Regarding the Tight squeeze, woman cheesed by obese person on Porter Airlines flight post…
SmartCanucks is a consumer oriented blog and this was a very consumer based issue. It’s really sad that people were offended and many asked me to delete the post. We are slowly losing our freedom of speech in this country without even knowing it.
I VERY RESPECTFULLY presented this problem. Having family members who are obese I totally understand that obesity can sometimes be out of our hands and is not always related to poor diet and exercise. I did not once attack obese people in my post. Please read it again.
I’m usually very stressed out during flying because of a terrible experience I’ve had in the past on one of my trips. The psychological stress I go through although not physically apparent, is terrible. The last thing I want to worry about is having to share my seat with anyone. Call me selfish if you will but if I paid for a seat I expect to have my whole seat. The seats are already tiny as it is! So I think this is an issue that needs to be addressed.
Some of the more educated responses in that blog post were actually very enlightening! For instance I really liked Sarah’s response:
As a Woman’s Rights advocate in Canada, I have to say the entire situation is shameful, especially considering the numerous people who posted without considering the larger issue: society; For some, obesity isn’t just due to eating an extra large hamburger, or not exercising, it can be a disease, genetics, or many other issues. Society needs to stop creating things made for a specific womyn and start manufacturing things for all womyn!!!! For instance, at 9 months pregnant right now, I couldn’t use an airplane or bus washroom… Actually, I feel cramped at my 5′1″ 110lbs. body in there prior to being pregnant!!!
If we want either of these ladies to have justice, we would need to look at the larger picture: Why aren’t there seats designed for those who might not fit, or can’t fit into those tiny seats?? It’s an economic thing, the more people the company can squish into the airplane (meaning more tiny seats, less seats that can comfortably hold people) the more money they can make. Of course, if the lady had went to the airport AFTER the fact, the airline probably decided she couldn’t have been THAT uncomfortable to have made the flight, and the company already had made the money…
When put into that perspective, can you blame either lady? I know I can’t!
If we discuss these issues then airlines are more likely to make the seats bigger or add a special service to help out obese people. But if we shut up and pretend nothing is wrong nothing happens!
Once again, I did not try to discriminate against obese people. The fact that some people were offended by my posts offends me. Some people will use the “offended” excuse whenever obese people are mentioned WITHOUT even reading or understanding the argument being presented.
So now is the moment of truth. You guys will decide whether or not the porter airlines blog post will remain on SmartCanucks or get deleted. I’ll let you decide what kind of censorship you want on SmartCanucks. If people don’t want to have these kinds of discussions on SmartCanucks then I won’t post them anymore.
Should I delete my “Tight squeeze, woman cheesed by obese person on Porter Airlines flight” post?
I personally do not think it should be deleted. As others have pointed out, the post does relate somewhat to savings and spendings, which SM is all about. Also, the issue that is being addressed is one that isn’t going to go away, as recent history has dictated.
Why Should you delete it? So what big deal? People shouldnt be offended of the truth. So its out there, they should get a grip. You never said anything negative you were just observing. What is happening to freedom of speech? Geeze! Leave it on. People that are offended can either ignore it or relax.
Yes, please delete.
There was nothing offesnsive about the article, stick up 4 ureself!!! u can say what u want…so long as its not a vicious attack!
No, I don’t think it should be deleted.
These posts are a nice change from the simple deal promotions. I actually really enjoy the blog posts that aren’t always the MOST-related to deals.
After all, this is SMARTcanucks and posts like these help us to be more alert/aware and let us know what we could do if we find ourselves stuck in similar situations.
I’ve never found anything posted here to be insulting. And for those who do, tough – deal with it. That’s life. You can’t have everything your way. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinions and if it really bothers you that much, be the bigger person and ignore it. Plus, the opinions that are blogged are often reflective of many others out there. Don’t like it? You can feel free to post your own opinions as well.
So no, please do not censor Smartcanucks moreso than the amount is it currently.
Don’t delete the article. People are WAY too easily offended nowadays. Actually, it seems like people are walking around looking for things to be offended about! There is no need to delete the article.
No, don’t delete it.
I come here for coupons, freebies and deals. Not editorials. I don’t think there should be any, period. Since I subscribe by RSS, I don’t have a choice about receiving them in my reader.
I say delete ALL the editorial articles.
Don’t delete it. It is an issue that should be talked about. If I were that woman, I would have complained on the flight. If you pay for a seat, you pay for the whole seat and not to share the seat.
Airlines need to start redesigning their seats to fit people of all shapes and sizes as the world is not all a size 5.
I think your being a bit much in saying delete all editorials. People come here to share coupons advice and reviews. If you dont like it well then SKIP it or unsubscribe. Freedom of speech here people. Leave it on.
In my honest opinion, I don’t think you should delete the post. This is the internet and there are so many things on it that are offensive in nature. Take a look at Perez Hilton for example he is crude and lude yet he get something like a million “hits” a day. We live by the choices we make. If I chose not to read a post, then that is my choice….but when someone tells me I have no right to make that choice, then it does become censorship. You are the owner of this site you have the right to post whatever you want as long as it falls within the law. Don’t let people tell you how to run it!
please “DO NOT” delete! There was nothing offensive in your article!
i once had the same problem when travelling , one large sized man on my right and one teenager sleeping on my left shoulder! and that flight was for 8 hours!
yes it is not fair to me! and of course i am not offending obesity! the large sized man was so comfortable in his seat!
oh boy! what a day!
even if it was offensive (which I don’t think it was) I think it would be wrong to delete it. Freedom of speech takes a pounding these days and all that you reported on was a news report. If it was factually inaccurate it would need to go. If you were inciting hate,it would need to go but reporting the facts and offering an opinion is okay and since you provide the opportunity for people to provide a different opinion everybody wins
To add to my previous post after reading some of the comments. It is the owner of the website to decide what content they want on thier website. If people come for coupons, freebies…etc. that’s ok….you are still getting that. We do not pay for this service so we do not have the right to tell someone esle how to run their site.
Don’t delete, there is NO need to.
Dont delete. You did not attack anyone, and it made for an interesting read. I come on Smart Canucks for the coupons and deals, but I also enjoy reading the various articles that are contributed to the site. If we start censoring certain articles because of whatever reason, then we might as well get rid of all discussion groups, poetry threads, contests et al because there is always going to be that fear that it may offend someone within SC.
If any one deliberately posted just to offend someone or did so to do a personal attack on anyone here, I would want the article deleted and the poster banned. But your post was not an attack, you do not appear (at least to me) that you were targetting any one with this post. In my honest opinion, you should not have to delete your post.
When I come here I definitely only want to see information about deals. I’m not interested in your editorial opinions. That post was offensive to me and I’m a 130 lb woman. Your opinion on the situation wasn’t offensive but the way you presented it was. Of course a woman who paid for a ticket shouldn’t have to share half of her seat with another person. Of course, Porter should have reimbursed her the money. But the language you used and the cartoon were in very poor taste. And to say that you were offended by people taking offense just shows poor judgement. How about reflecting on the fact that perhaps you didn’t intend to offend people but you still did?
And the fact that you have family member who are obese is irrelevant. It’s akin to saying, “I can’t be racist, I have black friends.” Ridiculous.
No need to delete the article or the discussion that followed. If people are “offended”, then they have the choice of not returning to this site. (and I highly doubt that would happen, given the fantastic nature of the information provided here)
I honestly cannot understand why anyone would visit someone else’s site and proceed to request that they remove information. They are more than welcome to start their own site, and use that venue to promote their own beliefs, and refrain from visiting sites that “offend” them. However, most choose not to do so, and most continue to visit sites for the sole purpose of complaining and trying to dictate what they believe they should see on said-sites.
I feel quite lucky to have been born a “Canuck” and to have the privilege of living in Canada where (among the other million great things here) anyone can say what is on their mind without fear of persecution.
So really people, don’t complain. Just move on and don’t return if you don’t like what you see. No one is forcing you to read anything that you don’t want to read. No one is forcing you to listen to anyone else’s opinion. If you don’t like it, just stop reading. It’s not a difficult thing to do.
Thanks and I do apologize if this is taken as a “rant”, I just wanted to share my opinion on the issue.
It’s about tone – which I know is hard to read on-line, but your “tone” seemed to be offensive. I noticed that you have removed the word “fat” and replaced it with “obese”. Perhaps if you had engaged in this kind of self censorship in the first place people would not have been so enraged. Your cries of “freedom of speech” seem a bit unfounded when you alter the original document.
DO NOT DELETE!! This needs to be heard. There are too many airline customers out there who seem to think that ‘they’ should be catered to. I am a very frequent flyer & have incurred this issue many times over and over again. If one is not satisified with the size of the airline seat, then one should “loose” it! There is no reason for the mass of obesity in this country today. Obesity usually equals lazy people who just dont care about themselves or what they look like. If obesity is caused by a health issue, well that is a different story. In the meantime, its people like me & you that take care of our health that have to put up with this crap. People need to be more conscious of their health and realize that the world does not revolve around obese people.
If I had of been that woman who paid FULL price for a FULL seat, I would have demanded to either be moved where I’d be more comfortable, or ask that the other party be moved where their oversized body would not interfere with the other passengers enjoyment on the flight! Porter Airlines as well as the rest of the airlines need to clean up their acts and concern themselves about everyone who is paying a FULL fare for a FULL seat. Absolutely noone should be inconvenienced due to an obese person requiring more than one seat to sit their body in. As well, if an obese person requires more than one seat, then they should be paying FULL price for the 2nd seat!
