Disabled, obese allowed free extra plane seat...

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

...so rules the Canadian Supreme Court.

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/story.html?id=977633

So... who thinks that's a good idea?!


I wonder how these cases have gone in other jurisdictions....

[warthog]

...so rules the Canadian Supreme Court.

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/story.html?id=977633

So... who thinks that's a good idea?!


I wonder how these cases have gone in other jurisdictions....

Given your previous record of nicking disabled parking spaces, I presume you won't be honouring this.

[Prufrock]

Disabled, fair enough. Obese, get tae feck

[Lord Kangana]

Do you get 2 in-flight meals for the price of one aswell? It might be worth gaining a few pounds, in for a penny etc

[Montreal Wanderer]

...so rules the Canadian Supreme Court.

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/story.html?id=977633

So... who thinks that's a good idea?!


I wonder how these cases have gone in other jurisdictions....

Actually that is not quite true, PB. This was a ruling by the regulatory agency responsible for airlines. The Supreme Court declined to hear the airlines appeal against this decision. There is a difference. The Canadian Transportation Agency ruled that the airlines had failed to show they would suffer hardship if a disabled person had a required attendant travel free with them. The ruling also dealt with the morbidly obese, often the result of a medical condition. Our Supreme Court does not hear appeals automatically, but only if the appeal is in the public interest.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Yep, that's a fair refinement, or rather, correction, of what I said!

[Montreal Wanderer]

Yep, that's a fair refinement, or rather, correction, of what I said!

As for whether it is a good idea, I suppose one would have to read the summary of the case (although "summary" is not a word I would describe to use it). The ruling was upheld by the Federal Court of Appeal, prior to the attempted Supreme Court appeal.

[Harry Genshaw]

I think I'd be pretty peed off if I were a disabled Canadian. You get a landmark ruling like this in your favour and some fatty comes riding in on your coat tails. The worlds gone mad.

[Montreal Wanderer]

I think I'd be pretty peed off if I were a disabled Canadian. You get a landmark ruling like this in your favour and some fatty comes riding in on your coat tails. The worlds gone mad.

Having be obliged to sit next to people above normal weight on occasion I would have been happy for them to have had an extra seat - other passengers really suffer when squeezed in next to an individual of adiposity.

[Prufrock]

I think I'd be pretty peed off if I were a disabled Canadian. You get a landmark ruling like this in your favour and some fatty comes riding in on your coat tails. The worlds gone mad.

Having be obliged to sit next to people above normal weight on occasion I would have been happy for them to have had an extra seat - other passengers really suffer when squeezed in next to an individual of adiposity.

Dont think anyone has an issue with them having two seats, in fact i think they should be forced to have two, they should just have to pay for both. If the obesity is a result of a medical condition it should be treated as a disability, if its coz they are lazy with a poor diet, they should have to pay for two seats.

[Montreal Wanderer]

I think I'd be pretty peed off if I were a disabled Canadian. You get a landmark ruling like this in your favour and some fatty comes riding in on your coat tails. The worlds gone mad.

Having be obliged to sit next to people above normal weight on occasion I would have been happy for them to have had an extra seat - other passengers really suffer when squeezed in next to an individual of adiposity.

Dont think anyone has an issue with them having two seats, in fact i think they should be forced to have two, they should just have to pay for both. If the obesity is a result of a medical condition it should be treated as a disability, if its coz they are lazy with a poor diet, they should have to pay for two seats.

Actually that was basically the ruling...

[Prufrock]

I think I'd be pretty peed off if I were a disabled Canadian. You get a landmark ruling like this in your favour and some fatty comes riding in on your coat tails. The worlds gone mad.

Having be obliged to sit next to people above normal weight on occasion I would have been happy for them to have had an extra seat - other passengers really suffer when squeezed in next to an individual of adiposity.

Dont think anyone has an issue with them having two seats, in fact i think they should be forced to have two, they should just have to pay for both. If the obesity is a result of a medical condition it should be treated as a disability, if its coz they are lazy with a poor diet, they should have to pay for two seats.

Actually that was basically the ruling...

Am guessing that was in the summary, that or i missed it in the original article. If thats the case, seems fair enough to me.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

I think I'd be pretty peed off if I were a disabled Canadian. You get a landmark ruling like this in your favour and some fatty comes riding in on your coat tails. The worlds gone mad.

