladies.  My dad particularly loved the baths....



He was fond of their leisurely walks together, too....

I think people over a certain weight should book two seats.

HoratioTarr wrote:A video posted on Facebook captures a woman on a United Airlines flight complaining about her seat neighbors being fat
Norma Rodgers, a nurse from New Jersey, recorded her rude fellow passenger launch the tirade on a flight back from Las Vegas to Newark on January 2
The complaining passenger repeatedly made comments about her fellow passengers' size
She also sparred with other passengers at one point calling her seatmates 'pigs' and saying she was 'not politically correct' before being escorted off the plane
The video has been viewed more than 2.3 million times since being posted a week ago garnering over 12,000 comments

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6642561/Rude-flyer-meltdown-United-Airlines-flight-sitting-middle-seat-big-passengers.html

Long haul flights are stressful and they don't bring out the best in people, natch.

I can just about withstand one person on one side spilling over into my seat but to be sandwiched between two people both spilling into my personal space - Whoaaaa! 


I wont make a show of myself if it happens, cos airlines are very strict - but I would probably cry silent tears. 

I never cry silent tears, if I’m annoyed I tend to just let the person know.
I’d probably have told them to sit together and let me sit in the aisle seat.

eddie wrote:I think people over a certain weight should book two seats.

Do you think there ought to be a law to that effect?

Original Quill wrote:

eddie wrote:I think people over a certain weight should book two seats.

Do you think there ought to be a law to that effect?

Not too sure. Maybe? But then I guess overweight people would say it was unfair blah blah and then you’d have to get someone to come up with a weight that was considered “overweight” and that’s a whole minefield.

I mean you could suggest 18 stone as being overweight but two people can weigh 18 stone and one is just muscle and one is all fat...so like I said, a minefield.

What do you think?

eddie wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

Do you think there ought to be a law to that effect?

Not too sure. Maybe? But then I guess overweight people would say it was unfair blah blah and then you’d have to get someone to come up with a weight that was considered “overweight” and that’s a whole minefield.

I mean you could suggest 18 stone as being overweight but two people can weigh 18 stone and one is just muscle and one is all fat...so like I said, a minefield.

What do you think?

That's politics. More? Or less? That's why bills go to committee.

I meant, law as opposed to airline policy. Or, for that matter, agency regulation.

Original Quill wrote:

eddie wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

Do you think there ought to be a law to that effect?

Not too sure. Maybe? But then I guess overweight people would say it was unfair blah blah and then you’d have to get someone to come up with a weight that was considered “overweight” and that’s a whole minefield.

I mean you could suggest 18 stone as being overweight but two people can weigh 18 stone and one is just muscle and one is all fat...so like I said, a minefield.

What do you think?

That's politics.  More?  Or less?  That's why bills go to committee.

I meant, law as opposed to airline policy.  Or, for that matter, agency regulation.

But what do you think?

This is why I loathe flying anymore. I'm 6 foot, 240 and I need room. I would go crazy with some blubbery woman rubbing on me for 3 hours.

Syl wrote:Well she was rude and insulting, and she could have handled the whole thing with a lot less fuss and antagonism.

But......the two morbidly obese people were taking up most of the space, they were travelling together so why didn't they sit together?
Instead they were spread apart leaving some poor sap in the middle being squashed...and for a 4 hour journey that's no fun.

Airlines should improve their seating, they pack as many into small spaces as they can. We always book extra leg room because I cant stand being cooped into such a small space, but these seats are limited, which means the majority of passengers, tall, fat, or handicapped in some way, have to sit in discomfort for hours.

They should issue fat bastard seats and charge them more. If you can afford to eat that much and be that fat, then you can afford to pay for an obese seat. I mean, the two of them are enormous, not just overweight.

eddie wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

Do you think there ought to be a law to that effect?

Not too sure. Maybe? But then I guess overweight people would say it was unfair blah blah and then you’d have to get someone to come up with a weight that was considered “overweight” and that’s a whole minefield.

I mean you could suggest 18 stone as being overweight but two people can weigh 18 stone and one is just muscle and one is all fat...so like I said, a minefield.

What do you think?

That guy is more like 20 stone upwards. His muffin tops would probably engulf your lap and spill into your in-flight meal. Then you'd have to deal with the sweat and body odour of someone sitting that close. I'd rather sit in the toilet.

Here we go again, you are what is considered fat, so it must be you are just greedy, this is usually by miserable people who are a bag of bones with some skin stretched over them, get some calories in you, you'll be a lot less miserable. Would you blame an anorexic for not eating, how do you know the reason these people are overweight?
I don't know if anyone had ever noticed but some people in some places are quite large as a population.