I SAY KEEP THIS POST GOING. This is a topic that NEEDS to be heard.
Yes, it should be deleted. I am fine with the newspaper article but your post and some of the responses did not come across as respectful at all. You said it was disgusting – that is what most people found offensive.
As I mentioned in my reply, the airline has a policy in place for these situations. If the woman had said something at the time, it is the airlines policy to move them to accommodate both passengers and if the overweight passenger could not be seated safely on that flight, moved to another flight. She was travelling with a group, one of them could have been seated beside her. As mentioned, the complaining woman got a refund of the ticket for that flight – just not the full return trip which was not impacted on the other leg of the journey. I don’t see why it is even news
@kris I deleted the cartoon since I do agree it seems like it is in bad taste. As for the language I think I was very polite, but please correct me if I seemed rude somewhere.
@Jen Using “fat” was a mistake and I corrected it. I wasn’t trying to censor anything, I simply didn’t want to offend people by using incorrect wording.
I do not think you should delete! You have every right to express your opinions and exercise your freedom of speech. People are far too easily offended!
You’re reading too much into this…she meant the airline and the situation was disgusting. Not the obese person. Now who’s causing unnecessary drama? Read the article for what it is, nothing more.
@FallenPixels let me repeat a comment I left on the other post:
I find sticking to other people I don’t know whether they are skinny, obese or whatever DISGUSTING. I even wash my hands after any handshake. Disgusting is absolutely the right word to use and it is not directed towards obese people. It is directed towards the situation of sticking to someone for the duration of a whole flight.
I’m sorry if it sounded like I was being discriminating. I did not mean to use the word disgusting in that context at all. Please read that paragraph again.
Perhaps I am mistaken, but was the original blog entry edited? I thought that when I read it this morning the blog entry was saying that someone had been sharing a seat with a “fat woman”. Perhaps it’s the social worker in me and others may not see where I’m going with this, but I want to point out that even if she is obese, there is more than her identity. She is not just a “fat woman”… she is someone’s daughter, neighbour, coworker, friend,… a human. You wouldn’t (hopefully) go around referring to someone by saying that “black person” so don’t use it to describe someone’s weight either. If she’s overweight she can be referred to as a ‘woman who is overweight’ – so she’s a woman first and being overweight may just be one characteristic that relates to her… it doesn’t make up the entire person she is.
This reminds me of a story which was in the news lately.
They decided to accomodate larger people on the new Harry Potter ride at Disney. Too many people had to be turned away. Here is a link to the story:
http://www.tesh.com/ittrium/visit/A1x97x1y1xa5x1x76y1x2437x1x9by1x243cx1y5x1f563x5x1
BTW…I don’t think you should remove the post. It was not offensive.
No he didn’t mean the airline, he quite clearly said that sticking to a person for the flight was what disgusted him
Whenever I come to this sight…practically EVERY post written involves the OPINION of the person writing it…to say that you do not come here to read a persons “OPINION” is totally insane!! Most of this site IS opinions..and we are ALL allowed to have them. If someone has a bad review of a product…store…experience…do we tell them to shut up and not talk about it? The fact is…every person who uses the INTERNET has taken the risk of seeing or reading something we don’t want to. It is your choice to continue reading it…
You should NOT be bullied into taking the post down. My lord..I have a hard time imagining what life must be like, when taking things so personal..I mean..there are tons of shows on tv…aimed at a certain “disability” do you contact the station and tell them its AN OUTRAGE! Or that you DEMAND IT be taken OFF THE AIR? No..if you don’t like it, you change the channel…one click of your mouse, and you can CHANGE the page you are viewing!
Do not delete it. Soceity has become way too sensitve. Why is it that people can’t deal with real issues?
I think this is the right forum for this because i think companies need to start addressing this, whether it’s a box checkmark indicating bigger size requiring more ample seating or other issues like food restrictions.
I am in healthcare and it IS a disease that we need to address, obesity that is. We are all too polite about it. It IS something that can be changed and PREVENTED. Especially childhood obesity. But people often would rather take a pill or have surgery and when asked if they exercise, they say NO.
Even at Disney and Universal studios, they are making some seats larger, and you will find these also in concert halls. (So don’t be afraid to ask!) At Disney last month, a lady had to leave the ride (she waited an hour for), because she could not fit comfortably in the seat. And recently, there was an article about the Duelling Dragons/Harry Potter ride and how there are few ample-sized seats there. Universal also has a sample seat at the entrance to each ride for people to try before getting in line. We need to address this! And if so, seats should be adjusted on airlines or an extra cost (maybe not a full fare) for an additional seat for EVERYONE’s comfort including the obese person him/herself.
@FallenPixels Yes sticking to strangers I don’t know whatever size or shape they are does disgust me.
I think I probably have a form of OCD (kind of like Howie Mandel’s but much much much less sever) where I don’t like touching people. Touching people is unavoidable but I’d really rather not be stuck body-to-body with someone for the duration of a whole flight regardless of their shape. I find that disgusting.
Please do not delete the original post. There was absolutely nothing wrong with what you presented. It is a valid consumer issue as well as an interesting discussion point.
I read your reply, however that is not started in the original post and therefore gives the view of you finding the person disgusting, as someone else already mentioned, it was the wording of the post. I read it several times before replying and still read it the same
Canadian rules on airlines say they have to accommodate the woman, even on a later flight. There are rules in place and if it was brought up on the plane, the flight attendants did not do their job.
Anyone that complains about reading things needs to look in the mirror and call themselves an idiot – if you don’t like it don’t read it – nobody forces you – this is a great website – you can choose just to come here and check out the deals only if you want – just scroll past what you don’t want to read – but oh my if that’s SUCH a bother for you than I say go f yourself and you aren’t deserving of the fabulous deals this website has to offer.
Grow up people – why can’t we use the word fat? Is it not in the English dictionary?
Gosh everything needs to be so piolitical correct these days or people fly off the handle like the worlds ending
Please delete!
This is a very relevant issue – LEAVE THE POST ON!
Please do not delete the post! It was and is not offensive at all!! I quite liked the picture,it was an animation,so what!! Id be furious if that happened on a plane,but I would not of said it after,it would of been before take off and she would have had to be moved to a seat she could fit in or else buy 2 seats to fit her body!! I think this is a form of bullying,people attacking you about a post..As always,thanks Boo for all you do and you do make this a great site!!
I see no reason to delete it – if people are offended by it sorry, but unfortunately it is a topic of conversation that needs to be addressed (more so by the airlines) to accommodate larger people but in the same breath as a paying customer, I pay for a seat and that whole seat is mine (not for sharing). When travelling with a very young child (any over age 2) you have to pay for a seat for the child even though the average child will only take about 1/2 the seat, so if larger people need more than one seat than they should be forced to pay for the additional seat, but as I already stated the airlines should address this by having a few larger seats installed on their planes
I say leave it.
Leave it up! Don’t let the ignorance of others silence you!!
Well, said, FallenPixels! I felt the same!
Boo, this is YOUR site and your choices. Don’t change a thing if you don’t want to… and as a grown man you should feel confident in your choices and decisions. How people choose to comment is then their choice (if they ever get past ‘moderation’).
DELETE THE POST.
THIS WAS A WRONG THING TO PUT ON THIS SITE. YOU HAVE PISSED OFF 100’S OF PEOPLE. POOR JUDGEMENT IN THE OWNER!!!
I don’t think you “VERY RESPECTFULLY presented this problem” in your original presentation Boo; you called the situation “digusting”. And I don’t have an issue with the post insofar as it relates to customer service, as I’ve mentioned.
However, I would also hasten to add that there is a limit to the “free speech” at SC, and it is imposed by you and the various moderators. I know that part relates to negativity and trolling, and I think it’s a good thing; I would do the same if it were my site. But look at it this way: if someone had posted about being stuck next to an obese SCer and had described it the way you had in your original post, you would have – quite rightly – banhammered them.
Remove it, don’t remove it, whatever. But don’t pretend that you were being respectful or objective – you were not. That kind of post would have omitted any discussion of your assessment of obese people, and have focused instead on the customer service aspect.
It’s your site, and you can obviously do whatever you’d like with it. Just don’t expect people to consider you objective if one person can make negative comments, but others can be banned for it. We don’t know who the obese woman was, but the lack of identifying factors doesn’t make it any less of an attack.
Funny, as I was looking at the comments what is displayed in the ad space?
An ad for Weight Watchers with an obese woman in it.
If you delete the post you have to give the ad money back as well! 😉
there’s no need to delete the post. I totally agree with Deb’s post above. Fat or obese people are so easily offended these days. You say the word fat, bang! offended. Is the word Large better? I would hate being squeezed if I’ve paid full price and getting half a seat. If you cannot fit in a seat, then that’s your problem. You CHOSE to be “large” (not always a medical problem), so you pay the price, be it 2 seats if necessary. I shouldn’t pay for the 1/2 of my seat you’re occupying.
If you think the seats are too small for you, then you as a group should address this issue to transport Canada so that buses/planes can accommodate you.
I saw the same thing..need to loose 50 pounds….is that offensive too?
