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Guy Asks If He’s Wrong To Make Obese Man Pay Him $150 For Taking Up Part Of His Seat On A 5-Hour Flight
When it comes to traveling, flying has to be the most despised. Having to go through multiple checkpoints, standing in endless lines and struggling to get to your seat is a real hassle. And that’s just the beginning – you still have a long flight ahead of you that you have to endure, cramped into a tiny seat with almost no leg room. It can’t get any worse, right? Apparently, it can.
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Imagine if a part of your already cramped seat was occupied by the passenger sitting next to you – that’s exactly what happened to redditor BigBawluh when an obese man sat next to him on his 5-hour flight. He recently posted the whole ordeal on a subreddit called AITA (Am I The A-hole?) and people have really mixed opinions on whether he handled the situation right. Check out the story below and tell us what you think: was BigBawluh in the right or in the wrong?
“So this month I was flying across the country on a long 5 hour flight, which I had booked and seats selected for
I specifically chose an aisle seat in a row of two, so no middle seat — just the aisle and window. Well, a very obese man boards and I can tell instantly he is going to have a tough time fitting in any of the seats. I assume maybe he bought two hence why he’s even attempting to board. I’m mentally crossing my fingers he’s not next to me, but sure enough he ends up pointing to the window seat next to me to let him in. I get up and let him in politely, wanting to at least give him a chance.
He sits down and is easily seeping into about 1/3 of my seat
I sit down and am pressed up against him, making me uncomfortable. After a minute, I decided to be upfront and tell him:
“Sir, I’m sorry but this situation is not working for me, you’re taking up quite a bit of my seat”.
He wasn’t rude, but sort of gave me a shrug as if there’s not nothing he can do — although he did sort of tighten his arms in to try and be narrower. It just wasn’t enough, though. He still was overhanging over the armrest about 1/4th into my seat even when squeezing his arms in. I’m talking about fully hanging over the armrest into my seat.
I end up stopping a flight attendant and ask her what can be done about the situation
She instantly tells him that he is likely going to need to purchase another seat. She goes to the front and comes back saying that there aren’t any open seats on this flight, so there wasn’t a way to move people so he could have two. This causes a very awkward silence. The guy seemed embarrassed and didn’t want to get up. He mentioned how he can’t wait for a later flight. I felt bad for him but I was also thinking about my own comfort on the long flight — the comfort I paid for. The flight attendant tells him that unless someone on the flight agrees to let him take up part of their seat, he’ll need to book another flight. The guy seems really flustered by this ultimatum, and here’s where I made my offer.
I told the guy, “Look, I’ll put up with this if you give me $150 — that’s half the cost of this flight and that would compensate me enough for the circumstances.”
He instantly agrees, pulls out cash and pays me. He even told me he appreciated it. Well the people sitting behind me (who keep in mind didn’t volunteer to sit by him) were making under their breath comments about me being an asshole for doing that. I just ignored them and put the cash in my wallet.
From my perspective, I gave the guy a valid option to stay on the flight and I was compensated for literally having only 75% of my seat max (let alone the feeling of a person’s body pressed against you involuntarily). A win-win. He wasn’t angry at all, if anything he seemed quite relieved we could work it out privately.
After the flight, the couple behind me glared at me but I ignored them. This leads me to beg the question, am I the bad guy?”
People had many different opinions:
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What do you think ?
Kat Sotiriou 6 years ago
If it was airline policy then they should have said something at checkin or the gate not embarrass him on the flight
Tacitus86 6 years ago
This is tough, but I solely blame the airline for taking more and more seat space from everyone to line their pockets with more money.
diane a 6 years ago (edited)
The guy should have been offered compensation by the airline. He booked, paid for and expected a seat. Not half a seat. Why put a passenger on the spot to decide if he is willing to be responsible for having a fellow passenger kicked off the flight. They should also make it very clear when booking that very obese passengers cannot be accomodated in single seats.Maybe some people just hope there will be enough empty seats on a flight that they can get 2 for themselves at no extra cost.I wonder - would it have been different if it was a woman forced to be up close and personal with a strange man for 5 hours?
Load More Replies...
Elizabeth 6 years ago
I think this was a fair situation. While the airlines keep making seats smaller and smaller, especially in the economy section, you can still be somewhat heavy and fit just fine. I know, I'm plus size and don't spill into the seats next to me. This had to have been a very big person and others shouldn't have to suffer for their lack of preparation.
Bored Moogle 6 years ago
If airlines would stop shrinking their damn seats to squeeze as many passengers as possible into a plane, this wouldn't be an issue.
