The photograph, allegedly taken by an American Airlines hostess, was used to show why larger passengers should be made to buy an extra seat.
Most all of us have had at least one horror story of an economy class seating nightmare, stuck between smelly, loud or extremely obese passengers. A picture, allegedly taken by an American Airlines hostess, has been spreading around the internet like wildfire demonstrating that sometimes certain passengers can cause more problems than a little in-flight discomfort.
The photo (left) was taken by a stewardess who wanted to show her boss why she believed that many passengers should be required to purchase an extra seat. While it’s clear from the photo the plane had not taken off yet, it’s uncertain as to whether or not the passenger was asked to move before takeoff.
The internet was abuzz with opinions about the picture, ranging from obvious concerns for passenger safety to debates on whether or not larger passengers should be charged for the additional weight, much like certain airlines charge for additional baggage.
A spokesman for American Airlines, the carrier believed to be shown in the above picture, was unable to confirm whether or not it was taken from one of their flights but did insist that obstructing the aisle would be a safety hazard.
Certainly no passenger would ever be allowed to fly in any way that obstructs the aisles of the aircraft,’ he said. ‘It is very obvious in the photo that the aircraft is not in-flight at the time the photo was taken – other passengers are still boarding and several overhead bins are still open.’
Regardless of whether or not you sympathize with this character, it does bring into question fairness to other passengers, the concept of fuel surcharges and whether or not having extremely obese people are safety hazards to the other crew members and passengers whether they purchased an additional seat or not.