I don’t care for any of the editorials on here – but that’s just me. I come for the coupons and the deals. That being said, it’s your website – do what you will with it! If someone doesn’t like what you say enough, or if it’s not related to “what they signed up for” when they subscribed (deals), then they’ll unsubscribe.
If you’ll lose readership from this and you’re okay with that, or if the damage is done, don’t bother taking anything down. If it’s the opposite, then take it down. It’s your choice, not ours.
I was very offended by what you said. Not by the article. The article had it’s points – if you pay for your seat, you should be able to sit in it comfortably. But for you to use the word DISGUSTING when referring to a obese person is rude, ignorant and just plain immature. I think if you are going to post an article on here and discuss it, I think you should think twice about what you are saying. I think you owe people an apology for that word. That word was offensive.
I think you should leave it up to show how ignorant of a person you are.
I dont know, Should you delete something that causes such hatred to be posted?
The following Written by Skinny Bi*ch (obviously to much of a coward to use her own handle)
“You know what would make this discussion null-and-void? If all you fat-asses went for a jog once in a while.”
Boo, People were upset with some of the words and pictures you used. Yes its nice that you changed them and then asked if it should be taken down. I just think it should never have been written like that in the first place.
No need to delete it.
We all have rights to express our own opinions.
If you are not interested in reading a particular article or you think you will be offensed by reading the details, just skip reading that post. What a big deal!
It’s your choice to read it and your choice to choose to upset yourself, don’t blame others.
I don’t see any part of the article is insulting obese people …just remain as it is ..:)
Definitely do not delete! This is an issue that is effecting us as consumers and needs to be relayed to the airline industry!
i personally do not think it should be deleted i had this same issue with Air Canada 2 years ago but never contacted them and the person that was next to me squashed me the entire time…I did not blame the person but am upset at how flight attendants handle things.
No, not offensive at all…problem with emails internet etc, is that people don’t necessarily read them in the same tone as the writer intended…
I haven’t read the comments so I may be repeating. I don’t think you should delete it but at first glance, I can see how some of it could come across as, maybe not offensive, but a bit politically incorrect. I say this only because you use the word fat (which may be accurate but considered more derogatory than obese) and you also use the word disgusting.
I assume you meant that the situation was disgusting and not the person but the sentence was a bit awkward. I think some people may have read those two words and got a bit of ‘tunnel vision’.
You’re certainly entitled to your opinion and shouldn’t feel the need to delete your post. But you also run a blog that you encourage people to share and spread and make as inclusive as possible so you should strive to write that way (which you do).
It’s just a tricky topic. I think most rational people acknowledge that, while personal responsibility plays a role, obesity is a problem because of our environment, not laziness. So, while your stance is justified, some might see the words ‘fat’ and ‘disgusting’ and feel a bit of a personal attack (thought it wasn’t meant that way.
It was probably a couple of poorly chosen words/constructed sentences. No need to delete it or retract it or even apologize, but there’s no shame in admitting that a sentence or two could’ve been expressed more clearly. When you post as much as you do, it’s bound to happen.
I read the RSS feed, and have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the article. It brings up excellent points that are worth considering (and discussing).
If you really wanted to appease the overly politically-correct people, you could perhaps make the title “Editorial – xxxx”, to clearly identify that it is an editorial (as opposed to pure savings). People who don’t like the editorials can skip reading it – either by scrolling down the page, leaving the page, or hitting the ‘n’ button in Google Reader (if that is what they use for the RSS feed) to go to the next article. If people simply don’t like opinions that differ from their own… perhaps the internet isn’t the best place for them.
Leave it on, the world is to easily offended. There were some things in the article that could have been interpereted wrong but you cleared those up. If people are gonna be offended by the word ‘fat’ and that it is not fair to have to share your seat with someone else. If the airline asked you to share a seat with a 60 pound person, even tho they only take up half the seat, you all would be extremely pissed, so why is sharing a seat with an overweight person suddenly completely different? This isnt an attack on overweight people, its an attack on the airlines for not accommodating passengers in such situations.
Boo, please don’t delete. Whether we like it or not, this topic is getting people to talk. Maybe not all positive comments, but it’s bringing awareness to a larger issue. The more people discuss, the more opportunity there is for change. Plus, it’s your blog, not your reader’s blog. We all have the freedom to NOT read what is posted on Smart Canucks. That’s why we live in Canada. Unless you post content that is prejudice towards a race, gender, or religion or sexual orientation, share your editorials!
Synonyms of disgust: abhorrence, abomination, antipathy, detestation, DISLIKE, distaste, hatefulness, hatred, loathing, nausea, nauseation, nauseousness, OBJECTION, repugnance, REVOLT, revulsion, satiation, satiety, sickness, surfeit
Perfectly fine word to use in this context.
Now back to the article, please read PROPERLY. He meant the SITUATION was disgusting, NOT obese people.
Keep the post.
This is your blog, you don’t force people to read it
I’m guessing this is the offensive paragraph:
“…If someone cannot fit…they should pay for 2 seats…It’s uncomfortable, annoying, unfair and disgusting”
Really you could sugar coat it, but as I said it’s your blog.
The people that can fit in one seat will think – of course i wouldn’t want someone taking up my space!
The people that need two seats will think – it’s none of anyone’s business and why should I pay more? i’m getting the same service as everyone else!
You’ll always have controversy on a topic like this, especially as obesity is considered a preventable condition.
As Erin stated Quote “But for you to use the word DISGUSTING when referring to a obese person is rude, ignorant and just plain immature. I think if you are going to post an article on here and discuss it, I think you should think twice about what you are saying. I think you owe people an apology for that word. That word was offensive.
I think you should leave it up to show how ignorant of a person you are.” unquote – this isn’t much better Erin by saying he is ignorant to leave it up.
at the end of the day, this is your own blog right? you are in charge of whatever’s posted and therefore, you can post whatever you want 😛 people will still come back here and check for your coupons, regardless….
Leave it up, take it down, it doesn’t matter to me.
That said, I think the word DISGUSTING didn’t need to be used and was offensive as well. I just read your comments that you feel it is disgusting to sit by anyone, but that is not how it came across in your blog post at all.
I think any person would realize when writing such a post that if they used the word disgusting and were not 100% clear about what they were referring to that it would be taken as derogatory.
For some reason I don’t think if you were bumping hips with a slim good looking girl that you would find it disgusting?
Anyway this is coming from the point of view of someone that is slim so I am not offended because I am picturing myself in that situation. I do think the post was in bad taste, but it is your right to write it!
Do not delete! I’m unsure why anyone would take offense. It’s an article about a situation that actually happened (and happens on a regular basis). Why sensor it? Ryanmike, Rachel and Deb have it completely right. Having to share your seat with someone else should not happen. They are both paying the same amount to essentially ‘rent’ a seat for their flight. The woman should have been given a full refund, not partial. The airline essentially broke the contract by not giving her the full space she had paid for.
Some people have said the inconvenienced lady should have been given the opportunity to take a later flight. I don’t agree that the person who did nothing wrong should have to change their flight. She was put in that situation by the airline as well as the person sitting next to her. The obese person should have given the airline a head’s up beforehand that she’d need more space. She should be the one to work something out with the airline, whether that means taking a later flight or being moved to a seat where every passenger would get the full use of the seat they paid for.
Actually, it wasn’t an ad for Weight Watchers but something called “Slim Band” with a picture of an obese woman wrapped up in a thick rubber belt!
Obesity, bondage and rubber wear! What has become of this site!!! 😉
people are being far too sensitive. do not delete.
Its not like you called the large woman anything offensive, you merely pointed out that she should have purchased 2 seats instead of one and made the trip uncomfortable for another. Porter should have recognized the size of the woman at check in and relayed that information to her as well. I bloody hate when large people try to sit next to the tiny seat next to me on the bus or subway. Some of them end up sitting on me, which forces me to have to vacate my seat. I always make a comment and give them a piece of my mind, because i shouldnt be punished for taking care of myself.
No need to delete. You gave explanations and apologies, which I find are more than enough. If they’re still offended, then that’s their problem.
Please do not delete the post. The original article has been on numerous websites. Sometime people have to desensitize themselves. I feel for the woman who had half a seat on a full fare flight. The problem wasn’t her. The problem was the obese woman. Why do we bow and scrape to the people who cause problems and let the effected people “suck it up.” if you are offended by the article, stop coming to this website.
I really only want to see coupons, freebies, and deals. I believe editorials articles should be a separate tab. So, although I am not offended by the article, I say delete!
I don’t feel your post was offensive – it addresses a valid issue. The people who are offended are either offenders themselves or just luckily never encountered such issues. This doesn’t only happen on an airplane – what about the transit?
to everyone who complains about coming here for coupons only – get a GRIP of yourself! This is a BLOG, who on Earth are you to complain about a FREE blog?!
some of the posters on here make me so angry – self-righteous idiots, that’s who you guys are.
Please do not delete any posts – I love SC for everything I find on here, and please keep it this way.
Leave it up. It was a discussion regarding consumers rights, as far as I’m concerned. People read way too much into things and look for reasons to be “offended”.
I’m “offended” that people can’t read someone’s opinion and respect the fact that is IS an opnion on a situation, we’re all entitled to an opinion…..
Leave the article and ensuing discussion up, people who don’t like it don’t have to read it….
Let’s move on, shall we?
