Passenger sues BA for being 'squashed next to obese man' (RSS thread)

dowie · 16 Nov 2018 at 22:03

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46233158

A man is suing British Airways after being "squashed" next to an obese passenger during a 13-hour flight.

Stephen Huw Prosser, who is 5ft 3in, said he suffered a pelvic injury and nerve damage in his neck on the journey from Bangkok to London in January 2016.

The 51-year-old from Tonypandy in Rhondda Cynon Taff told Pontypridd County Court the passenger "was built like the late rugby player Jonah Lomu".

He is claiming for damages and loss of earnings, which BA is resisting.

The total amount is believed to be in the region of £7,500.

Mr Prosser, a civil engineer company director, was returning home from a holiday in Thailand on 10 January 2016.

He was sitting by the window when a "huge man" took the seat next to him before takeoff.

"In my opinion he was obese as well as tall. I would estimate he was 6ft 4in in height and in excess of 22 stones," said Mr Prosser.

"He had to physically squeeze himself between the armrests. His buttocks were bulging onto my side and the rest of his bulk spilling over.

"The weight of this man's bulk was pushing my spine in a painful, unnatural and crooked position as I tried to remain in an upright position."

Mr Prosser complained to the cabin crew but was told there was no alternative seat available as the flight was full.

Should larger folk be forced to buy two seats or pay for an upgrade if they're going to struggle to fit into a regular seat? Should airlines weigh all passengers in advance or should the responsibility be with the passengers?

Destination · 16 Nov 2018 at 22:07

Yes they should, if you can't fit in the seat, either buy two, or don't fly.
Most US airlines have this following previous cases.

Minstadave · 16 Nov 2018 at 22:07

It's going to have to happen unfortunately. Obesity is becoming normal so airlines are going to need XL seats.

Happened years ago in healthcare - bariatric wheelchairs, ambulances, beds etc...

Diagro · 16 Nov 2018 at 22:08

Yes, make them buy the fatty seat.

Pawnless Endgame · 16 Nov 2018 at 22:10

I'm 5ft 4in and 15 stone which makes me very overweight too, but I think that the plaintiff is correct to sue the airliner. This is because a paying customer had to take 13 hours of discomfort through no fault of his own.

At my own weight/BMI though, I still fit on economy plane seats no problem, and I love roller coasters and they're not a problem either.

Yadda · 16 Nov 2018 at 22:18

Mr Prosser is 5'3" and built like a noodle. He could've sat in the cup holder.

TNGL · 16 Nov 2018 at 22:26

Definitely and I would be looking for more than £7,500.

Resident · 16 Nov 2018 at 22:44

dowie said:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46233158

Should larger folk be forced to buy two seats or pay for an upgrade if they're going to struggle to fit into a regular seat? Should airlines weigh all passengers in advance or should the responsibility be with the passengers?

Of course passengers should be weighed.

My luggage is weight restricted but I can be as heavy as I want.

Weight is a key factor in an airliner flight calculations.

Take a 737. A 200 seat airliner, commonly used.

Max takeoff weight of 80,000kg

Plane weighs 41,000kg
Full fuel load 18,000kg
200 pieces of 20kg checked luggage 4,000kg
200 pieces of hand luggage (average max 10kg) 2,000
200 passengers weighing 20st (128kg rounded up) 25, 600kg

Total 90,600kg which is 10,600kg over limit so it'll never take off.

Now obviously for the pedants it's currently not the way it happens but I could see it being so in the near future.

esoteric · 16 Nov 2018 at 22:50

Read about this last night, sounds like a chancer. He also has pre-existing pains that "flared up" because of it. I've sat next to someone I know who is way bigger then this guy and it was a BA flight and I had 0 problems.

Semple · 16 Nov 2018 at 23:03

I think airlines do need to do something about it, but a lot of them don't want the negative publicity. Can you imagine the headlines if they didn't let him fly because he's overweight?

