Obese Flyer Sues Southwest

Logan Mcwilliams wrote:

August 25, 2004

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP)--A cosmetics company CEO has sued Southwest Airlines
(LUV), alleging that she was unfairly subjected to its policy of requiring
large passengers to buy two seats because she is black.

Nadine Thompson, president, CEO and co-founder of Warm Spirit Inc. beauty
and wellness company in Exeter, sued the airline in federal court in
Concord last week, saying the company does not uniformly enforce its policy
requiring obese passengers to buy two seats.

The lawsuit said "a disproportionate number of women and persons of color
are subjects of Southwest's policy requiring a passenger to purchase a
second ticket.

"But for the plaintiff being a large African-American woman, she would not
have been subjected to Southwest's policy of requiring a passenger to
purchase a second ticket."

The lawsuit said, "Similarly sized white male passengers are not subjected
to Southwest's policy requiring a passenger to purchase a second ticket."

Southwest Airlines disagrees with Thompson.

"I know that is not the case at all. We do not tolerate any discrimination
in any shape, form or fashion," said Southwest spokesman Ed Stewart.

"Being a black man myself I can totally speak from experience," Stewart
said. "We do not discriminate against black people. That's been my
experience for the 14 years I've been here."

Thompson said she had booked the flight to a conference in Chicago out of
Manchester Airport. She was relaxing in her seat on July 9, 2003, with the
seat belt buckled and the armrest down, when a Southwest employee
approached her and told her she would have to buy a second ticket or leave
the aircraft.

She said the man kept repeating it was "for her comfort and safety and for
the safety of the people around her."

Southwest had never before required her to buy two tickets, she said. She
told the Southwest employee that no one was sitting next to her, so she
couldn't be encroaching on anyone else's seat.

Thompson said she had been a frequent flier on Southwest, flying at least
three or four times a month as CEO of Warm Spirit Inc.

She decided to leave the plane. When she left, she was met on the jetway by
three Southwest employees and two Rockingham County sheriff's deputies. She
said she was deeply humiliated. "I about died."

She said she started to cry, but the deputies were very kind and helped her
book a new, single-seat flight on United.

"They're feeling horrible," she said of the deputies. "One of them said,
'You're no bigger than my wife. I can't believe this could happen to my
wife."'

This is off topic for MISC.CONSUMERS. Please trim headers.

Annabelle Silva wrote:

On 11 Sep 2004, (Logan Mcwilliams) wrote:

August 25, 2004

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP)--A cosmetics company CEO has sued Southwest Airlines
(LUV), alleging that she was unfairly subjected to its policy of requiring
large passengers to buy two seats because she is black.

Nadine Thompson, president, CEO and co-founder of Warm Spirit Inc. beauty
and wellness company in Exeter, sued the airline in federal court in
Concord last week, saying the company does not uniformly enforce its policy
requiring obese passengers to buy two seats.

The lawsuit said "a disproportionate number of women and persons of color
are subjects of Southwest's policy requiring a passenger to purchase a
second ticket.

"But for the plaintiff being a large African-American woman, she would not
have been subjected to Southwest's policy of requiring a passenger to
purchase a second ticket."

The lawsuit said, "Similarly sized white male passengers are not subjected
to Southwest's policy requiring a passenger to purchase a second ticket."

Southwest Airlines disagrees with Thompson.

"I know that is not the case at all. We do not tolerate any discrimination
in any shape, form or fashion," said Southwest spokesman Ed Stewart.

"Being a black man myself I can totally speak from experience," Stewart
said. "We do not discriminate against black people. That's been my
experience for the 14 years I've been here."

Thompson said she had booked the flight to a conference in Chicago out of
Manchester Airport. She was relaxing in her seat on July 9, 2003, with the
seat belt buckled and the armrest down, when a Southwest employee
approached her and told her she would have to buy a second ticket or leave
the aircraft.

She said the man kept repeating it was "for her comfort and safety and for
the safety of the people around her."

Southwest had never before required her to buy two tickets, she said. She
told the Southwest employee that no one was sitting next to her, so she
couldn't be encroaching on anyone else's seat.

Thompson said she had been a frequent flier on Southwest, flying at least
three or four times a month as CEO of Warm Spirit Inc.

She decided to leave the plane. When she left, she was met on the jetway by
three Southwest employees and two Rockingham County sheriff's deputies. She
said she was deeply humiliated. "I about died."

She said she started to cry, but the deputies were very kind and helped her
book a new, single-seat flight on United.

"They're feeling horrible," she said of the deputies. "One of them said,
'You're no bigger than my wife. I can't believe this could happen to my
wife."'