No, I see no reason to delete the post. I can understand how some people might have misinterpreted your use of the word “disgusting”. But the post itself is not offensive. I also have an issue with being close to strangers (honestly I prefer to not sit next to a stranger at all) so I understand what you were trying to say.
As one can see by the many many postings that have been left, what I think you intended to do in the first place has happened. People are talking and thinking. Whether or not they agree with you posting this article in the first place, you’ve done your job. You’ve created more social awareness and encouraged this discussion. I say leave it on and from what I can see, so do the majority of the comments.
For those of you that don’t like it, same as watching a tv show you don’t like. Change the channel or in this case, continue to scroll down and view those articles that do interest you. I see no reason in discouraging debate of any form these days. I don’t think society does it enough anymore. It’s easier to just ignore topics that make us feel uncomfortable but in the long run, we’re just causing more damage to ourselves.
What was the point of the article?
Two things I think:
1- The woman would like Porter Airlines to change their policy
2- She wanted to be compensated for her inconvenience
Well, She received her compensation and I’m sure Porter Airlines has taken note from the Newspaper Article.
I know that she said she didn’t want to embarrass the woman on the flight, but what do you think she has done now by taking this matter to the newspaper? Sure, we don’t know who this overweight person is, but they do! How humiliating for them.
This world needs a lot more compassion for people. We need to think a little deeper than what is right in front of us. We have no way of knowing what kind of impact this is going to have on this person. Imagine how she would feel if she is reading all these comments and the comments people are leaving on the newspaper website.
I do agree that the woman was entitled to her seat and Porter Airlines should have accomodated her…but let’s not lose the compassion for the other woman either, she was in just as bad a predicament!
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/should_this_man_be_able_to_fly_on_1NoQ5o620LmpkpXtA7tXSP
I loved the post. It just shows that we have to fight for our rights. No need in deleting it. I wish I had more time to read all the comments!!!!
I read through all of these comments, and I have to say I am almost in stitches!
People claiming to have read the post “multiple times” and then immediately mis-quoting! Complaining about the site and the editorials, but obviously continuing to read-on.. and then complaining. Becoming offended off an article read ONLINE; written by someone you have likely never met!
Face it people we live in a society were there are ALOT of overweight people, it is an issue; and though there are cases of insensitivity, this is not one of them!
Do not delete Boo… I think it’s great that you post a real issue, even if people have a hard time dealing with truth.
Do not delete.
Now that I’ve read the actual article, I think the post did a poor job of covering the situation and that’s why people are so upset. For instance, you say that Janet didn’t complain, but the article says that flight attendants told her the flight was full and there was no where to move her, so obviously she must have said something.
I also noticed that the article pointed out some policies about people who are obese being able to obtain a second seat for free with advance notice. Perhaps you could have pointed out that this is a possibility for people who might be in that situation?
I think the word “disgusting” put many people off, myself included. I wouldn’t mind seeing more posts about consumer issues, if they are better written.
I’m afraid a lot of people who were upset already spoke their peace this morning and left.
I say leave it, you created a discussion and once people let their emotions simmer down (not said in offense of anyone). But the fact of the matter is that it happens often enough that a dialogue SHOULD be created. I’ve never had this happen to me on a flight, but I could imagine it being highly uncomfortable.
Also, I think I read disgusting the same way as you meant, I do not like people in general touching me, and again, not to be offensive, but if someone’s going to be touching me on flight it’s probably a larger person (I refrain from using the arm rests also).
Don’t delete the post. People can skip over things that they find offensive.
Don’t delete! I enjoyed reading it and you weren’t offensive in your post.
I just can’t believe Porter airlines didn’t refund her whole ticket. I would have complained right then and there and refused to sit in half a seat.
Do not delete it. It’s your site and blog. I know for one I apreciate what you do and feel you can post whatever you want as editorials.
If a person is inconvienced by an article, they can unsubscribe… Or shock of all shocks – delete the message and move on with their life.
This is a consumer issue, so it is not unreasonable to discuss it here. With that in mind, this article really wasn’t in keeping with the general tone of SM. You really shouldn’t be surprised to find people offended when you use words like “digusting”.
This is a consumer issue, so it is not unreasonable to discuss it here. With that in mind, this article really wasn’t in keeping with the general tone of SM. You really shouldn’t be surprised to find people offended when you use words like “digusting”.
I think you should leave the post as well
Sorry, didn’t mean to double post.
no way, dont delete it. I live that same problem on the bus often. though on a mush less expensive scale, im often tempted to ask the person sharing my seat to pay half my fare. ppl should be aware if they’re taking up more than their seat, being offended by someone bringing it up seems ridiculous to me. It’s more offensive to expect everyone to shut up and pretend it isnt happening.
Leave it on. I appreciate everything you post here. People get offended too easily nowadays.
No, do not delete…and I wish that we all would use our freedom of speech more often and when using our freedom of speech we should be LOUD!!
Don’t delete it. The article was unbiased and not a discussion on obesity in and of itself.
I do know that some airlines (offer or) require people bigger than a particular size to purchase 2 seats. I think this is a very expensive alternative and would like to see something else done that is more fair.
Its a hard call all around. Airlines continue to shut down because they aren’t making enough money. Discount airlines in particlar come and go in the blink of an eye. Like everyone else, airlines continue to look at ways to increase revenue while cutting cost.
Keep it.
I don’t think it should be deleted. If you delete it, you will be opening a new can of worm and will have to delete whatever it is biased in the future.
I do not see a problem there as long as we are stating FACTS, not prejudice.
However, comments that are simply silly should be deleted.
Nope…I think you should keep the post up. It is your blog after all and you can say whatever you wish. I have obese family members and they have always purchased 2 seats when they travel out of respect for the passengers around them. Yes, it costs more but 1. They want to be comfortable and 2. They do not want anyone around them to be uncomfortable!
If people do not like what you post then they don’t have to read it.
While I respect your opinion, I also found the word disgusting offensive. Even if that is not the way you intended it, that is the way many Scers interpreted it.
It really does not need to be deleted. It your blog, and your choice to put what ever you want on it. I liked the article. Speaking as someone who had been obese for a long period of time, I would never expect the world to accommodate my weight problem. Yes, I understand that for a very small portion of the population it is a genetic or medical issue, and those people should let the Airline know about it when booking their seats. In my opinion (which I am allowed to have!) the vast majority of those who are obese are so because of choices they have made, and the lifestyle they live. We would never consider someone addicted to smoking to be “disabled”, nor would we provide them with special allowances to accommodate their lifestyle. I would refuse to sit next to someone who was taking half of my seat, just as I would refuse to sit next to some one who is making my trip unpleasant by smoking or being rude and disruptive.
The Airline should have turned her away or asked for a volunteer to take the next flight so that she could have two seats…if she could not provide medical documentation about her “condition” she should have to pay for two seats.
I agree with most people here to not delete the post. This topic is not a new one and I agree people do get offended easily now a days. It need to be discussed and be out in the open, so airlines will make the necessary changes in the future to meet the needs of the general public.
Don’t delete it! She deserves her money back!
It doesn’t really matter if it is left it up or not, but I respectfully submit using words like ‘disgusting’ is in no way respectful. Sorry, but as a very faithful reader and someone who has contributed to the community, I have a tremendous problem with both your choice of words and the temper tantrum after people pointed out that this post is offensive.
As a high school teacher, I find the easiest way to illustrate to my students if something is offensive is to think about it in racial terms. If you wouldn’t say that being forced to sit beside someone of a different race, then saying it about any other group of people is offensive. To say that it is disgusting, as you did – sorry, that is offensive. The question then becomes if this is a community that supports this kind of thinking, is it a community that I want to support and refer other to.
Don’t delete it. This site is about consumerism, period. This post falls under that category. I come here to learn about brands, deals, stores, reviews, etc. all to find out better ways to spend money.
Oh and also, personally I took disgusting to mean the feeling of the woman who was getting smushed by someone in her seat. This has happened to me, so that I have been unable to put down the armrest and mark off my space. Yes, it is easy to say she should have said something to the flight attendant, but when I was in that position I did not want to make the other person feel awkward or bad, even though I was feeling awkward. Some people just don’t speak up to save the embarrassment of the other party.
I say keep it. It’s your blog really. Seeing different postings is great! We can never satisfy everyone, then just believe what you think is right IN YOUR OWN BLOG!!!
Boo this is your website, and I think you should be able to post what you want. No matter what you do, someone will always have an issue with it.
The fact that people are that offended is absolutely ridiculous! Don’t like…don’t read it!
Here’s my 2 cents, as mentioned above, this site is more to grab deals and coupons, etc. It is not relevant to the main purpose of this site, so if you want to post articles as such, created a thread in the forums and those interested could view it.
On the other hand, it allows people to see what to expect when booking flights with Porter for instance…
NO, do not delete it. The lady paid for a seat, and did not receive it because the person next to her exceeded their own seat. This is a valid reason to complain to Porter.
Keep the post. This is a consumer issue I agree and it needs to be addressed by all. The story actually may trigger some sort of change that the airlines need to address. Seat size is an issue and now they may actually do something about it. No offense needs to be taken, everyone has a right to a comfortable seat end of story no matter what size you are.
Don’t delete it! People are just looking for something to be upset about.
