Overweight people should be made to pay their fair share on ‘planes.

"Before I reply to your comments, however, I would just like to make it clear that I am aware that some overweight people may be sensitive about their body image and could, therefore, take exception to the (deliberately) un-PC language in my introductory argument. I should like to explain that it wasn't my intention to offend, merely to provoke a lively debate." How is this not meant to be offensive: "These people have no shame, no dignity, no self-respect – if they did, they wouldn't be so fat, or at least they wouldn't go out in public." Anyways... "You countered my argument that fat people should pay more by stating their weight "doesn't affect the cost that the airline spends on fuel or anything else. In fact, it is totally unrelated to economics."" No, that's not what I was countering at all. You were complaining about fat people allow " their blubber to overflow onto their neighbour's seat." This is what was entirely unrelated to economics (which is why it's completely unrelated to the resolution). You're just complaining about having to sit next to someone who happens to be fat. Get over it. "I'm afraid I have to contradict you. As of September 2007, fuel made up 27 percent of operating expenses for U.S. airlines, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and airlines will go to extraordinary lengths to reduce weight. For example, last year, American Airlines replaced its silverware on business and first class with another set that was made from a lighter metal. In short, the heavier the aircraft, the more fuel it burns. The cost of this fuel has to paid, ultimately, by the passengers, but the financial burden is not divided according to use, but evenly across all passengers." I already countered that. But I'll go at it again. People pay the same amount. An airline doesn't know how much fuel they're going to use for one trip, therefore, it makes sense to make it even, since they're all paying for the same trip without the knowledge of how much fuel it will take. And it isn't paid ultimately by the passengers. It's ultimately paid by the airlines. Ultimate means in the end. Who's paying the bill for the fuel, the airlines or the passengers? True, the passengers are the ones who keep the airlines in business, but it is up to the airlines to allocate their profits as they see fit. I'd also like to point out that you have not proven at all that these passengers are actually paying more because of fat people. You have shown no actual evidence for this. "I don't believe asking people to pay their own way is unreasonable. It certainly cannot be described as discriminatory. For example, if you go out for a meal with a group of friends, sometimes it is easier to divide the cost of the bill equally between everybody. However, this can cause bad feeling if most people just have fired chicken or hamburgers with a cola but one diner orders roast foie gras, crystallised seaweed and oyster vinaigrette for starters, followed by civet of venison, celeriac, marron glace and sauce poivrade with pearl barley for the main course and bavarois of lychee and mango, blackcurrant sorbet and green peppercorn jelly for desert, all washed down with bottle of Dom Perignon Brut 1966!" Your analogy doesn't apply for the reason I just gave you: people pay before the actual trip, not after. There's no way to know how much fuel it would take. Furthermore, is weight the only thing going into how much fuel it takes? No. There is no way to actually do the math to figure out how much each passenger should pay proportionally, so not only does your argument fall through, but it isn't even applicable. "However, you are right to say "the decision remains ultimately to the airline". Southwest Airlines considered including the weight of the passenger in the cost of the ticket but dropped the idea due to fierce opposition from overweight people. Perhaps if people of normal weight were as vocal as the fat lobby, the average passenger would get a better deal." That proves my point that it would be a huge capitalistic mistake (a point that you failed to counter). They would lose business if they did this. Since the route that the "should" take would be the best way to (legally) maximize business, the CON should win this debate. And as for "normal" people not being as vocal as fat people, what are we defining as "normal"? You see, about 20% of the population is obese (http://www.socialreport.msd.govt.nz...). Are you saying that such a huge demographic isn't normal? And even so, are you saying that the airlines should just ignore this group's concerns? So remember: It's a huge capitalistic mistake. It is inapplicable (in more ways than one). Other passengers aren't carrying the burden of "extra fuel" (and my opponent has not yet offered any evidence for this).