Having be obliged to sit next to people above normal weight on occasion I would have been happy for them to have had an extra seat - other passengers really suffer when squeezed in next to an individual of adiposity.

Dont think anyone has an issue with them having two seats, in fact i think they should be forced to have two, they should just have to pay for both. If the obesity is a result of a medical condition it should be treated as a disability, if its coz they are lazy with a poor diet, they should have to pay for two seats.

Actually that was basically the ruling...

Not really.

The cut off point being mooted seems to be related more to the disabling consequences of size, rather than the cause of it.

And anyway, as I understand it, there are plenty of medical conditions that 'contribute' to obesity (and so those afflicted need to eat less than others in order to stay slim), but rather fewer that flat-out 'cause' it.

Seems to me that given the health problems associated with obesity, and the damaging effects of burning more aviation fuel, the only responsible thing to do is to have social and financial disincentives for obesity!

[Montreal Wanderer]

I think I'd be pretty peed off if I were a disabled Canadian. You get a landmark ruling like this in your favour and some fatty comes riding in on your coat tails. The worlds gone mad.

Having be obliged to sit next to people above normal weight on occasion I would have been happy for them to have had an extra seat - other passengers really suffer when squeezed in next to an individual of adiposity.

Dont think anyone has an issue with them having two seats, in fact i think they should be forced to have two, they should just have to pay for both. If the obesity is a result of a medical condition it should be treated as a disability, if its coz they are lazy with a poor diet, they should have to pay for two seats.

Actually that was basically the ruling...

Am guessing that was in the summary, that or i missed it in the original article. If thats the case, seems fair enough to me.

Not in the summary I think - it only talks about people disabled by obesity. However, an earlier court case addressed this issue.

[Prufrock]

I think I'd be pretty peed off if I were a disabled Canadian. You get a landmark ruling like this in your favour and some fatty comes riding in on your coat tails. The worlds gone mad.

Having be obliged to sit next to people above normal weight on occasion I would have been happy for them to have had an extra seat - other passengers really suffer when squeezed in next to an individual of adiposity.

Dont think anyone has an issue with them having two seats, in fact i think they should be forced to have two, they should just have to pay for both. If the obesity is a result of a medical condition it should be treated as a disability, if its coz they are lazy with a poor diet, they should have to pay for two seats.

Actually that was basically the ruling...

Not really.

The cut off point being mooted seems to be related more to the disabling consequences of size, rather than the cause of it.

And anyway, as I understand it, there are plenty of medical conditions that 'contribute' to obesity (and so those afflicted need to eat less than others in order to stay slim), but rather fewer that flat-out 'cause' it.

Seems to me that given the health problems associated with obesity, and the damaging effects of burning more aviation fuel, the only responsible thing to do is to have social and financial disincentives for obesity!

Tis an interesting point. In the long run, losing weight is in the health interests of these people. Make 'em walk instead!

[Bruce Rioja]

Well, I'm no slip of a lad but at least I can quite easily fit in my seat. The most hideous journey of my life was when I basically had to share half of my seat with the most horrendous, sweating mound of blubber on Earth, on a flight from Chicago. She had to place her right shoulder blade across my left collar bone for the entire flight.

[William the White]

Well, I'm no slip of a lad but at least I can quite easily fit in my seat. The most hideous journey of my life was when I basically had to share half of my seat with the most horrendous, sweating mound of blubber on Earth, on a flight from Chicago. She had to place her right shoulder blade across my left collar bone for the entire flight.

Yeah, America astonishing. Even more so than Farnworth. Or Bolton Market. Though the entistry in our dear home is something else...

[communistworkethic]

Well, I'm no slip of a lad but at least I can quite easily fit in my seat. The most hideous journey of my life was when I basically had to share half of my seat with the most horrendous, sweating mound of blubber on Earth, on a flight from Chicago. She had to place her right shoulder blade across my left collar bone for the entire flight.

Yeah, America astonishing. Even more so than Farnworth. Or Bolton Market. Though the entistry in our dear home is something else...

Middle-earth topiary?

[ratbert]

Will the plane be able to take off?

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Does this mean I get a free upgrade to business class because my legs don't fit in economy seats? I mean, it's not my fault I grew so tall is it?