While I don’t think it should be deleted (it’s your blog, you should be able to say what you want), I will say that using words like “disguting” is insulting. I do get what the post was trying to say, I think maybe choice of words could have calmed the waters, so to speak, and your post wouldn’t have offended a lot of people. The simple fact is there was an inconveinience caused by this person’s size, the airline should have addressed it and fixed the problem. In my opinion, that means forcing that person to purchase a second seat, and if none were available, bump him or her to another flight.
The word ‘disgusting’ was offensive as it implied those that are overweight are disgusting. It’s up to you whether you delete it, but don’t be offended yourself by those who exercise their free speech to comment on your so-called ‘editorials’. I have observed these commentaries are not your strong suit, why not stick to posting deals?
Don’t delete! I do not think this post is offensive, rather I find it informative about Porter Airlines’ customer service.
Please do not remove your blog.
Don’t delete.
But it’s your blog, your opinion, and thus your decision. Nobody else’s.
Leave it. I find some of the comments more disgusting than your original blog entry.
This story is about how a consumer is treated by Porter Airlines. It doesn’t matter if it’s an obese person or a 300 LB linebacker, the issue remains the same – disrespectful treatment! Do you think someone (maybe male?) dressed very affluently would be treated the same? As for complaining on the spot, most of us, especially women, have been taught to be polite and not make a fuss, even when we should.
Everyone – please note – what you are reading now is an EDITED version of the origianl post.
The tone of the original was much more offensive. While it was right to change it to make it less offensive, it also give the impression that people are overreacting – when in fact many of them are reacting to what was origianl written. It seems dishonest to edit what was originally written and not acknowledge the fact on the on the main page.
i guess some people have problems/issues with boo radley/ smartcanucks and they are venting through this issue!
shameful!
again dont delete!
No! I do not think it should be deleted! If people have an issue with reading these kind of things on your blog, then they should go elsewhere. Your blog = you post whatever you want!
We have freedom of choice in everything we do. So if some choose to come to this site for coupons and deals and only that, then they can easily skip the editorials and head on over to those posts.
People waste too much time and energy getting upset over little things now days. If you don’t like something close the page and go read something else. For example I hate Perez Hilton’s site. Therefore I do not read it at all. Easy. Otherwise people who are “offended”, please go start up your own site and blog.
This is a valid issue and therefore do not need to be taken down. If it was a hate speech, then I could understand how people could get upset, but the individuals upset about your previous post were merely taking things too personally…
You should not delete it. However, you should reconsider putting such editoralized statements in the future. Leave the editorializing to the SCers on here who can comment and offer their opinions if they wish. You want to appear unbiased as the website owner/administrator – otherwise you’ll drive users away from the site rather than attract them – which I assume you’d rather have more people on her 🙂
I don’t think it’s our decision to make. It’s your site, you can put whatever you want on it.
Breathe. And then leave the post up. In this country, we allow each other to speak. It would make sense that people are easily offended on what can often be an emotionally tied issue. You did the right thing in clarifying on a follow up post. 🙂
Think about it… if you just posted the info without any of your comments …would we be having this heated discussion ? Please remove. It wasn’t the situation (plus size lady on the porter flight) that made some people upset, it was the comments made.
Do not delete it. You have the right to your opinion, just as an airline passenger has the right to their entire seat, which they paid a lot of money for.
Save for very few exceptions, obesity is NOT a disease. It is a choice. And like other choices, it should have consequences. If your choice means you cannot fit into an airline seat, you should be required to purchase two. It is not fair that another customer is incredibly uncomfortable because of your choice.
Why delete?
Freedom of speech.
It’s not like we don’t think it!!!
ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Offended or not offended….who cares lets get back to freebies and enjoy this site. Get out and go for a walk enjoy life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@Nancy What… so he can say whatever he wants to but I can’t speak my mind? He is ignorant. For me to tell him that he is, makes me ignorant? Seriously.
Please leave it. Nothing wrong with putting your thoughts on this website. I enjoyed some of the posts very much and don’t mind having to skip the ones I wasn’t interested in. No one should have been offended by what was said, it was an honest question.
“ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Offended or not offended….who cares lets get back to freebies and enjoy this site. Get out and go for a walk enjoy life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
AGREED!
I don’t think you should delete it. I think it’s important for us to know that Porter works this way, and I agree that the woman who complained should have been reseated or given a full refund. (I also think she should have spoken up right away.) But I do think that when you said the word “disgusting” you crossed a line and you should have been prepared for people to be upset with you. It told me something about you that I don’t like knowing, and I’m not big in the slightest.
But at the end of the day, I’m not using this site as a community member–I’m just taking the information. So put up what you like. You don’t really care what I think of you as a person, right?
This is YOUR website. We are here for freebies – including the use of the site itself – it’s free to us.
The question you should ask yourself is what is Smart Canucks about? Is it a forum that I should post opinionated editorials on?
My opinion is to leave it. I was surprised to see that you posted it, only because I knew you were going to receive backlash about it.
A lot of the negative comments regarding it were from people who seemed not to read the post in its entirety or misconstrued your sentences.
You, me and everyone else who has left a comment about this posting are entitled to our own opinions.
We are all short, fat, tall, skinny, blondes, redheads – ALL DIFFERENT.
If everything you post is forced to be deleted because either it is not ‘politically correct’ OR because someone does not agree with YOUR opinion than this website shouldn’t exist.
I read your blog not only for the good deals but for the entertainment value. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! (and don’t delete a word of it!)
Don’t delete your post.
I agree 100%
Even if I did not agree..
Keep the POST!
It is a real issue and people need to know.
Period.
Do not delete the post. These issues must be brought to light, so that Airlines will consider making a much-needed change. There should definitely be alocated larger seats for larger people. Period. It’s unfair to make a large person squeeze into a small seat, or to make another passenger share a seat. This is not either person’s fault, it is the Airline’s fault and their issue to deal with (all Airlines actually).
TAKE A BUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t think you should delete it. You have approached a subject which is sensitive to many in nature. I myself am of a slim build, yet my mother-in-law is morbidly obese, and am able to see both sides of the picture. I believe that the Porter should of provided accommodation, for both passengers, to allow their personal comfort, and the refund issue is a valid one. Although, maybe in the future a more sensitive tone of writing needs to be considered for certain topics, as freedom of speech isn’t what it used to be. 🙂
Do not delete.
Please do NOT delete the post. There was nothing offensive, just honesty. People today are irked by everything. I would have been just as upset to be on that flight. In case anyone has not noticed, airplane seats are generally a tight squeeze for people in fine shape. I think this post points out that the airlines have a duty to have seats that people can sit in comfortably. Its not like we are paying bus fare for
I get that this topic will upset people but how about doing something to fix the problem rather then complain about talking about it…..contact the airlines and such…
yes please kindly delete the blog concerning the size of the seats on the porter flight.
Leave it.
BTW, I took disgusting to mean that it was disgusting that the airlines allow it to happen without taking passengers comfort into consideration.
*shrug*
I read your post this morning and found nothing wrong with it.
Don’t delete.
The fault in the incident lies squarely with the airline, not the overweight person.
The airline has to come up with a method so that accommodating one individual is at the expense of another. This is an entirely foreseeable problem and they should have policies in place to take care of it. Just pushing responsibility for making allowance on a paying customer is not the way to do it.
Do not delete!
It’s YOUR blog.
after reading through some of these responses, I have a quick question. I have been coming to this site for quite a while, and like some, I come for the coupons and deals, not for the editorials.
My question is, is this site a blog, or a site for canadian deals?
Typically I would think that if it were a blog, or a blog style forum, that it would/should be advertised as such. (such as going to a site from blogspot). Is there a possibility that there can be the page for deals, and a page for blogs/editorials? but isn’t that what the forum is for?
sorry, just realized that all these deals are under “blog”.
is there a way there can be a “deals” tab/page, a “blog” tab/page, and a “forum” tab/page?
I know it adds more, but for those people just wanting deals, they won’t be forced to see these editorials with opinions attached.
Keep it in the blog. I enjoyed reading it, as with other non-deal related snippets. All the complainers need to chill out.
The story isn’t that interesting. For that reason alone it should be deleted.
No worth all this discussion.
“is there a way there can be a “deals” tab/page, a “blog” tab/page, and a “forum” tab/page?
I know it adds more, but for those people just wanting deals, they won’t be forced to see these editorials with opinions attached.”
or maybe people can just suck it up and enjoy the free service provided here and not read the posts they don’t want to.
was the word “disgusting” harsh in the original post? who cares? i come here for toothpaste coupons not discourse.
post whatever the hell you want to knowing that you might lose some readers, you might gain some readers. you’re certainly not going to be able to please everyone on this topic.
Don’t delete it! Topics such as this are shoved under the rug way too much! If we don’t talk about it, then we all stay hidden under the rug about such topics! It doesn’t take much to look around and see that obesisty is becoming a larger issue every decade. These people don’t want to be obese, but for whatever the reason, they are. If we don’t talk about it, we can’t find solutions, if we can’t find solutions, we are not helping anyone, we are only fueling an epidemic in western society.
If it’s food/lifestyle related, we need to all be a part of finding healthy living solutions instead of the fast food/convenience food and stationary entertainment that we are bombarded with everyday. If it’s medical we need to find solutions…just like we are trying to find solutions to Breast Cancer and other such diseases. We only do ourselves a dis-service if we allow the epidemic to grow, un-talked about.