Nadine Thompson is huge.

http://www.theunionleader.com/doclib...25a1nadine.jpg

She needs to buy two seats. I would not want that fat pig sitting next to
me.

This is off topic for MISC.CONSUMERS. Please trim headers.

This is off topic for MISC.CONSUMERS. Please trim headers.

GrillMaster wrote:

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP)--A cosmetics company CEO has sued Southwest Airlines
(LUV), alleging that she was unfairly subjected to its policy of requiring
large passengers to buy two seats because she is black.

snip

Okay, so what you got here is yet another Biiiiiiiiiiiig, fat black woman
trying to sue someone for some money that she doesn't deserve. Always trying
to get rich the easy way.

Maybe if she'd put more emphasis on losing weight, and less on the
"as-good-as-you're-gonna-look for a pig" beauty industry, she wouldn't be
too large to sit in one seat.

I swear, I think that if I was fat, I'd be out there demanding my Right to
buy two seats, for my comfort.

This is off topic for MISC.CONSUMERS. Please trim headers.

This is off topic for MISC.CONSUMERS. Please trim headers.


Pete wrote:

The real question in this case is whether or not society believes we
ca use a person's size as a basis for permissible or impermissible
discrimination. Southwest believes that it should be allowed to
discriminate, contrary to the assertion of its spokesperson.

Wasn't it a former Supreme Court Justice who claimed that "your
right to wave your arms stops at my nose" or something like that? The
weight-challenged equivalent is "your right to spill your huge fat body
ends at the border of my airline seat." What we need are passenger
templates, similar to the baggage templates seen at airports, so that
we can objectively measure whether a passenger can fit into one seat
or will be required to buy a second seat. And then we need to enforce
it upon everyone.

Pete

ANd YOUR crap is OFF topic for rec.travel. air AND
rec.travel.usa-canada.


kris



On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 18:21:18 -0400, Tag Diner wrote:

This is off topic for MISC.CONSUMERS. Please trim headers.

GrillMaster wrote:

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP)--A cosmetics company CEO has sued Southwest Airlines
(LUV), alleging that she was unfairly subjected to its policy of requiring
large passengers to buy two seats because she is black.

snip

Okay, so what you got here is yet another Biiiiiiiiiiiig, fat black woman
trying to sue someone for some money that she doesn't deserve. Always trying
to get rich the easy way.

Maybe if she'd put more emphasis on losing weight, and less on the
"as-good-as-you're-gonna-look for a pig" beauty industry, she wouldn't be
too large to sit in one seat.

I swear, I think that if I was fat, I'd be out there demanding my Right to
buy two seats, for my comfort.

This is off topic for MISC.CONSUMERS. Please trim headers.

ANd YOUR crap is OFF topic for rec.travel. air AND
rec.travel.usa-canada.


kris



On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 18:21:18 -0400, Tag Diner wrote:

This is off topic for MISC.CONSUMERS. Please trim headers.

GrillMaster wrote:

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP)--A cosmetics company CEO has sued Southwest Airlines
(LUV), alleging that she was unfairly subjected to its policy of requiring
large passengers to buy two seats because she is black.

snip

Okay, so what you got here is yet another Biiiiiiiiiiiig, fat black woman
trying to sue someone for some money that she doesn't deserve. Always trying
to get rich the easy way.

Maybe if she'd put more emphasis on losing weight, and less on the
"as-good-as-you're-gonna-look for a pig" beauty industry, she wouldn't be
too large to sit in one seat.

I swear, I think that if I was fat, I'd be out there demanding my Right to
buy two seats, for my comfort.

This is off topic for MISC.CONSUMERS. Please trim headers.

Pete wrote:
The real question in this case is whether or not society believes we
ca use a person's size as a basis for permissible or impermissible
discrimination. Southwest believes that it should be allowed to
discriminate, contrary to the assertion of its spokesperson.


Wasn't it a former Supreme Court Justice who claimed that "your
right to wave your arms stops at my nose" or something like that? The
weight-challenged equivalent is "your right to spill your huge fat body
ends at the border of my airline seat." What we need are passenger
templates, similar to the baggage templates seen at airports, so that
we can objectively measure whether a passenger can fit into one seat
or will be required to buy a second seat. And then we need to enforce
it upon everyone.


Pete



And do it -at check in-! Not at the gate.

It's ridiculous for airlines to wait until the last possible moment to
tell a passenger "oh, you're big, you need to buy two seats." Same for
overbooking. Once a plane is full, the people checking bags ought to
become aware of it and tell passengers who are checking in, "that plane
is full, you can proceed at your own risk."

