To give our readers an opportunity of a sneak preview of How To Complain For Fun And Profit, we have made available a free download of one of our favorite chapters - Living in a Sitcom. Click on the image below to begin downloading the pdf file. Enjoy.
(pdf download - 2.4mb)
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
The ironic part is that he references Southwest Airlines as squishing passengers when Southwest was the first (and possibly still the only) airline to require large passengers of a certain size to pay for a second seat.
I had a similar situation on a recent flight that i turned into a profitable experience in the long run.
I was taking a free flight already (a trip across states for a job interview) and during the flight there was an announcement that “Who ever’s cat this is can you please come and claim it at the front of the plane!” Un benounced to me apparently most flight lines will allow up to 5 “small lap sized” pets to be in the cabin of the airplane instead of down below with the luggage! This was news to me! Now i happen to have asthma and thought this might be a great opportunity to take advantage of. I called up the customer service and explained that i was unaware that there was to be animals that i was allergic to on the flight i was taking. I explained that being in a small cramped poorly ventilated cabin with furry animals made my flight uncomfortable (and potentially life threatening). Customer service explained that having small animals like that was a normal airline practice but understood that it made my flight uncomfortable. In turn they gave me a $75 coupon on my next flight anywhere in the US. All it took was a 15 minute phone call
-Justin
Or, ya know, they could just make the seats a reasonable size.
O_O
To use the methods of this authors letters….
Let me tell you a story of a frequent traveler that has had to suffer indignities by all kinds of companies along the way. This traveler was looking to find a way to properly complain to the various companies he has had to deal with on a regular basis and stumbled across this book while consuming an RSS feed from one of his favorite sites, Lifehacker.
Now, imagine this same traveler’s feeling of outrage when he sees that one of the chapters is about a complaint to an airline about a “Passenger of Size”. Being a person of considerable girth himself and having experienced the indignity of Southwest Airlines telling him he would have to buy two tickets (one of which he may not get to use) in order to fly with them, he was rightfully upset when he saw the author complained about something that was well beyond the airline’s control. The airline has no way of knowing a passenger’s size when the ticket is purchased and seating assigned. This traveler has heard all the different things that can be said. “Why don’t you lose weight?’, “You brought this on yourself” and all the others. Recently, the traveler experienced the “look of contempt” from another passenger that didn’t say anything but immediately turned around and asked the flight attendant for another seat. Even though the frequent traveler usually tries to keep the armrest down between himself and another passenger and puts the armrest up in the aisle to not inconvenience anyone but himself, he is still treated with scorn.
The travelers big complaint is not the this letter was about the size of another passenger, but how things were stated in the letter. It’s obvious the author has contempt for larger people. When flying Southwest, the Passengers of Size have to buy two tickets. Of course, if the flight is not full and we don’t actually need the extra seat, we get our money back. If we do need the seat however and don’t actually get to use it, then we don’t get our money back. Only in travel can you get charged for something you don’t get to use. No additional charges are made for passengers that have illnesses like the flu or a cold and are sharing them with the others in the recirculated incubators called airplanes. Nor are their charges for passengers with screaming infants or a lack of personal hygiene that is inconveniencing others. But since it’s “acceptable” to make fun of the obese, the author decides to do so in his letter.
Well, as you may have guessed, I am the traveler. I will not be purchasing this book after all. I cannot demand or ask for recompense as i did not purchase anything. I can only voice my opinion and ask others not to purchase this book either. While I am sure I will get flamed by people for posting this message, I take solace in one fact. While I may be obese, the author appears to be an ass. At least I can, and am, losing weight.
I’m truly sorry if you were offended by the chapter in my book, “How to Complain For Fun and Profit” about the “Passenger of Size.” I certainly didn’t intend to offend anyone. If you read the chapter carefully, my complaint wasn’t about large people… it was about Jet Blue’s policy… or lack of the same regarding very large passengers.
I happen to agree with Southwest Airlines. Their policy, while difficult and definitely costly for very large people who need to travel, is – in my opinion – fair and reasonable. It’s simply not right for one person to occupy part of a seat they haven’t paid for, especially if someone else is trying to sit in that seat! I know that they’re not intentionally trying to discomfort their neighboring passenger – but as a practical matter, they do. Southwest has come up with a reasonable solution: extra large passengers can guarantee that they’ll have enough room (without discomforting anyone else) by buying two tickets. If they don’t want to pay for two seats, they can take a chance that their flight won’t be full and pay for only one… but if there isn’t an extra seat, Southwest won’t let them board (or they’ll be required to leave the aircraft). It’s certainly not pleasant for the extra large passenger I’m sure. But it’s a reasonable policy. One person/one seat. Not one-and-a-half. The FAA approved Southwest’s policy, and I wish every airline followed it.
Its really sad to read about this book….its going on for a sharp decline of Human values….complain for fun?? or for profit?? cant decide whats worst. This is plain fraud…..
Is this a good sign for a society that is used to get things for free? Why not go out work hard and earn-deserve these goods or services?
Isnt it social racism to ask from overweight people to pay for an extra seat? Oh yeah I forgot….there is only room for blondes with big breasts and Mr Shiny smile and arnold type bodies out there….
I hate to say that….but we are on the wrong way people.
Go ahead buy this book and start learning how cheat other people or companies so they give you something (small or big) that you dont deserve. Go ahead, we all want to become “smart”….to become a big Nation of Free Riders.
Good luck to all of us.
Bruce,
You said that they emailed you within three days after you mailed your letter. Did you email your letter or actually print, stamp, and USPS it?
Based on the way the letter is written, one has to assume the complaintant didn’t try to resolve the situation when it happened; rather, the complaint was filed after the situation was over. Is this the case? If so, this seems to be a form of passive-agressive behavior under the guise of a formal complaint.
I’ve done my share of traveling, and have sat next to obese people as well as folks traveling with an infant. I suspect the infant wasn’t required to have its own ticket, so why penalize the obese person with paying for 2 seats? Do they also get 2 meals? Two sets of headphones? Can they take on two carry-on bags? Double the number of checked bags without fee? I suspect not.
The example paragraph provided as a glimpse into this book has not swayed me to fork over my money yet. I welcome the author to provide a better example of his writing style, to perhaps entice me to part with my funds.
Thanks for reading,
Jim