Don’t delete this.
The post should absolutely be deleted. It has absolutely no place in this forum. There are plenty of other sites to get the same money-saving info from without all of the politics and issues this site seems to have.
It’s not necessary to delete it, but I agree you are being misleading by having edited the original. The original used the word “fat” and had an offensive cartoon. THAT is what people were offended by, not the newspaper article or the issue in itself. Personally I would remove THIS post and moderate commenting on the original so there is no chance for further offensive language to be used, and so that the original consumer issue at hand is being discussed – that the woman paid for a full seat, and did not receive it, irrespective of why she did not get the full seat she paid for.
You should not delete your post. You presented YOUR own opinion on YOUR blog. If people are getting offended they don’t have to read it, they are not being forced, they came to your blog on their own free will.
Do Not Delete! Ridiculous that it even has to be mentioned. The posting was not derogatory; it was making a point regarding a situation. This website is about being informed, there will be times that we do not agree, but it is a blog, leave a thoughtful comment about agreeing or disagreeing, but never delete!
It was not an issue on obesity but rather a disatisfied customer who should have complained on the plane about her seat. Got clouded by the story I agree but it could have been an issue where your T.V was not working. Would you wait till the flight was over to mention it????
I’m one to state the unfortunate truth, but I try my best to be tactful. I beleive it’s the airlines fault and partially the passengers fault. They need to be smart enough to have a policy like other airlines that say you need to buy two seats if your over a certain weight. I know it’s humiliating to the overweight person, but it’s a fact. They are bigger than the adverage person and they need to own that fact. If i were that big i would totally understand if i had to pay for two seats. I’m not going to make anyone uncomfortable because of something wrong with me. Maybe the airlines should make special seating for medically overweight people in which case they should have a doctors note. And those not medically overweight should still have to pay for two seats. I can’t believe people are so sensitive these days! race, religion, weight… as long as someone is not saying outright hurtful words or demeaning someone all they are doing is stating a fact. I gained a bunch of weight due to emotional overeating. I got teased. I chose not to live like that, i worked hard and i lost it. Many people blame their genes, or medical issues.(a lot of the time the weight comes first and then the medical issues are due from the weight)
This should not be taken down from Smart Canucks as this is about a lady trying to get her money back and also, i really enjoy smart canucks posting topics of conversation no matter what they are.
I think your original post was more rant than informational piece. I agree that seats are not big enough but talking about here isn’t going to change that.
When you show a cartoon of a overweight person and use the word fat it will offend some people. I will say offending anyone on this site is probably not a good idea on your part.
Putting this up to a poll probably isn’t a good idea either because even if 90% were not offended if 10% were that means you might be alieniating 10% of this site’s loyal followers and that might cause them to boycot this site.
Since your site’s success depends on traffic I don’t think stories presented in a light that could offend anyone is a good idea.
This should be DELETED! You are an arrogant, ignorant snot! Shame on you and all you that support this. I will never visit this site again if SMART CANUCKS DOES NOT TAKE THIS DOWN.. I feel like launching a class action suit against this site and the writer!
huh?
Don’t delete it because it is soo true and it needs to be heard. I knwo that it sometimes not there fault that they are that big but places should accomidate them if need be. Not only are they uncomfortable in an airplane seat but so are we.
DO NOT delete it! Freedom of speech! This is your blog and you can say whatever you like. People don’t have to agree, people don’t have to subscribe. Freedom of speech allows you to say what you want, not what other people want to hear. If people were offended they need to look at WHY they are offended, and figure out what their insecurities are really about and how they can work to fix them.
If you pay for a garage, and your car can’t fit into it, you can’t knock down part of your neighbors garage to enlarge yours. No, you buy a house with a bigger garage (or park outside, ha!) Just like if a person can’t fit into one seat, they buy two.
Somebody could have a severe social disorder, like not being touched, or claustophobia, and should they never fly beacuse they might end up sitting next to a fat person? If a person is really skinny and doesn’t use up all their seat, they can’t get a discount!
I will be upset if you do delete this post, beacuse its letting complete strangers win, and take away your basic rights, which EVERY CITIZEN of Canada is granted.
Don’t delete it.
Maybe the people who were offended should get off the computer and go for a walk? 🙂
Simply leave it! You cannot and will not please everyone!
I say leave it on. It is your website and your opinion!
I also wanted to comment on people being infuriated by your use of “DISGUSTING”. I say people should read it more carefully: the phrase was “It’s uncomfortable, annoying, unfair and disgusting.” The word “it” refers to “travel with someone occupying part of their seat during the flight”.
I have traveled with someone occupying part of my seat, though not an obese person, but someone with a large upper body, whose elbows kept invading my space. It was still “uncomfortable, annoying, unfair and disgusting”. That does not mean I find people with large upper bodies disgusting! In my case, that small “space invasion” was tolerable and there was not much to do except maybe try to talk politely to the person. If it is literally half your seat, then it would be a much larger problem (no pun intended).
wow, I dont think any other thread/article/whatever has gotten as many hits and comments than this one. Personally when I read the article I wasn’t offended, but I didn’t read the un-edited one. I think that because so many people got offened you should probablly take it down. I’m not sure the women who couldnt fit in her seat would like this to be talked about like this, ever tho her name is not mentioned.
HAHAHA a class action suit? For a FREE site that YOU WILLINGLY went to? Close your eyes if you don’t like what you see! Are you going to sue all the skinny people too? I think the large people who try to take up 2 seats are the IGNORANT ones! We all pay the same for airplane seats, so why do they think they get to take up more space? Maybe next time on a plane, i’ll turn sideways and sit beside you. Make sense? No?
re: This should be DELETED! You are an arrogant, ignorant snot! Shame on you and all you that support this. I will never visit this site again if SMART CANUCKS DOES NOT TAKE THIS DOWN.. I feel like launching a class action suit against this site and the writer!
Don’t delete.
The only thing offensive is someone being so politically correct (in their own minds) that they have to purposely misspell ‘womyn’. Obese people should either buy 2 seats, or discretely request being seated next to a vacant seat. As far as the seats being too small, Air canada offers bigger seats, it’s called first class. I may be wrong but people tend to pay extra for that convenience as well.
DELETE THE THING, AND NEXT TIME THINK BEFORE YOU WRITE SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
Please do not remove the post. as a moderator of one of these sites you should have the right to pick a choose what you post. People do not have to agree with what you write, but you do have freedom of speech. If they do not like it they can choose to not view this website. It is their choice to view this web site.
I think the biggest dissapointment is the comments, Its dissapointing that so many hateful comments have been made 🙁 Were all humans in the end.
Its a sad day for me hearing some of these comments…one day hopefully people will not find it socially acceptable to say disparaging things about people who are overweight, just as we don’t find it socially acceptable anymore to say such things about other groups based on race, sexual orientation, etc. We’ve learned better (well, most of us)…while it is your blog and your right to say as you wish and no need to delete, this blog is usually a fun part of my day, not a negative one…staying away from these topics here and finding voice for them in another forum might be something to consider – but that is just my opinion.
Delete! you are judging people based on their challenges….
You MUST be kidding me….you think you have a leg to stand on in court? You call OTHER people ignorant…wow. My first reaction was literally to laugh when I read what you wrote “FAT” but now…I feel so totally sorry for you!
My lord…get a life..and ya know..I promise, this site will not cry if you decide to never come back. Willing to bet you never contributed anything worth while anyway. Good luck with your miserable life, you will need it with that kind of mental state!
DON’T DELETE. This is a useful opinion, which may get Airlines attention! It is just stating the fact, not attacking anybody. Improvement will not come if you are quiet.
DON’T delete it, The main problem here is some people have WAY to thin skin. I am ashamed at how weak Canadians have become about speaking the truth. The simple fact is this woman is NOT handicapped and CAN do someting about it. If you are born with a legitimate handicap there is NOTHING you can do about it, and it is our duty to help those poor people out. This woman just eats WAY to much and if she had any willpower she could solve her “handicap” with a proper diet and exercise.
Simply put people this obese are disgusting and should be ashamed of themselves. There are people struggling to eat 1 square meal a day in africa and these pigs eat enough in one day to feed an entire village. This is a FACT. Go ahead and say I am cruel, I am just stating the facts.
well, thank you Naail for demonstrating the difference between a genuinely hateful, mean post and a post with a poor choice of words that unintentionally offended (the original).
yeesh.
Thanks K for proving my point about bleeding heart wimps that are weaking our society!
My wimpy heart bleeds for you and everyone who knows you.
@Naail hmm.. perhaps you should post your life story and picture somewhere.. i am 100% sure that we could find quite a few nasty things to say about or judge you on!!
NO you should not delete it.
This is ridiculous, another example of an over sensitive politically correct culture where anything that is said with an opinion or substance is considered offensive. Being overweight is more often than not a choice. Yet there are groups of people fighting for obese people’s rights to not have to pay extra. On the other hand people like myself of the over 6 foot variety, are in pain on flights because of the lack of leg room, and also have to scrunch our shoulders together because we have broad shoulders and don’t have enough room when not sitting beside someone tiny. These things are 100% beyond our control and yet I don’t hear rights groups fighting for the tall(thankfully). So what to do, suck it up and live with it, companies are out to make a profit and shouldn’t have to alter any of their plans because of those who are bigger, taller or anything else unless they have medical certification that demonstrates a disability that requires extra room etc. (and no being overweight, without an accompanying physical condition that makes the person overweight, does not count)
no don’t delete, people are still offered a choice. If you don’t like the article, don’t read it. If you live in a country with freedom of speech you may sometimes have to choose not to listen because everyone everywhere is not always going to say stuff you agree with!!