I'm not really sure how they can work around this. Only thing I can think of is when booking seats, you get asked if you weigh more than X, or are taller than Y. If you meet those conditions then you can only purchase extra large seats. If you do buy a regular seat and are unable to sit within the confined space then you won't be able to fly.

gingergamer · 16 Nov 2018 at 23:14

The guy is trying his luck a bit with the compo, but he has a point, something will have to be done eventually

I’ve never had issues like this flying but my auntie was sat next to a huge woman for a flight to LA, her arms were literally coming over the arm rest into what would be her paid-for seat dimensions, forcing my aunt to have to sort of turn into my uncles seat to get a bit of breathing room

Mental how some people let themselves get

Jumper118 · 16 Nov 2018 at 23:38

Sounds like the kind of guy who would eat the third biscuit.

Thekwango · 16 Nov 2018 at 23:47

Semple said:
I think airlines do need to do something about it, but a lot of them don't want the negative publicity. Can you imagine the headlines if they didn't let him fly because he's overweight?

surprised Ryanair haven't jumped on this yet. Michael O'Leary gives not one **** about negative publicity and if he gets a sniff of a chance to charge people more he's normally on it like a fly on *****

Em3bbs · 16 Nov 2018 at 23:54

Saw height of 'injured' passenger, saw name, saw place of residence, assumed attempted whippy compo.

JBuk · 17 Nov 2018 at 01:02

esoteric said:
Read about this last night, sounds like a chancer. He also has pre-existing pains that "flared up" because of it. I've sat next to someone I know who is way bigger then this guy and it was a BA flight and I had 0 problems.

I’ve also sat next to somebody large who I would describe as morbidly obese, it was uncomfortable and embarrassing having their excess flab droop over the armrest into my area, luckily it was only an hour long flight

Semple said:
I think airlines do need to do something about it, but a lot of them don't want the negative publicity. Can you imagine the headlines if they didn't let him fly because he's overweight?

I'm not really sure how they can work around this. Only thing I can think of is when booking seats, you get asked if you weigh more than X, or are taller than Y. If you meet those conditions then you can only purchase extra large seats. If you do buy a regular seat and are unable to sit within the confined space then you won't be able to fly.

Maybe have a cutout you have to be able to it through , bit like hole in the wall

Meddling-Monk · 17 Nov 2018 at 01:03

Whilst I can see the concern of a whole plane or a vast majority of a plane boarded by heavier than the norm people, I don't think there's that much of a tendency of that to occur simultaneously, which would be a major cause of concern.

Until the average weight and size a standard passenger increases to a higher level, I don't believe that a person should be forced to pay for two seats, barring if they are physically already beyond the seating limits already. Which most normally account for these days anyway do they not?

As for OP linked claim, sounds like they're trying to pull a fast one really. If the other person really can barely get their butts into the seat, their hips would need to be a minimum of 48 inches around (I know as I'm 46, and was concerned about seating a while back until I realised I fall just inside the normal numbers. Damn genetics!

). Plus the description of obese, would mean they would have required an extension belt as well otherwise they wouldn't have been able to put their belt on, which clearly isn't part of the report/story. Which suggests that is likely not what went down.

Meddling-Monk · 17 Nov 2018 at 01:09

JBuk said:
I’ve also sat next to somebody large who I would describe as morbidly obese, it was uncomfortable and embarrassing having their excess flab droop over the armrest into my area, luckily it was only an hour long flight

Unlucky. But also lucky it was a short flight.

Maybe have a cutout you have to be able to it through , bit like hole in the wall

A bit unfair for those who were blessed with massive bone structures though and worked out a lot though, but I can get behind that so long as it doesn't have unnatural proportions.

<-- 56 Inch Shoulders, 9.5 Inch Clavicle (23 Inch across side to side), 48 Inch Chest, 17.5 Inch Biceps, etc. Not really small by design.

:: edit :: Oh, 120+ KG too.

Dirk Diggler · 17 Nov 2018 at 08:18

dowie said:
The 51-year-old from Tonypandy in Rhondda Cynon Taff told Pontypridd County Court

Is he one of the dwarves from Lord Of The Rings?

Skorpion · 17 Nov 2018 at 08:21

Blimey !!

I could claim thousands having sat next to the wife on the sofa for the last 25 years according to this

FortuitousFluke · 17 Nov 2018 at 08:24

String said:
Is he one of the dwarves from Lord Of The Rings?

5'3 from Tonypandy? Sounds like a setup to a kids tv show about a stuffed toy that comes to life.

I don't trust him at all given both his account and that of the attendant. Having said that eventually someone will come forward with a legitimate complaint.