英国超重男乘机要买两张票 座位不在一起

Before he boarded the plane, 37-stone Les Price had already been forced to pay for an extra ticket.

The airline’s rules for passengers weighing more than 20 stone required him to buy two seats for himself.

But when he got on board, insult was added to injury. For a dismayed Mr Price found his seats for the flight to Ireland were not even next to each other – they were either side of another traveller’s seat.

And on his return journey the situation was even more farcical, with his allocated places two rows apart.

Mr Price, 43, had booked his tickets in advance of the flight.

But he said the unnamed airline’s employees did not seem to understand its policy on heavier passengers.

‘When I got to the airport I had to explain to all the staff why I had two tickets,’ he said yesterday.

‘They didn’t have a clue. When I finally got on the plane one was an aisle seat and the other was by the window – in a three-seat row.

'On the way back from Ireland one seat was in row 17 and the other in row 19.’

Mr Price, of Brynithel near Newport, South Wales, said the incident was one of many everyday difficulties he has faced since he began struggling with his weight.

The unemployed widower, who sleeps on the ground floor because he cannot manage stairs, said: ‘From the age of about ten I put on around a stone each year it seemed.

‘But I was the same as everyone else, working, playing rugby, training, so I wasn’t inactive. I’d work 70 or 80 hours a week and play rugby on a Saturday. I wasn’t a layabout.'

Mr Price then injured his back in an accident. He added: ‘I lost my mobility, developed sciatica and I didn’t get out of the house for three months.

‘Even if the boys took me out they would pick me up and drop me off and when I was at the pub they’d go to the bar and get my drinks for me.’

When his wife Zeruiah died from cancer in 2009 he admits he turned to comfort eating. ‘I fell into a depression,’ he said. ‘I couldn’t be bothered to cook, would eat takeaways and want to treat my step-daughter Charlie because her mother had died.

‘When I was working, I had to get the calories in. I’d be up at 5am and have a cooked breakfast later. I also worked for a bakery, which involved physically hard lifting, moving things around.’

Earlier this year a travel expert advocated a ‘pay-what-you-weigh’ airline pricing scheme because heavier people cost more in fuel to fly.

Passengers weighing above a certain threshold would pay more for their plane tickets and lighter ones would be charged less under plans put forward by Norwegian scientist Dr Bharat Bhatta.

Writing in the Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management, Dr Bhatta said weight and space should be taken into account when airlines price their tickets.

Mr Price said he is cutting down on his calories and attending an NHS weight management clinic. He said: ‘I want to be out there working.

'I feel guilty my partner is out there working all she can. Christmas is coming up and I feel awful I can’t do anything to help.

'I know a lot of people work the benefits system – but I want to be out there, not stuck at home.’

据英国《每日邮报》10月13日报道，体重约235公斤的南威尔士人莱斯·普赖斯不得不为自己购买两张机票乘机，可是，登机后令他更加郁闷的是，他的两个座位却不挨在一起。

普赖斯现年43岁，体重约235公斤。在去爱尔兰之前，按照航空公司的要求，凡是超过127公斤的乘客都需要购买两张机票。为此他预定了两张机票。登机时，他吃惊地发现，这两张票竟然不挨着，中间隔了一个座位。更滑稽的是，他的回程票被分别安排在两排——一张在17排，一张在19排。

他说，航空公司的雇员似乎并不了解公司对超重乘客的政策，在机场，他不得不向所有工作人员解释自己为什么要两张票。

据普赖斯说，从10岁开始，他的体重几乎每年增加约6.35公斤，因为难以上楼，他不得不睡在一楼。他说，因为超重，他每天都会遇到难题，乘飞机只是其中之一。但是，“我和其他人一样，工作、打橄榄球、锻炼身体，并不是不活动。我每周工作70或80小时，星期六打橄榄球。我不是懒汉。”

后来，在一次事故中，他伤了后背，不能活动，还得了坐骨神经痛，三个月没有出门。他说，“即便伙伴们带我出去，也得接我、送我。在酒馆，他们还得去吧台为我取饮料。”

2009年，他的妻子死于癌症，他为安慰自己而开始狂吃。他说，“我变得意志消沉，懒得做饭，就叫外卖。我在工作时，需要摄入热量。我早上5点起床，然后，吃点现成的早餐。我当时为一家面包店工作，要抬起重物，还要搬运东西。”

今年年初，有专家提出“按体重付费”的航空定价方案，因为在飞行过程中，较重的人会消耗更多的燃料。挪威科学家巴拉特·巴塔认为，航空公司确定票价时应该考虑到乘客的体重和所占空间。根据他的计划，体重超过一定临界值的乘客应该为机票付更多的钱，而体重较轻的乘客可以少付些钱。

现在失业在家的普赖斯表示，他正在减少热量摄入，还参加减肥活动，希望能够出去工作。他说，“我知道有许多人在利用福利制度，但是我希望出去，不想被困在家里。”