Boo has the freedom to say whatever he wants. I am not policially correct and I have do have opinions on this subject but discussing those opinions on the internet in chat rooms or comment boards is not productive.
The comment board is starting to become a discussion on obesity and IMO this just isn’t the place to discuss something like this.
Whatever your intentions Boo nothing productive will come out of this discussion.
Whether you are right or whether you are wrong isn’t the point. The point is whether this discussion is good for your site. The clear answer to that question is no.
please do NOT delete
Society is way too sensitive, do NOT delete it. These sorts of issues need to come to light and focusing on such things as reducing obsesity in children is not going to work if we change EVERYTHING else to accomodate them. It encourages. Larger people should have to pay for two seats unless they can medically prove there is a reason for their size; this likes to be thrown around as a reason we shouldn’t discriminate but the actual ratio of direct health related obesity to lifestyle obesity is huge. Its a cop out and people should have to prove it.
I say keep it.
I think it’s your right to leave it up. FREEDOM!
Most airlines have had policies in place for years and years now. Most policies state that if you are unable to fit into your seat with the seat-belt extender and the arm rest down, you MUST pay for two seats. I agree with these policies because it isn’t fair for someone who is paying full seat price to be made uncomfortable for a long plane ride.
That being said, there is still no need for some of the rude comments posted here today!
I didn’t find it offensive. I thought it was simply a post about how one company handled a customer service issue. The fact is that this is becoming more of an issue as airline seats get smaller and people get bigger. If the customer had to endure a passenger with bad breath or long legs I think the response would have been very different. I found the information about the airlines’ policies very informative. Good to know next time I travel.
DON’T DELETE IT! I’m all for freedom of speech.
I’m on your side – don’t delete.
I do not find it offensive. I think one owns responsibility not only to his/ her well being but also the society at large. Canadians are overall good natured people, and I have no problem helping the people who despite his/ her great efforts simply can not meet it or due to geniune medical reasons. Unfortunately, I don’t have any friends aroudn me that are obese by medical reasons, and generally it is a life choice issue. It;s their right to choose to be big, but its my right to fight for my own space if I am squzzed…
Do not delete this post
Sad state of affairs this country is in when morbidly obese people are compared to people who are actually physically handicapped. My close friends brother is confined to a wheelchair his entire life due to a real handicap. Can he eat properly and go to the gym to start walking again? No he was born that way and nothing he can do will change it. I find it disgusting and insulting some of you actually comparing people like my friend to a morbidly obese woman who can fix her problem. She is in the same boat as a crackhead, both have a problem they can fix themselves. Lets spend our time and money on the people who really need our help.
Yes, delete it 100%. It’s quite an offensive post.
Please do not delete the post! I travel frequently for long periods of time (think Manitoba to Australia/countries that far) and have to agree with you.
It is sad that we cannot share our thoughts without being put down by others who don’t think the same way. Instead of pushing airlines to do something about tiny seats, people choose to insult you, tell you that you are being rude and demand you delete your post. In the end the airline companies get money from both the skinny and the obese. While we attack each other, the airline companies are laughing with all the money they are making.
I’m glad that you post more than just deals on your blog because it gives everyone a chance to discuss issues and to see the other sides of your personality (in other words, you’re not just a person obsessed with deals :)). Keep it up and don’t let words discourage you! After all they are just words from people you don’t know who sit behind a computer. Could be one person typing the same complaint 20 times! 🙂
Yes, I think you should delete it. I don’t think you should delete it because of the article itself, which was about Porter’s terrible handling of the situation and not about offending people. No where in the article itself or in your summary of the article were any generalizations made about all obese people everywhere. This is a real issue that should have been handled differently by both the individual who required an extra seat and by the airlines.
The reason I think you should delete it is because although it wasn’t your intention, quite a few people were hurt by it. If it’s a choice between keeping an article up for the sake of free speech or valuing people, I think people should come first.
Don’t delete it. You were simply stating the facts. I did not find it offensive in any way. People are way too sensitive!!
Don’t delete!
People are being extremely sensitive about this issue. When I pay the prices airlines charge these days to take a flight then I want my seat, my WHOLE seat. People are too afraid to tell others they are encroaching on their space for fear of offence.
There are various reasons for being overweight but people should man up and say ‘I’m sorry my ass is resting on you right now….lets see if there are any other seats’ People are too quiet out of shame, fear of offending and embarrassment. Just because you don’t feel like flying with someone else’s butt on your lap doesn’t mean you are judging them for it or being mean about it. You just want space!! No big deal.
People need to get over the belief that if you offend someone or someone offends you the whole world will end. It will nott. Life will be a series of offensive, annoying, trivial things.
Have your say on your blog. I might agree, I might not but one thing is for sure….life will go on.
Don’t delete! We need to face issues like this openly. Can’t pretend the problem doesn’t exist. We need dialogue to come up with better solutions instead of ignoring issues
Aight, my comment is simple. This is a blog. A blog (mostly) about saving money. A person is behind this blog, so why not be human and post something that somehow relates or is just something “on the mind”… if the reader doesn’t want to read it/could care less/has nothing nice to say about said post… SKIP OVER IT, people! KEEP IT!!! (Plus, doesn’t SC have a “do not delete” rule, lol. 😉
Keep the post! I like the editorials on here and I found nothing wrong with the post. It wasn’t offensive at all and people are far too sensitive to EVERYTHING now a days.
Do not delete. It’s insane that people were offended- seems that those people need to go exercise and perhaps be happier people…
Keep the post, people seem to get offended over anything and everything. It wasnt even a overly sensitive topic.
Let’s face it. Most things are designed for 5′-9″ white male, “the average user”. Short small people kinda pay more for the same piece of clothing in size 00 than the one who buys size 14 with more materials. If you don’t drive, you are still paying taxes for highway…
We all gotta subsidize, but there should be a limit. It’s not a feminist or fair thing. It’s matter of economy.
If they make the seats wider, they end up having to charge everyone a lot more. The larger people make up few percents of customers. It will not be economical to design for a fraction of the market. It would be like making every public parking a handicap parking.
Such a crybaby. As a woman, I’m ashamed of her unreasonable demand in the name of a Woman’s Rights advocate.
Boo, you did nothing wrong.
Keep it. It’s a valid consumer complaint which I’m sure has affected others in the past or will in the future. There needs to be a solution for problems such as this when they arise. Those seats are small enough as is, I would be justifiably upset if I had been put in her place. Being stuck too close to anyone can be uncomfortable, sometimes you could blame it on their weight but just as easily it could be their perfume, their breath, the way they chew gum, or if they are coughing, humming, or whatever. Everyone needs their “bubble” and deserve it even more so if they have paid for it.
It should be left for all to read.
Yes it should be deleted.
Jen said it best in her post as this was the reason why it called my attention.
“It’s about tone – which I know is hard to read on-line, but your “tone” seemed to be offensive. I noticed that you have removed the word “fat” and replaced it with “obese”. Perhaps if you had engaged in this kind of self censorship in the first place people would not have been so enraged. Your cries of “freedom of speech” seem a bit unfounded when you alter the original document.”
@Naail
your post is the main reason why this article should be deleted.
What you said in the post wasn’t offensive but the title was certainly misleading. If you wanted to discuss Porter airlines customer service the headline should have been much less sensationalist and have acutually mentioned something about customer service, not the personal conflict.
Also some of the wording that you used like “It’s… disgusting”, is unneeded and cruel.
I don’t think issues like this should be avoided on the site but I think it should stick to the issue of poor customer service, not the issue of obesity.
Well I;m really skinny and many times strangers come up to me and say “my god eat something, put some meat on those bones”.
How would they feel if I went up to an obese person and said “my god, go lose some weight, and stop eating so much!”.
Eventually seats will have to be custom made depending on your size. Where does it end?
The way it works is a fat wallet gets a fat seat. You have to vote with your wallet.
Please don’t delete!
Don’t delete it, if people don’t like it then they can just not read it. I’m tired of all this political correctness and having to worry about offending people but they never worry about offening us
Please do NOT delete this article. I had a similar experience on VIA Rail First class (where you can’t just get up and move like in coach class). I was coming home five days after abdominal surgery. It was a 5 hour trip and the guy beside me spilled over into my seat (basically one half his thigh took up a third of my seat. When I needed to get pain meds from my knapsack it was not easy.
I would not go as far as to call this a “Women’s/Womyn’s Issue”, it has an impact on all travellers. I know the guy beside my was uncomfortable too as he was having breathing problems. If companies can accommodate people with disabilities, they should do it across the board. Obesity is a disability…that is in the sense that obese people have trouble fitting into “standard” seats. People with very long legs have seating issues too.
No, I don’t think it should be deleted! The women paid for a seat so why should she only get half of it? She was even polite and didn’t complain about it in front of the obese lady. I don’t understand why so many overweight people are upset about it… nothing was hateful… if there do sensitive about their weight, they should make changes to fix it… being fat is not healthy
Don’t delete. Many good reasons already stated above. =)
I am a woman who is obese. I thankfully still fit properly into an airplane seat although not always comfortably for myself especialy since I too hate being in physical contact with people I don’t know.
