Too large for a seat, did the venue respond correctly?

nataliarunes

I think it was good customer service but a great disservice to everyone else there, you shouldn't be rewarded because you are too big. They should have given her the ticket money back and escorted her off the premises, but with today's legal happy society that would be a guaranteed lawsuit, and negative press coverage which would have cost the company more so they just appeased her instead of fighting it morally. Still sucks.

Heather75

Maybe the tickets were a gift? A non-refundable gift?

This is a total **** show. Do you honestly think that being marched to the front in plain view of the entire audience so you can sit on a ****ING folding chair is a REWARD? Right, because that wouldn't be humiliating for any of you. She probably wanted to go home, but didn't want to ruin her friend's evening.

This lack of sympathy disgusts me. Shame on you.

OP, this is only partially directed at you, because I realise that you were just trying to see how others would feel. Well, now you know.

ladybarometer

In the shoes of the venue, I would have done something similar. They could have put her in a handicap section with folding chairs, but if that section was behind their current location, it wouldn't have been fair either. I understand that it's not fair to others, but it's the responsibility of the venue to accomidate all sorts of folks, and really, in those cases, where she paid for a service that wasn't accomidating to her size, if these people wanted to pursue it, I'm sure they could even sue the venue. Crazy, but some folks will go that far-heck, I would at least get my money back if I was in her position and they didn't accomidate me.

On a side note too, I unfortunatley work in customer service industry, and in general, you deal with awful people all the time, and anytime there is a guest issue, where the guest is a nice and reasonable person, we, where I work, personally go above and beyond for folks, but if their being ugly or irrational, we're not doing jack for anyone. In general, most rules can be bent in light of customer issues, but not for anyone who isn't nice. You catch more flies with honey, and that lady just may have the honey ^_^

jkestens63

I don't think it's fair or right.

She bought the seat, she didn't fit. Places shouldn't keep making their seats bigger and bigger...it just enables people to stay large.

But, nothing you can do about it now. Lucky her for getting a good seat! Maybe it's one of the few perks she has received in her life.

Seriously, I don't think people are going to stay fat because of comfy chairs. Maybe stores should get rid of scooters and force fatties to get some exercise. While they're at it, perhaps someone should review what's in the grocery carts to make sure they are not buying junk food. And by all means, I think clothing size should be limited to size 18 that way if people get too big they won't haveanything to wear, they'll be forced to stay home, and we won't have to be offended when we witness them getting a "perk" for being fat. They shouldn't be encouraged to make the effort to get out, maybe walking to the venue was all the exercise she could handlee. Maybe her friend had to beg her to get out of the house for once.

I hope none of you experience a disability of any sort that puts you in a position for special consideration.... it sucks and people hating on you doesn't help.

CynthiaS

They couldn't downgrade their seats and probably had to put the folding chairs in an area where they would not violate fire safety codes.

The venue was probably more unhappy than anyone, but I suspect they had no choice.

Seat dimensions would be helpful, yes.

I agree

ladybarometer

Yeah, and on a side note, for a bunch of folks trying to lose weight, some of you are being just plain mean and insensative.

sarah44254

Just curious what other people think because I’m seeing all the sides of this pretty clearly and honestly don’t know what side I land on.

I think the venue made a bad decision, the woman's friend (if not the woman herself) made a bad decision, and there are a few commenters here that don't seem to fully grasp the situation.

1) venue: of course putting a folding chair in the aisle could have very likely caused a fire hazard. Like another person mentioned, there is usually (if not always) a handicap area and she could have been placed there. They could have told her to stand. They could have told her to leave and refunded her money (or NOT! Some are non refundable). What they did (upped her seating to VIP) was not the best decision. While they diffused one situation they obviously made another worse. Any concert-goer who saw this happen is likely thinking the same thing as the OP, "Why does she get better seats simply because she is bigger?"

2) The woman should have known that she would have seat problems. Unless she is a total hermit and hasn't been in a public seat in a long time, she would have known prior that she is large and might not fit into a seat. From what I read in the OP - it doesn't seem the large woman had trouble with it, but instead, her friend. Why is her friend throwing a fit - people act strange. Sure, she was likely embarrassed. Anyone would be, of course. I would have tried to stand and clap and really get into the concert and just avoid the issue of not-fitting. She did not have the same reaction as I would have. Ok, that is fine, different people different results. But back to the base problem - any largely overweight person I know personally is very aware that they are largely overweight. It is no surprise that they cannot do all the same things that small people can do.

