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Disabled, obese allowed free extra plane seatTop court refuses airlines' appeal of 'one-person, one-fare' rulingJanice Tibbetts, Canwest News ServicePublished: Thursday, November 20, 2008Canada's two largest airlines must give disabled and morbidly obese passengers an extra free seat on domestic flights, beginning in January, after the Supreme Court refused yesterday to consider the carriers' appeal of a federal order. The Supreme Court, by convention, gave no reason for declining to intervene in the case. Air Canada and WestJet failed in their pitch for the court to consider a January 2008 decision from the Canadian Transportation Agency that gave them one year to implement new policies in the absence of being able to show that a "one-person, one-fare" structure would cause undue hardship. "This means I'm equal now," said Joanne Neubauer, a Victoria woman whose severe rheumatoid arthritis requires her to use a wheelchair. "I'm just so excited and happy that justice prevailed." The agency said the airlines must develop a process to assess eligibility. The free seats need not be provided to obese people who are just uncomfortable in their seats or are not disabled by their size, said the ruling. The airlines also do not have to make allowances for disabled people who prefer to travel with a companion for personal reasons or those who require care on the ground, but not in the air. "The agency is leaving it up to Air Canada and WestJet to develop their own screening policies," said agency spokes-man Marc Comeau. A possible sticking point is how to decide when obesity is a disability. The agency has recommended the airlines adopt a policy used by Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, which gives a free seat to people who are too big to lower their armrest. The ruling is expected to benefit would-be travellers like Linda McKay-Panos, a Calgarian who has secured a declaration from the Federal Court of Appeal that she is obese enough to be considered disabled. Ms. McKay-Panos, executive director of the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre, said yesterday that she has not travelled on Air Canada since 1997, when she endured a "humiliating" flight in which the airline refused her an extra seat even though "my hips were flowing over the arm rest, my hips were basically on the lap of the person who sat beside me." Now 51, she said she was born with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, a hormonal disorder that causes obesity in about 50 per cent of those afflicted. The transportation agency estimated that it would cost Air Canada an additional $7.1 million annually to change its rules and WestJet an extra $1.5 million, adding 77 cents to each ticket sold by Air Canada and 44 cents for a WestJet fare. The carriers have predicted that their costs would be significantly more because the policy would be abused. Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said yesterday that the airline will comply with the decision and that it has already started working on screening procedures and employee training. He also noted the policy will only apply to domestic flights, reflecting the agency decision. The case began in 2002, when Ms. Neubauer, Eric Norman, and the Council of Canadians with Disabilities launched a complaint with the transportation agency. Mr. Norman, who died two years ago, lived in Gander, N.L., and used to travel to Toronto for cancer treatment. He was paraplegic and required an attendant for air travel. Ms. Neubauer, who said she seldom flies because the cost of two tickets is prohibitive, needs an attendant to help with everything from boarding to visiting the bathroom. The "one-person, one fare" policy already exists for other modes of public transport such as buses, trains and ferries.No Problem if you have a actual medical problem making you fat... but most people are just too lazy and eat like crap and now the airlines must give them two seats!!!

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I'm never going to give up my seat unless I see medical documents. Hell, I'm kicking and screaming even if they do provide them. This is absurd. The fat get fatter!
This is really good news for skinny fliers as well since that obese person trying to save a buck won't be in only one seat next to you but will be in two.
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This is really good news for skinny fliers as well since that obese person trying to save a buck won't be in only one seat next to you but will be in two.
And the skinny person gets to help pay for the extra seat.I'm far from skinny myself, but I still think this is wrong.
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FCP Bob, are there any restrictions on getting health care in Canada because you over ate and were obese, or were a smoker....just curious... dont know any regulations

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FCP Bob, are there any restrictions on getting health care in Canada because you over ate and were obese, or were a smoker....just curious... dont know any regulations
I've got some healthcare for ya that involves a pillow and your face.
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FCP Bob, are there any restrictions on getting health care in Canada because you over ate and were obese, or were a smoker....just curious... dont know any regulations
None of the Government health care plans limit you on pre-existing conditions or lifestyle choices.If you have a pre-existing condition you'll be limited if you want to get a supplemental plan that covers things like prescription drugs other than group plans through work. I have colitis and if I want to get a health plan to cover dental, vision and prescription drugs they won't cover my drugs that are colitis related.
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I wouldnt mind national health care with personal repsonsibilty...You test positve for nicotine.... you are off the planYou weigh a certain amount and have certain % body fat you are out until you get healthyYou test positive for drugs...you are gone... after all I have to stay clean to earn the money, you should be clean to get itTheir right to be a slob would be impinging on my right to spend my money as I see fit