Maybe planes need to be fitted with different size seats and passengers are made to declare their height and weight upon booking... and then allocated a seat accordingly... including having to pay more when needing a wider load seat due to extra weight... just like extra charges are applied for wanting to take extra weight luggage happens...?

Tommy Monk wrote:

Maybe planes need to be fitted with different size seats and passengers are made to declare their height and weight upon booking... and then allocated a seat accordingly... including having to pay more when needing a wider load seat due to extra weight... just like extra charges are applied for wanting to take extra weight luggage happens...?

That's how packages are shipped. Big heavy packages cost more.

Well... if I've paid for a seat... and I've got some fatty overlapping into my space... then I should be paying less and they should be paying for it...!

Vintage wrote:Here we go again, you are what is considered fat, so it must be you are just greedy, this is usually by miserable people who are a bag of bones with some skin stretched over them, get some calories in you, you'll be a lot less miserable. Would you blame an anorexic for not eating, how do you know the reason these people are overweight?
I don't know if anyone had ever noticed but some people in some places are quite large as a population.

I think the majority of people who are fat simply eat too much and excercise too little.
Thats their business of course, but when their obesity affects others..as in this case, I do believe the woman was right to object.

Obviously she did it in the wrong way and came out of it looking bad, but I actually do have some sympathy for her.

Once more I wonder , why didn't the two huge people who were travelling together sit together? Obviously because they wanted more space, so they took the space of the woman in the middle of them.

eddie wrote:I think people over a certain weight should book two seats.

Maybe not weight but certain waist size. And it could be made clear in the booking process and have a check box if you need a larger (and slightly more expensive seat).

Others shouldn't have to suffer due to the excess of others.

eddie wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

That's politics.  More?  Or less?  That's why bills go to committee.

I meant, law as opposed to airline policy.  Or, for that matter, agency regulation.

But what do you think?

I've already stated in some detail what I think the various parties should do.

Frankly, I think the regulatory agencies ought to set minimum standards for seat size, so that there is uniform comfort among world airlines. They ought all to be the same size as first class is today.

Think of it this way: trying to make money by limiting and reducing seat size is simply unhealthy.  No airline should lawfully be able to fly with unhealthy accommodations.  Fix it, or have your aircraft confiscated...at least when you land at US airports. It'll make then think twice.

Of course, the way I learned that British Airways had the smallest seat size was on a trip from London to Lisbon. But unless they want to keep those aircraft away from the US, better get 'em fixed.

Eilzel wrote:

eddie wrote:I think people over a certain weight should book two seats.

Maybe not weight but certain waist size. And it could be made clear in the booking process and have a check box if you need a larger (and slightly more expensive seat).

Others shouldn't have to suffer due to the excess of others.

So, what about pregnant women?

what about pregnant women??
pregnancy is a voluntary state in the vast majority of cases...so....dont fly until your pregnancy can be carried...and most pregnant women tend to expand mainly to the front anyway, so..

HoratioTarr wrote:

Eilzel wrote:

eddie wrote:I think people over a certain weight should book two seats.

Maybe not weight but certain waist size. And it could be made clear in the booking process and have a check box if you need a larger (and slightly more expensive seat).

Others shouldn't have to suffer due to the excess of others.

So, what about pregnant women?

That's a tough one; though in fairness a pregnant woman is not usually so big as to be an 'encumbrance' (unlike very obese people). If necessary though then the same would apply. Though if I were such a heavily pregnant woman ( ) I probably wouldn't be bothering with the hassle of flights anyway.

Vintage wrote:Here we go again, you are what is considered fat, so it must be you are just greedy, this is usually by miserable people who are a bag of bones with some skin stretched over them, get some calories in you, you'll be a lot less miserable. Would you blame an anorexic for not eating, how do you know the reason these people are overweight?
I don't know if anyone had ever noticed but some people in some places are quite large as a population.

I'm not skinny but (are you watching, Phil) I'm not as fat as that couple either. When you get to that size you're a glutton. Don't tell me these two have gland problems. You get fat because you eat too much. It's that simple.

These two aren't just large. They're obese. That guy is spilling his fat into her seat FFS.

50 years ago you never saw this level of obesity. Adult obesity rates have almost quadrupled in the last 25 years. Why? Because they all 'can't help it'? That's rubbish.

Lord Foul wrote:what about pregnant women??
pregnancy is a voluntary state in the vast majority of cases...so....dont fly until your pregnancy can be carried...and most pregnant women tend to expand mainly to the front anyway, so..