3) I am so upset to read some of the comments here. No person 'deserves' a free upgrade because they are overweight. No person gets my pity simply because they are embarrassed. Are healthy weight people never embarrassed? Are healthy weight people never mistreated (whether it be given a fancy seat for free or being treated poorly in public)? While her weight was the stem of the situation here - the cause of her weight is her own. It might be a hereditary issue, if so, she would definitely understand that she is big, and may not fit in a seat. It might be her own doing, just gaining weight over the years. Again, she would be totally aware of her size.

This is such a long response, but I needed to get it out. The OP made me think. Hmm hmm what would I do? Then reading responses that gave her pity for her embarrassment just made me confused and even a little angered. If this makes me cold-hearted, then I suppose that is just how I am. I like to see all sides before I play pity on someone. When I was a larger weight I expected no special treatment from anyone. If I couldn't keep up running, it was my fault - I'm out of the race. I don't expect the healthy runners to slow down. If I am too big to fit in a seat, my fault, I'm out of the concert. I should NOT expect folks to get me special seating.

boomboom011

Just curious what other people think because I’m seeing all the sides of this pretty clearly and honestly don’t know what side I land on.

I think the venue made a bad decision, the woman's friend (if not the woman herself) made a bad decision, and there are a few commenters here that don't seem to fully grasp the situation.

1) venue: of course putting a folding chair in the aisle could have very likely caused a fire hazard. Like another person mentioned, there is usually (if not always) a handicap area and she could have been placed there. They could have told her to stand. They could have told her to leave and refunded her money (or NOT! Some are non refundable). What they did (upped her seating to VIP) was not the best decision. While they diffused one situation they obviously made another worse. Any concert-goer who saw this happen is likely thinking the same thing as the OP, "Why does she get better seats simply because she is bigger?"

2) The woman should have known that she would have seat problems. Unless she is a total hermit and hasn't been in a public seat in a long time, she would have known prior that she is large and might not fit into a seat. From what I read in the OP - it doesn't seem the large woman had trouble with it, but instead, her friend. Why is her friend throwing a fit - people act strange. Sure, she was likely embarrassed. Anyone would be, of course. I would have tried to stand and clap and really get into the concert and just avoid the issue of not-fitting. She did not have the same reaction as I would have. Ok, that is fine, different people different results. But back to the base problem - any largely overweight person I know personally is very aware that they are largely overweight. It is no surprise that they cannot do all the same things that small people can do.

3) I am so upset to read some of the comments here. No person 'deserves' a free upgrade because they are overweight. No person gets my pity simply because they are embarrassed. Are healthy weight people never embarrassed? Are healthy weight people never mistreated (whether it be given a fancy seat for free or being treated poorly in public)? While her weight was the stem of the situation here - the cause of her weight is her own. It might be a hereditary issue, if so, she would definitely understand that she is big, and may not fit in a seat. It might be her own doing, just gaining weight over the years. Again, she would be totally aware of her size.

This is such a long response, but I needed to get it out. The OP made me think. Hmm hmm what would I do? Then reading responses that gave her pity for her embarrassment just made me confused and even a little angered. If this makes me cold-hearted, then I suppose that is just how I am. I like to see all sides before I play pity on someone. When I was a larger weight I expected no special treatment from anyone. If I couldn't keep up running, it was my fault - I'm out of the race. I don't expect the healthy runners to slow down. If I am too big to fit in a seat, my fault, I'm out of the concert. I should NOT expect folks to get me special seating.

I agree 100% Whatever happened to good old fashion personal responsibility. it is no one else fault that i am overweight. Just mine. I realize that there are people with health issues but I seriously think obesity can be helped. If the help is wanted. JUST MY OPINION.

electromg

Yes, this is a wonderful post and put in the most polite way possible.

I personally feel that these people need to know what kind of seats they are getting themselves into. From my experience, venues have about the same width of a seat as most other. From how it sounds, she wasn't even close to fitting into her seat. It wasn't a simple matter of an uncomfortable squeeze.

Now, I don't want to seem judgmental here, maybe I just don't understand. When you are getting bigger, noticing that the seats you sit in are getting tight and more uncomfortable (for both you and your neighbor) isn't this a huge red flag to lose weight? I know its easier said than done. My mom has been morbidly obese most of my life, and I know her struggle. But even if you're not going to venues, but comparing yourself to the generic fold out chair, you can gauge that if you are wider to that extent, clearly you wouldn't fit in those constricting seats. We may not all have healthcare to consult a doctor, or the family support but what about some simple research in the library? It's hard to not be overweight (or obese at times), but I have less understanding for their situation.