MidgetDogg 6 years ago
Very awkward situation. I can't say I think the guy is a jerk for speaking up - it's just not something I would do. I would silently stew about it and probably rant about it to family when I got home. I did get a bit of attitude from a couple with a baby who didn't pay for a seat for the baby and had to hold him on their laps because there were no other free seats for me to choose on a flight. People need to remember that everyone pays for a seatt and should get what they pay for L
Ginger Gibson 6 years ago
seriously? they gave you attitude for sitting in the seat you paid for because they couldn't take an extra seat for free? I really don't understand this false sense of entitlement some people have. You want to give your baby a seat, buy a seat. simple logic... geez.
Load More Replies...
Amina Hays 6 years ago
The obese man was fine with the solution, the people sitting behind them shouldn’t be offended on his behalf. Aeroplanes are really cramped anyway and if he paid for a specific seat, why should he relinquish part of it just because the man sitting next to him eats too much cake, or whatever. It seems to be more and more common, that overweight people are given a complete pass purely because they're fat and people are walking on the eggshells of offence. It’s political correctness gone barmy. The world doesn’t revolve around them (although at their size they probably have their own gravitational pull), and people shouldn’t bend over backwards to accommodate them, for fear of being called discriminatory or worse. People have been losing their jobs over similar situations which is utter madness. This fella wasn’t in the wrong for what he did and the obese man was totally cool with paying him $150 for the privilege.
Sage Jay 6 years ago
Let's just straighten something out - unless you are a person's doctor, do not comment or give 'advice' on their size and/or body and/or health. Saying the person "eats too much cake" isn't necessarily true. I've had people (sometimes adults, my TEACHER when I was in middle school) point out how skinny I am (like I don't know that) and that I should "eat a sandwich" or "eat more" or say that I "look like a stick" and the like. I know I'm thin as f**k!! I have a medical condition!! I can't absorb nutrients like normal people!! So unless you're someone's doctor, don't assume or comment about people's weight/size/body.
Load More Replies...
Daria B 6 years ago
Except that it didn't. The opposite, actually. The small guy wanted to be comfortable → he failed. The big guy got embarrassed on top of being twice as uncomfortable. The airlines gained no profit from the sum the big guy payed. Literally everyone lost, but they just chose not to complain any further.
Load More Replies...
Stille20 6 years ago
I hate the idea of someone spilling into my seat, but the guy should charge you back the $150 for having to feel humiliated for a long flight. What if the person had high anxiety or tourette syndrome or a weak stomach or a cold? I've dealt with 3 out of 4 of those, but it never would have occurred to me to ask them for compensation.
Denise Melek 6 years ago
Someone with tourette or anxiety doesnt have his body partly lying over me. I would be the one getting 3 out of the 4 named sysndromes having a strange man press against me.
Load More Replies...
Mark Patterson 6 years ago
I find this whole situation very interesting from an ethics point of view. Two parties have agreed a resolution to their problem, since agreement was made both parties must have felt that the agreement was beneficial to them. This happens all the time, it is in fact the basis of an economy. I pay for you to do things that I either can't do or don't want to do. Do you think the person who cleans the toilets at a night club really feels happy about that task every morning or do you think they feel that their pay is sufficient compensation? If they eventually feel that isn't the case can they not quit? Money as a form of compensation for time/injury/loss is fairly fundamental to our world.
Mark Patterson 6 years ago
Now as to the deal in question, why are you complaining about the OP asking for $150? Do you feel that is to much? Would you have sat in that seat for less. There was ample opportunity for someone to offer to swap with the OP for that $150 and then that person to return some of that money to the other passenger. The fact that no one did means that was the value in the market. This is a fundamental tenet of supply and demand. The value of a product is the price at the last transaction.
Load More Replies...
William Morales 6 years ago
Only reason I fly first class, when I do fly, which is worth it if you can swing it. To have a bigger seat, just to clarify why. The foods better too, wait that's probably why I need a bigger seat lol.
Kat Sotiriou 6 years ago
If it was airline policy then they should have said something at checkin or the gate not embarrass him on the flight
Tacitus86 6 years ago
This is tough, but I solely blame the airline for taking more and more seat space from everyone to line their pockets with more money.
diane a 6 years ago (edited)
The guy should have been offered compensation by the airline. He booked, paid for and expected a seat. Not half a seat. Why put a passenger on the spot to decide if he is willing to be responsible for having a fellow passenger kicked off the flight. They should also make it very clear when booking that very obese passengers cannot be accomodated in single seats.Maybe some people just hope there will be enough empty seats on a flight that they can get 2 for themselves at no extra cost.I wonder - would it have been different if it was a woman forced to be up close and personal with a strange man for 5 hours?