I'm referring to the waist size. Not the fat.

HoratioTarr wrote:

Vintage wrote:Here we go again, you are what is considered fat, so it must be you are just greedy, this is usually by miserable people who are a bag of bones with some skin stretched over them, get some calories in you, you'll be a lot less miserable. Would you blame an anorexic for not eating, how do you know the reason these people are overweight?
I don't know if anyone had ever noticed but some people in some places are quite large as a population.

I'm not skinny but (are you watching, Phil) I'm not as fat as that couple either.   When you get to that size you're a glutton.  Don't tell me these two have gland problems.  You get fat because you eat too much.   It's that simple.

These two aren't just large.  They're obese.  That guy is spilling his fat into her seat FFS.

50 years ago you never saw this level of obesity.   Adult obesity rates have almost quadrupled in the last 25 years.  Why?  Because they all 'can't help it'?   That's rubbish.

I don't think anyone would charge extra to someone who is 'not skinny'. Personally, in my posts I'm referring to those people who, as you delightfully put it, 'spill' into other people's seats

Vintage wrote:Here we go again, you are what is considered fat, so it must be you are just greedy, this is usually by miserable people who are a bag of bones with some skin stretched over them, get some calories in you, you'll be a lot less miserable. Would you blame an anorexic for not eating, how do you know the reason these people are overweight?
I don't know if anyone had ever noticed but some people in some places are quite large as a population.

I'm afraid the truth is that people get fat because they eat too many calories, except in rare circumstances. You could call that greed, but there are various reasons people eat too much. As for blaming an anorexic, well it's not exactly blame but they got themselves into that situation, and it can be very exasperating for those around them, so yes, they do get "blamed".

I think what is annoying is the excuses people come out with in both situations. They should just be honest about why they're fat/too thin.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Vintage wrote:Here we go again, you are what is considered fat, so it must be you are just greedy, this is usually by miserable people who are a bag of bones with some skin stretched over them, get some calories in you, you'll be a lot less miserable. Would you blame an anorexic for not eating, how do you know the reason these people are overweight?
I don't know if anyone had ever noticed but some people in some places are quite large as a population.

I'm afraid the truth is that people get fat because they eat too many calories, except in rare circumstances. You could call that greed, but there are various reasons people eat too much. As for blaming an anorexic, well it's not exactly blame but they got themselves into that situation, and it can be very exasperating for those around them, so yes, they do get "blamed".

I think what is annoying is the excuses people come out with in both situations. They should just be honest about why they're fat/too thin.

Most of us get heavier as we get older. That's due to lack exercise IMO, down mostly to age and injury or lack of energy. I put weight on because I injured both my knees. But I still watch what I eat. I have to. If I put weight on it's because I'm eating too many calories for my body to burn off. So I stop, and rein it in. I personally don't eat before midday or after 8 at night. It's not hard to do.

I agree with a lot of what is said, people don't always know why they eat so much more than they need. Many people can realise they are putting weight on and do try to do something about it, many people are successful and find it easy, others difficult and some really struggle although some make it and in this category a lot will put the weight back on and more, then we have people who do find it very difficult to motivate to deal with the problem.
There at least three categories of people, obviously if its easy for you, you won't understand the problem. To my way of thinking vey few people can see that some others actually have a problem, yes they are stuffing their faces but why?  I agree these days its junk food for many but we've always had fat people, isn't it time we tried to understand their problem?
I've know people desperate to get rid of extra weight but just couldn't do it, some didn't want to live anymore, between the physical problems it caused and the verbal abuse they receive, so are they just lazy and undisciplined. 
Those that have had stomach  bypass surgery have completely recovered from diabetes within days, enzymes found in the stomach that help get messages to the brain to control hunger seem to be out of synch these recover to what seems to be normal levels, so surely there is something physical going on, do the out of synch enzyme levels come first or as a result of overeating, could they be controlled by medication, is this the key, no one seems to know yet.

Vintage wrote:I agree with a lot of what is said, people don't always know why they eat so much more than they need. Many people can realise they are putting weight on and do try to do something about it, many people are successful and find it easy, others difficult and some really struggle although some make it and in this category a lot will put the weight back on and more, then we have people who do find it very difficult to motivate to deal with the problem.
There at least three categories of people, obviously if its easy for you, you won't understand the problem. To my way of thinking vey few people can see that some others actually have a problem, yes they are stuffing their faces but why?  I agree these days its junk food for many but we've always had fat people, isn't it time we tried to understand their problem?
I've know people desperate to get rid of extra weight but just couldn't do it, some didn't want to live anymore, between the physical problems it caused and the verbal abuse they receive, so are they just lazy and undisciplined. 
Those that have had stomach  bypass surgery have completely recovered from diabetes within days, enzymes found in the stomach that help get messages to the brain to control hunger seem to be out of synch these recover to what seems to be normal levels, so surely there is something physical going on, do the out of synch enzyme levels come first or as a result of overeating, could they be controlled by medication, is this the key, no one seems to know yet.

