[2000stanggirl]

Personally, I think the simplist and most cost effective solution would be to provide accessible seating for the morbidly obese. Perhaps a few rows of seats that instead of having three across, there are two larger seats. The airlines could certainly charge slightly more for these accomodations as they do for other accomodations for people with disablities (they charge out the @$$ for in flight oxygen) to counter their initial costs of replacing the seating. They wouldn't have to replace all seating, and they could have a restriction on the number of obese patrons to match the seating available.

I agree that it is not a "right" to fly, and that "wants" are often confused for "rights" but I also think that unless you have personally lived with a disabliity, you have no idea how difficult daily life is for these people. I certainly had no idea until I had my son, and expirenced first hand the struggle of living with a disablity. I see the world thru my sons eyes now, and have more compassion for those that struggle with daily life activities. Let me pose this situation to you. Is it a right or want for a child to play? What if it's a city playground? Does every child have the right to play? Or just able-bodied children? Does anyone have the right to demand that the city bring the park in compliance with ADA regulations and create an accessible park for ALL children? Or should everyone just look away because the majority of children are not disabled, so it's just a waste of money?

5.0 and Hammer, you guys are right, anything can be made to fit into the disablity catagory, and that is not right. The fact that drug addicts can collect SSI and other governments benefits absolutely enrages me, despite the fact that it is a mental illness. I've fought to just get basic medical help when no insurance company would give my son medical insurance. I certainly could not afford the $45,000 a month it was costing to keep him alive at one time. Was it fair to get government assistance (tax payers money) to keep him alive? Probably not, but he is my son, and I couldn't just watch him die because I didn't want him to be a burden on society. Fortunantely, his medical bills are far less now, and he has private medical insurance. Now I have to fight the school system for his right to education under IDEA (individuals with disabilities act)

Back to the airlines.....there is no way to make everyone happy. Tall people will still be cramped, orthopedically impaired people will still have difficulty navigating thru the narrow isles, and intolerant people will still have to deal with crying children. Let's face it, if your not flying 1st class, your flight may be miserable.