Load More Replies... Elizabeth 6 years ago
I think this was a fair situation. While the airlines keep making seats smaller and smaller, especially in the economy section, you can still be somewhat heavy and fit just fine. I know, I'm plus size and don't spill into the seats next to me. This had to have been a very big person and others shouldn't have to suffer for their lack of preparation.
Bored Moogle 6 years ago
If airlines would stop shrinking their damn seats to squeeze as many passengers as possible into a plane, this wouldn't be an issue.
MidgetDogg 6 years ago
Very awkward situation. I can't say I think the guy is a jerk for speaking up - it's just not something I would do. I would silently stew about it and probably rant about it to family when I got home. I did get a bit of attitude from a couple with a baby who didn't pay for a seat for the baby and had to hold him on their laps because there were no other free seats for me to choose on a flight. People need to remember that everyone pays for a seatt and should get what they pay for L
Ginger Gibson 6 years ago
seriously? they gave you attitude for sitting in the seat you paid for because they couldn't take an extra seat for free? I really don't understand this false sense of entitlement some people have. You want to give your baby a seat, buy a seat. simple logic... geez.
Load More Replies... Amina Hays 6 years ago
The obese man was fine with the solution, the people sitting behind them shouldn’t be offended on his behalf. Aeroplanes are really cramped anyway and if he paid for a specific seat, why should he relinquish part of it just because the man sitting next to him eats too much cake, or whatever. It seems to be more and more common, that overweight people are given a complete pass purely because they're fat and people are walking on the eggshells of offence. It’s political correctness gone barmy. The world doesn’t revolve around them (although at their size they probably have their own gravitational pull), and people shouldn’t bend over backwards to accommodate them, for fear of being called discriminatory or worse. People have been losing their jobs over similar situations which is utter madness. This fella wasn’t in the wrong for what he did and the obese man was totally cool with paying him $150 for the privilege.
Sage Jay 6 years ago
Let's just straighten something out - unless you are a person's doctor, do not comment or give 'advice' on their size and/or body and/or health. Saying the person "eats too much cake" isn't necessarily true. I've had people (sometimes adults, my TEACHER when I was in middle school) point out how skinny I am (like I don't know that) and that I should "eat a sandwich" or "eat more" or say that I "look like a stick" and the like. I know I'm thin as f**k!! I have a medical condition!! I can't absorb nutrients like normal people!! So unless you're someone's doctor, don't assume or comment about people's weight/size/body.
Load More Replies... Daria B 6 years ago
Except that it didn't. The opposite, actually. The small guy wanted to be comfortable → he failed. The big guy got embarrassed on top of being twice as uncomfortable. The airlines gained no profit from the sum the big guy payed. Literally everyone lost, but they just chose not to complain any further.
Load More Replies... Stille20 6 years ago
I hate the idea of someone spilling into my seat, but the guy should charge you back the $150 for having to feel humiliated for a long flight. What if the person had high anxiety or tourette syndrome or a weak stomach or a cold? I've dealt with 3 out of 4 of those, but it never would have occurred to me to ask them for compensation.
Denise Melek 6 years ago
Someone with tourette or anxiety doesnt have his body partly lying over me. I would be the one getting 3 out of the 4 named sysndromes having a strange man press against me.
Load More Replies... Mark Patterson 6 years ago
I find this whole situation very interesting from an ethics point of view. Two parties have agreed a resolution to their problem, since agreement was made both parties must have felt that the agreement was beneficial to them. This happens all the time, it is in fact the basis of an economy. I pay for you to do things that I either can't do or don't want to do. Do you think the person who cleans the toilets at a night club really feels happy about that task every morning or do you think they feel that their pay is sufficient compensation? If they eventually feel that isn't the case can they not quit? Money as a form of compensation for time/injury/loss is fairly fundamental to our world.
Mark Patterson 6 years ago
Now as to the deal in question, why are you complaining about the OP asking for $150? Do you feel that is to much? Would you have sat in that seat for less. There was ample opportunity for someone to offer to swap with the OP for that $150 and then that person to return some of that money to the other passenger. The fact that no one did means that was the value in the market. This is a fundamental tenet of supply and demand. The value of a product is the price at the last transaction.
Load More Replies... William Morales 6 years ago
Only reason I fly first class, when I do fly, which is worth it if you can swing it. To have a bigger seat, just to clarify why. The foods better too, wait that's probably why I need a bigger seat lol.
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