You don't have to tell me how hard it is to lose weight.  I used to be  size 8, and stayed that way right up until I was about 50.   I put weight on because a knee injury put me off my feet  but I didn't stop eating the same.   Fat people are in denial.  They'll tell you they hardly eat, but you can bet your life they do, and usually the wrong food.   How much do you want to wipe the arses of people who fail to or won't acknowledge that a diet of  fast food and junk food and convenience foods makes them fat....even if they only eat a small amount?  

Obesity is going to be the biggest killer on this planet before long, if not already.   Patting the heads of people who stuff their faces with no regard to what they put in their bodies won't change that, it'll make it worse.   Apart from a whole plethora of diseases it causes, it looks horrible and makes you feel worse.  

And just so you know I'm not biased against fatties....I feel the same about smokers who end up with COPD or cancer.    You have a choice to what you put inside you.   That responsibility doesn't lie with anyone else.

Vintage wrote:
Those that have had stomach  bypass surgery have completely recovered from diabetes within days, enzymes found in the stomach that help get messages to the brain to control hunger seem to be out of synch these recover to what seems to be normal levels, so surely there is something physical going on, do the out of synch enzyme levels come first or as a result of overeating, could they be controlled by medication, is this the key, no one seems to know yet.

Of course they recovered. They stopped stuffing their bodies with too much food. Anyone who's been through the menopause will often get terrible hunger pangs because of the hormonal changes. You could eat a horse with a shitty arse, trust me. But do you do it? No. Not if you're disciplined. Medication to lose weight? Well, they did that with amphetamines and look what happened there.

I hear smokers whine all the time about how they can't give up because smoking is more addictive than heroin. Bollocks. They don't give up because they don't really want to. How do I know that? Because I've been there. A smoker will make any excuse not to stop indulging their addiction. A food addict will do the same.

It's a vicious circle, but only the person addicted can break it.

I have a friend who's very obese and she's always moaning about it. I asked her to come swimming with me. She made excuses. I suggested a diet , she said she can't go hungry. Then I find out she's having around four takeaways a night and her husband told me she keeps a stash of chocolate bars in her car. So, how do you help some one like that?

Yes I know about smoking, I found it relatively easy to give up, most people don't same with alcohol some people can just leave it there others struggle some find it impossible. Why should it be different with food.
You can get through life without smoking or drinking alcohol you have to eat even if you have a problem with it, you don't tell an alcoholic you can have one drink three times a day or a smoker they can have three cigarettes a day. I know alcohol and cigarettes are chemically addictive but food is also an addiction for some.

Vintage wrote:Why should it be different with food.

Completely different biological processes. I agree, alcohol is easy to give up. Tobacco is addictive and a bit harder. Obesity is most often not even elective...

Any addiction is hard to control, be it gambling, smoking, drinking or eating. I think most people have sympathy if anyone is caught in the cycle of an addiction.
There is help out there, but if you are in denial you have a problem, nothing will work.

It's odd that many nurses (the obese woman in the OP is an example) are incredibly overweight.

You would think that they of all people , knowing the serious health implications, would try to keep their weight in check.

Vintage wrote:Yes I know about smoking, I found it relatively easy to give up, most people don't same with alcohol some people can just leave it there others struggle some find it impossible. Why should it be different with food.
You can get through life without smoking or drinking alcohol you have to eat even if you have a problem with it, you don't tell an alcoholic you can have one drink three times a day or a smoker they can have three cigarettes a day. I know alcohol and cigarettes are chemically addictive but food is also an addiction for some.

I have a terrible weakness for cold baked beans

In a sandwich yum.

OMG....what is wrong with you people?

HoratioTarr wrote:

Vintage wrote:Yes I know about smoking, I found it relatively easy to give up, most people don't same with alcohol some people can just leave it there others struggle some find it impossible. Why should it be different with food.
You can get through life without smoking or drinking alcohol you have to eat even if you have a problem with it, you don't tell an alcoholic you can have one drink three times a day or a smoker they can have three cigarettes a day. I know alcohol and cigarettes are chemically addictive but food is also an addiction for some.

I have a terrible weakness for cold baked beans

We know...