Now, what I think is that these venues should say somewhere the dimensions of the seat, so they can watch out for people trying to pull this maneuver.

rc630

I'm really torn about this.. what an interesting predicament.
While it may be the woman's fault she was too large for the seat, I think putting her in the box seats was the right choice is that was the only place the folding chairs could be placed. Not only would placing the chairs somewhere else have cause a fire hazard, moving her there might have also prevented her from blocking the view of those behind her. I have been at concerts behind very large people and if you're on a level that is above the stage, the persons width may have blocked others' views.

Whether or not the person deserved the upgrade, it didn't change the seats given to every other audience member..Nobody who paid for the expensive seats had their own seat taken away, and nobody who paid regular admission was downgraded. It's not totally fair that she got a nicer seat, but if you hadn't seen it happen, you would have never known or cared, so I would say since it doesn't negatively affect anyone, the venue made the right choice.

IMYarnCraz33

I can see both sides to this.
On one hand maybe giving her an upgrade wasn't the perfect thing to do.
On the other hand being a heavy person she's often judged & hated for what she looks like (like a few other people have said,
that day/night, she WON.)
I'm VERY heavy and no I wouldn't expect a better seat. But it sure was NICE of the venue to help make her comfortable.
If it would've been me, hell yeah I'd have been very embarrassed.
Yes MY weight is my problem... however you don't know what her situation is.
Maybe she has a disorder that makes her bigger. I personally know a couple of people in that very circumstance.

And I agree, for a bunch of people that are trying to lose weight, whether a big or small amount, stop being so CATTY.
The woman was BLESSED. She wasn't turned away because of her imperfection.

This world is full with enough people (usually thin) that belittle, judge, criticize & make fun of fat people.
I choose NOT to become one of "those people" when I've finished my battle of the bulge.

skinnyhopes

I'd be mad. It's her fault for being fat. She got first class seats for FREE!

godblessourhome

I think the venue made a bad decision, the woman's friend (if not the woman herself) made a bad decision, and there are a few commenters here that don't seem to fully grasp the situation.

1) venue: of course putting a folding chair in the aisle could have very likely caused a fire hazard. Like another person mentioned, there is usually (if not always) a handicap area and she could have been placed there. They could have told her to stand. They could have told her to leave and refunded her money (or NOT! Some are non refundable). What they did (upped her seating to VIP) was not the best decision. While they diffused one situation they obviously made another worse. Any concert-goer who saw this happen is likely thinking the same thing as the OP, "Why does she get better seats simply because she is bigger?"

2) The woman should have known that she would have seat problems. Unless she is a total hermit and hasn't been in a public seat in a long time, she would have known prior that she is large and might not fit into a seat. From what I read in the OP - it doesn't seem the large woman had trouble with it, but instead, her friend. Why is her friend throwing a fit - people act strange. Sure, she was likely embarrassed. Anyone would be, of course. I would have tried to stand and clap and really get into the concert and just avoid the issue of not-fitting. She did not have the same reaction as I would have. Ok, that is fine, different people different results. But back to the base problem - any largely overweight person I know personally is very aware that they are largely overweight. It is no surprise that they cannot do all the same things that small people can do.

3) I am so upset to read some of the comments here. No person 'deserves' a free upgrade because they are overweight. No person gets my pity simply because they are embarrassed. Are healthy weight people never embarrassed? Are healthy weight people never mistreated (whether it be given a fancy seat for free or being treated poorly in public)? While her weight was the stem of the situation here - the cause of her weight is her own. It might be a hereditary issue, if so, she would definitely understand that she is big, and may not fit in a seat. It might be her own doing, just gaining weight over the years. Again, she would be totally aware of her size.

This is such a long response, but I needed to get it out. The OP made me think. Hmm hmm what would I do? Then reading responses that gave her pity for her embarrassment just made me confused and even a little angered. If this makes me cold-hearted, then I suppose that is just how I am. I like to see all sides before I play pity on someone. When I was a larger weight I expected no special treatment from anyone. If I couldn't keep up running, it was my fault - I'm out of the race. I don't expect the healthy runners to slow down. If I am too big to fit in a seat, my fault, I'm out of the concert. I should NOT expect folks to get me special seating.

*applause* great, great answer especially "no person 'deserves' a free upgrade because they are overweight"! it is not cold-hearted to expect equal treatment regardless of weight.

skinnyhopes

Maybe she has a disorder that makes her bigger. I personally know a couple of people in that very circumstance.