Or are the airlines so disorganized with respect to booking and
reservations that they can't do it? And if they are so disorganized,
can we really trust them with our lives at 30,000 feet?

"Adam Weiss" wrote in message
...
Pete wrote:
The real question in this case is whether or not society believes we
ca use a person's size as a basis for permissible or impermissible
discrimination. Southwest believes that it should be allowed to
discriminate, contrary to the assertion of its spokesperson.

I see absolutely nothing wrong with an airline charging extra, whether the
person is obese or just plain too big (a la NFL lineman) for one seat.
Airlines are in the business of carrying cargo, moving people from Point A
to Point B. By giving away an extra seat, they are losing revenue and
inconveniencing other passengers. If UPS picks up a package that I claim on
the waybill weighs 10 pounds and UPS discovers weighs 20 pounds, they will
charge me extra. I hope that airlines would do the same.

If you don't think that's fair, eat less and exercise more. That weight loss
plan has never failed.

Wasn't it a former Supreme Court Justice who claimed that "your
right to wave your arms stops at my nose" or something like that? The
weight-challenged equivalent is "your right to spill your huge fat body
ends at the border of my airline seat." What we need are passenger
templates, similar to the baggage templates seen at airports, so that
we can objectively measure whether a passenger can fit into one seat
or will be required to buy a second seat. And then we need to enforce
it upon everyone.

Pete

And do it -at check in-! Not at the gate.

It's ridiculous for airlines to wait until the last possible moment to
tell a passenger "oh, you're big, you need to buy two seats." Same for
overbooking. Once a plane is full, the people checking bags ought to
become aware of it and tell passengers who are checking in, "that plane is
full, you can proceed at your own risk."

This would work except for the fact that airlines are encouraging people to
use the automated check in machines. Lots of people (myself included)
haven't checked a bag or dealt with an agent in years. If you don't have to
check in luggage, most likely you won't run across an agent until you're
actually at the gate.

"Adam Weiss" wrote in message
...
Pete wrote:
The real question in this case is whether or not society believes we
ca use a person's size as a basis for permissible or impermissible
discrimination. Southwest believes that it should be allowed to
discriminate, contrary to the assertion of its spokesperson.

I see absolutely nothing wrong with an airline charging extra, whether the
person is obese or just plain too big (a la NFL lineman) for one seat.
Airlines are in the business of carrying cargo, moving people from Point A
to Point B. By giving away an extra seat, they are losing revenue and
inconveniencing other passengers. If UPS picks up a package that I claim on
the waybill weighs 10 pounds and UPS discovers weighs 20 pounds, they will
charge me extra. I hope that airlines would do the same.

If you don't think that's fair, eat less and exercise more. That weight loss
plan has never failed.

Wasn't it a former Supreme Court Justice who claimed that "your
right to wave your arms stops at my nose" or something like that? The
weight-challenged equivalent is "your right to spill your huge fat body
ends at the border of my airline seat." What we need are passenger
templates, similar to the baggage templates seen at airports, so that
we can objectively measure whether a passenger can fit into one seat
or will be required to buy a second seat. And then we need to enforce
it upon everyone.

Pete

And do it -at check in-! Not at the gate.

It's ridiculous for airlines to wait until the last possible moment to
tell a passenger "oh, you're big, you need to buy two seats." Same for
overbooking. Once a plane is full, the people checking bags ought to
become aware of it and tell passengers who are checking in, "that plane is
full, you can proceed at your own risk."

This would work except for the fact that airlines are encouraging people to
use the automated check in machines. Lots of people (myself included)
haven't checked a bag or dealt with an agent in years. If you don't have to
check in luggage, most likely you won't run across an agent until you're
actually at the gate.

Adam Weiss wrote in message ...
It's ridiculous for airlines to wait until the last possible moment to
tell a passenger "oh, you're big, you need to buy two seats." Same for
overbooking. Once a plane is full, the people checking bags ought to
become aware of it and tell passengers who are checking in, "that plane
is full, you can proceed at your own risk."

Or are the airlines so disorganized with respect to booking and
reservations that they can't do it? And if they are so disorganized,
can we really trust them with our lives at 30,000 feet?

The people who maintain and fly the planes are different people to
those who check people in and book the seats. Also an airline wouldn't
want the bad PR that comes with their plane crashing, but the PR is
positive when they don't let fat people on. After all, passengers
don't want to be near an obese person on a plane. Even if they're not
sitting right next to them, who on earth wants to experience the
rancid smell for 20 hours?