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I wouldnt mind national health care with personal repsonsibilty...You test positve for nicotine.... you are off the planYou weigh a certain amount and have certain % body fat you are out until you get healthyYou test positive for drugs...you are gone... after all I have to stay clean to earn the money, you should be clean to get itTheir right to be a slob would be impinging on my right to spend my money as I see fit
it's kinda tough to draw the line, and no matter where you do, you're invariably going to have really bad looking cases with honest taxpayers getting left out in the cold. just do what england does... make the public very aware of how to lead a healthy lifestyle and heavily tax things like cigs and booze. at least that's what I'd do if I were in charge and forced to implement it.
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it's kinda tough to draw the line, and no matter where you do, you're invariably going to have really bad looking cases with honest taxpayers getting left out in the cold.
This is all anyone needs to know about socialized medicine.
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FYIFirst class seats have plenty of room for fat guys.
They'd have to work out some sort of counterweight solution, like putting half of first class at the front and the other half at the rear of the plane. And then they'd have to reinforce the midsection, so it wouldn't break in two, like a pretzel stick.
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Disabled, obese allowed free extra plane seatTop court refuses airlines' appeal of 'one-person, one-fare' rulingJanice Tibbetts, Canwest News ServicePublished: Thursday, November 20, 2008Canada's two largest airlines must give disabled and morbidly obese passengers an extra free seat on domestic flights, beginning in January, after the Supreme Court refused yesterday to consider the carriers' appeal of a federal order. The Supreme Court, by convention, gave no reason for declining to intervene in the case. Air Canada and WestJet failed in their pitch for the court to consider a January 2008 decision from the Canadian Transportation Agency that gave them one year to implement new policies in the absence of being able to show that a "one-person, one-fare" structure would cause undue hardship. "This means I'm equal now," said Joanne Neubauer, a Victoria woman whose severe rheumatoid arthritis requires her to use a wheelchair. "I'm just so excited and happy that justice prevailed." The agency said the airlines must develop a process to assess eligibility. The free seats need not be provided to obese people who are just uncomfortable in their seats or are not disabled by their size, said the ruling. The airlines also do not have to make allowances for disabled people who prefer to travel with a companion for personal reasons or those who require care on the ground, but not in the air. "The agency is leaving it up to Air Canada and WestJet to develop their own screening policies," said agency spokes-man Marc Comeau. A possible sticking point is how to decide when obesity is a disability. The agency has recommended the airlines adopt a policy used by Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, which gives a free seat to people who are too big to lower their armrest. The ruling is expected to benefit would-be travellers like Linda McKay-Panos, a Calgarian who has secured a declaration from the Federal Court of Appeal that she is obese enough to be considered disabled. Ms. McKay-Panos, executive director of the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre, said yesterday that she has not travelled on Air Canada since 1997, when she endured a "humiliating" flight in which the airline refused her an extra seat even though "my hips were flowing over the arm rest, my hips were basically on the lap of the person who sat beside me." Now 51, she said she was born with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, a hormonal disorder that causes obesity in about 50 per cent of those afflicted. The transportation agency estimated that it would cost Air Canada an additional $7.1 million annually to change its rules and WestJet an extra $1.5 million, adding 77 cents to each ticket sold by Air Canada and 44 cents for a WestJet fare. The carriers have predicted that their costs would be significantly more because the policy would be abused. Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said yesterday that the airline will comply with the decision and that it has already started working on screening procedures and employee training. He also noted the policy will only apply to domestic flights, reflecting the agency decision. The case began in 2002, when Ms. Neubauer, Eric Norman, and the Council of Canadians with Disabilities launched a complaint with the transportation agency. Mr. Norman, who died two years ago, lived in Gander, N.L., and used to travel to Toronto for cancer treatment. He was paraplegic and required an attendant for air travel. Ms. Neubauer, who said she seldom flies because the cost of two tickets is prohibitive, needs an attendant to help with everything from boarding to visiting the bathroom. The "one-person, one fare" policy already exists for other modes of public transport such as buses, trains and ferries.No Problem if you have a actual medical problem making you fat... but most people are just too lazy and eat like crap and now the airlines must give them two seats!!!
Cant remember the details, but I thought the airlines were considering charging people who are obeses more to fly cause it cost them more fuel. So the airlines could offset the free seat by charging a surcharge for the extra weight.
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Cant remember the details, but I thought the airlines were considering charging people who are obeses more to fly cause it cost them more fuel. So the airlines could offset the free seat by charging a surcharge for the extra weight.
do you think the court would allow that? not a chance ...they just gave fat people two seats...
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do you think the court would allow that? not a chance ...they just gave fat people two seats...
The Canadian supreme court and the American supreme court have nothing in common. The judiciary branch in America is liberal leaning for sure but the Supreme court is quite conservative.
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