Most obesity cases are hardly due to genetics.

boomboom011

Whether or not the person deserved the upgrade, it didn't change the seats given to every other audience member..Nobody who paid for the expensive seats had their own seat taken away, and nobody who paid regular admission was downgraded. It's not totally fair that she got a nicer seat, but if you hadn't seen it happen, you would have never known or cared, so I would say since it doesn't negatively affect anyone, the venue made the right choice.
[/quote]

This is true. No one was inconvenienced but the venue. However, if this venue is like the one we have in Dallas ANYONE can go chill on the lawn as long as you have a ticket to get in the gate. Thats were i would have been in the first place.

IMYarnCraz33

Maybe she has a disorder that makes her bigger. I personally know a couple of people in that very circumstance.

Most obesity cases are hardly due to genetics.

I understand that but that fact still stands, no one here KNOWs.

kalelwifey

Maybe she has a disorder that makes her bigger. I personally know a couple of people in that very circumstance.

Most obesity cases are hardly due to genetics.

I understand that but that fact still stands, no one here KNOWs.

And its not like we gonna ever knoww or she ever gonna hear to comments.....will be ok lol....i think this should have gone under the chit chat section......its not really a help questionn thooo

ejohndrow

If she was that big it probably didn't happen overnight. Most theater/auditorium seats are the same size, how could she have not known it would have been too small? The place most likely upgraded because even though it was an area where the ticket prices would have cost more, the money they potentially could have recieved from that but didn't doesn't even compare to a potential lawsuit and the money and good lawyer could have gotten for that lady. Maybe airlines and theaters etc. should start making larger seats for the larger portion of America's population.

I would hope that that night would have been a wake up call for that lady, and even though I really don't think the upgrade was entirely fair, I doubt that sitting on a little folding chair was entirely comfortable for her either. They stories are a little upsetting at times, it's a classic case of 'the squeaky wheel gets the grease'. She has a problem and it's more obvious than someone else's (who knows, maybe there was a tall person who felt uncomfortable in the seat and would have love to move down to a folding chair and more leg room. Just an example).

All I can say in all this is that although I'd probably be a bit annoyed that someone seemed to get 'rewarded' for not taking care of themself-I'd never lose sight of the fact that my health and the ability to fit in a seat is far more rewarding any day.

Cheermamasita

They did the absolute right thing. The situation arose and they resolved it with grace. I went on a cruise with my father who is handicapped; he was so excited and looked forward to it for a year. (He is not obese) He is wheelchair bound, (it was discussed prior with the cruise line) We had 11 of us in our party and were assured we would be able to dine together at dinner. The first night we were all dressed up with our family and everyone got seated except for my dad, because there was a 5 inch step and narrow opening to our "assigned" table. Three of us left with my dad to go find another place to have dinner without the rest of the family. It was humiliating for him, we all were sad and dissappointed because the host did nothing to accomidate us... It really doesn't matter what the problem or issue is; if it's not working, the manager should see to the quickest and most logical solution. Everybody deserves recognition no matter what their "handicap" may be. If we can't be empathetic to one-anothers plight, we encourage and promote prejudice to obesity.
She nor anyone else would choose to be overweight just to get a "better" seat.

srp2011

For a bunch of people with weight problems I don't find a lot of you very charitable. There, but for the grace of God, go I.:sick: :sad:

It's not a matter of charity, it's a matter of personal accountability, which is sadly lacking in many people these days. I've worked very hard to never get more than 20 lbs over my ideal weight, and I'm working very hard to get back to it. Someone who chooses to overeat constantly and sit on their couch 24/7 doesn't deserve special perks. Nor do I deserve to have to deal with their rolls overflowing into my seat on a plane or at a concert. And rewarding them for letting themselves go to that exrtreme by upgrading their seats while all of us who work to maintain our weight within a reasonable rate get lesser seats for the same price is just wrong, besides being absolutely ridiculous. Maybe the venue was afraid of a lawsuit - does that mean I could threaten them with a lawsuit because I'm nearsighted and forgot to bring my glasses, so I couldn't see so well? I'll bet most of you wouldn't go for that, so why the pity and special treatment for someone who is obese? Obesity is a choice - I ran a diet program for years and I have yet to see anyone who can't lose weight if they follow a sensible eating program. They may never get stick thin because of genetics or a medical probelm, but they won't be morbidly obese. Enough of this mollycoddling people who make really poor lifestyle choices. Hold people accountable for their choices, and stop punishing people who actually work toward goals and follow the rules.