United cracking down on obese passengers
For the more rotund among us, the days of spilling innocently into the adjacent plane seat are over. United Airlines is the latest U.S. carrier to demand that those who can’t fit into a single seat pay for another or risk being pulled off the plane. According to Slate writer William Saletan, it was a calculated business decision: “The wrath of passengers on whom these people encroach now exceeds the expected wrath of the fat people themselves. The cost of being nice to oversize fliers has become too high.” But is there a better way? Most fat people only need a few extra inches, not an entire seat. Instead, Saleton suggests offering thinner seats at a discount.