I don’t think this post should be deleted. I do think this is a perfectly ligitamate topic to discuss. I read your post this morning before I left for work and honestly I wasn’t thrilled with the way it was written but quite honestly that was never for me to judge. I left it and moved on. What I am offended by are a lot of the comments left by rude and ignorant people on here.
I am shocked by the sheer intollerance of these statements. I have read numerous posts now (and I must admit I finaly just stopped reading them) where people admit that obese people are not always obese by choice but then turn around and contradict themselves by saying it is a choice to be fat. Well let me tell you this isn’t a choice for most of us. In fact most of you have your facts quite backwards. Most people who are obese are not that way because they don’t eat right or excercise regularly.
I ask you now to take a step back and really ask yourself… when you see someone on the street who doesn’t look to be the “right” size to you do you give them the benifit of the doubt and think maybe they don’t have a choice in the matter? or do you sit there thinking that that person is lazy and needs to loose weight? I don’t care what your answer is. I really could care less what anyone thinks on the matter but I just wish for once people would look past appearance and just give in to the fact that we are all human and in the end that’s all that matters.
@Boo… I think what you do on this site is awesome. You are an awesome person and I commend you on your devotion to helping us all save money. I love the different editorials you write and I sincerly hope you never delete any of them. Some of the best editorials in the world are the ones which cause the most debate. You are perfectly entitled to all of your opinions just as we are to ours. Keep up the great work!
You wasted my time reading this. I am here ONLY for coupon/sales. Please keep your forum comments to the forum portion of the site. My opinion, GTFO!
Sonja,Your obviously ridiculous if your wasting your time reading the article. You could skip over it but you chose to read it and leave a comment. So I think you should keep your petty comments to yourself.
Leave the article. Nothing wrong with a healthy discussion!
I don’t think its the article that has people offended, but some of the comments made about it. Some people are very insensitive and have made some terrible comments here about obese people – such as go out and exercise and stop eating. Not that easy for someone who is very overweight. I imagine exercising is a lot harder on them. I would also be curious to know what people’s idea of ‘obese’ is. Someone here mentioned something about a size 14 having to pay the same amount for clothes as a size 0. Is size 14 obese in your opinion? If so, I think that you will have a lot more people offended by all of this since this is about average.Also, once people pass a certain size, they certainly do have to pay more money for their clothing.
Again, I’m not sure if the original post is what is has most people offended. There was some language that perhaps shouldn’t have been used and an offensive picture, but other than that, I think the article was SUPPOSED to be about the customer service at Porter. I don’t think this woman went about this the right way. She didn’t want to say anything in front of this woman to offend her, yet went to a NEWSPAPER to talk about it? How does she think the woman will feel if she reads about it?
Leave it…it was a real issue that you wrote about. At least some of the airlines are addressing it.
i wonder what Porter Airlines would say about this, you can bet the Lawyers will send you a letter about this, as it has bugger all to do with you!
Boo, honestly, it’s YOUR site, you do as YOU please – if people are not happy/offended, they can: not read that entry, go elsewhere- or have their OWN site – that’s the beauty of the internet…
FAT says…
September 30, 2010 at 4:15 pm
This should be DELETED! You are an arrogant, ignorant snot! Shame on you and all you that support this. I will never visit this site again if SMART CANUCKS DOES NOT TAKE THIS DOWN.. I feel like launching a class action suit against this site and the writer!
Now that’s funny! a class action suit cause you’re offended? get real. log off. simple. but thanks for the laugh! lol
Quote from pissed off fattie “i wonder what Porter Airlines would say about this, you can bet the Lawyers will send you a letter about this, as it has bugger all to do with you!” unquote – anything that is posted on the internet as the article was – is open for any discussion whether it be here on SC or in the lunch room at work
Dont delete.
FAT says…
September 30, 2010 at 4:15 pm
This should be DELETED! You are an arrogant, ignorant snot! Shame on you and all you that support this. I will never visit this site again if SMART CANUCKS DOES NOT TAKE THIS DOWN.. I feel like launching a class action suit against this site and the writer!
Now that’s funny! a class action suit cause you’re offended? get real. log off. simple. but thanks for the laugh! lol
To Fat: OK I talked about this in the office today – you want to launch a class action suit against me too – anything that is on the internet as this article was is open to discussion whether on the internet or in a lunch room at work – if you don’t like what you read there is X in the top right corner – USE IT.
Don’t delete it. I agree 100% with what you said. i’m not going to delve into the whole obesity issue because i just don’t understand it, but you weren’t hurtful and I enjoyed reading it. Keep it up man!
Boo, this is a quote, by you, from your original post: “Passengers should not be expected to travel with someone occupying part of their seat during the flight; or at least that’s how I personally feel about this. It’s uncomfortable, annoying, unfair and disgusting.”
If you had left off the “disgusting” adverb, I — and, I expect, other responders — wouldn’t have posted to say you should take down the OP. It reads like ‘disgusting’ was your feeling about being in a situation where you had to touch someone who was overweight. (Maybe you hadn’t considered that when writing it.)
In addition, when summarizing your post, you clearly put the blame on the larger passenger. Here’s another quote from your original post: “If someone cannot fit into a single seat then they should pay for 2 seats, sit comfortably and not bother others.”
How was the larger person buying the ticket supposed to know the seat size? If Porter doesn’t have a policy, then the blame isn’t the fault of the person who can’t fit easily into a standard seat. It’s common, though, for (thin) people to blame overweight people for existing, and that’s what this part of your post sounded like.
In sum, if you had posted about the Ottawa Citizen article _without editorializing_, it would have been, in my view, an appropriate Smart Canucks item. As it is, though, you crossed a line. Just because you didn’t _mean_ to be hurtful doesn’t mean you weren’t.
There have been lots of times when I’ve said something iffy without thinking about my underlying beliefs and whether a bit of racism or fatphobia or ableism or whatever has snuck in there. When that happens, it’s far better to say “thanks for pointing out that what I said sounded hurtful; I’ll try not to do it again” than to say that you’re offended that other people are offended.
Boo I find it funny that you are lamenting the loss of freedom of speech when just a few months ago you and the other admin deleted one of my forum posts that was in no way offensive, was “very respectfully presented” and actually encouraged healthy debate. it also shone a light on a “consumer issue”, as this blog claims to support. I have not been a user of the forum since that day. you bow to pressure when it suits you or when it isn’t YOUR right to free speech that is affected. how ironic.
Your post was never deleted, it was expired with permission from Boo.
You just dont get it Vjillian. The blog and forum are two completely seperate sections. There are many set out rules and guidelines for the forum. You joined, posted a few times then posted a very rude post about multiples, and insulted members. It wasn’t like you came on and posted something completely new. You posted a topic thats been asked over and over and Boo had asked that these negative threads not be made anymore. Simple as that. You were even directed to the area where Boo asked that these threads not be made anymore. If you want to not go on the forum anymore because of that thats your deal. It wasn’t a healthy debate it was a bunch of people fighting.
“No sooner is the rage of hunger appeased than it becomes difficult to comprehend the meaning of starvation. It is only when you suffer that you really understand.”
~ Jules Verne
Obesity is a disease, should we discriminate about the patient who has psoriasis, cancer, AIDS etc. Think before using harsh words. Karma….
It’s your blog. If people don’t like what they read, they don’t have to return. End of story.
Debate people! It is called DEBATE! Anyone of you who are sitting back feeling offended should either take a look at where the original article came from instead of attacking the OP! It was written by the Ottawa Citizen; and OP obviously wanted to gather your thoughts on this issue.
Clearly I do not see the original poster pointing fingers or dissing obese people! Personally I am not a ‘tiny’ girl, nor am I huge – but come on man! This is reality! This is the REAL WORLD! Some are fat, some are slim! Some are tall, as others are short. We see all shapes and sizes daily in this world – so get a frigging grip already and ease off!! If you re-read the original story the way it was written by op – then you may catch a different perspective. You ppl that are whining about it will clearly see that OP is not attacking anyone, rather just wanting to gather thoughts. GEEZE!
i’d say no – don’t delete.
i dislike censorship more than you, (too bad original post has been edited), showing that you appear to be an insensitive person, boo.
it is worse when one considers you know people, who you
think should buy/have bought 2 seats, when every mode of
transportation should have a ‘one-person, one-fare’ policy.
why didn’t you embrace that, instead of your phobias?
as for the idea that the people/members posting who are
for boo deleting this post are anti boo and/or anti sc,
the ones i recognize are neither.
(and just for the fun of it – guessing i’m the only one
posting who has been banned from sc)
@Molly – Radley was looking for your thoughts is all as per that article in the Ottawa Citizen. Like I said, he was not slamming anyone – but ppl just take things the way that THEY want to take it. Do you not think I could stand to lose 30 lbs? Hell ya!! But just cuz he wrote about an obese situation does not make him an ass. He was being open. I see huge ppl daily! Do I laugh or think different of them because of extra skin? Hell no! I also see extremely skinny ppl, but that does not make them any less of a person either. My mom always told me that I am no better than anyone else, and no one is better than me. We are all equal.
It is called the REAL WORLD no matter what shape, size, or skin colour that we have.