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Opinion
The Battalion
Page 5 • Wednesday, July 3, 2002
Puying seats by the pound
Bet standards needed in charging passengers for more than one seat on airplanes
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S outhwest Airlines has recently
been criticized for its policy
requiring larger passengers to pay
for two seats. The requirement, which
has been in place since 1980, received
recent attention when Southwest began
training its employees for a new ticket
ing and boarding process.
Many other airlines, including Continental and Northwest, have
the same policy. In addition. Southwest Airlines provides people
forced to buy two seats a refund for one of the seats if the flight does
not sell out.
While the rule may seem harsh to some, it is based on sound prin
ciples. Every airline attempts to fill as many seats as possible on
each flight. If a person takes up so much room that the seat next to
him or her cannot be occupied, it is reasonable to expect the offend
ing person to compensate the airline for the loss of revenue.
“We sell seats, and if you consume more than one seat you have
to buy more'than one seat,” said Southwest Airlines spokeswoman
Beth Harbin in an interview with The Associated Press.
Critics claim the Southwest Airlines policy discriminates against
obese people. However, the policy applies to all people who are too
large to fit in one seat, not just the obese, said another Southwest
Airlines spokeswoman, Christine Turneabe-Connelly, in an interview
with The Washington Times. For example, a very tall person would
be expected to buy an extra seat if he or she could not reasonably fit
in one seat.
As long as the policy is equally enforced, it does not discriminate
against the obese. However, ticket agents are not currently given
weight and height requirements to help them decide if a person
needs two seats. Instead, ticket agents are trained to make these deci
sions case-by-case.
“It is, unfortunately, a judgment call,” Turneabe-Connelly said.
Personal judgment has no place in a situation as potentially
volatile and hurtful as the one in question. Southwest Airlines needs
one clear standard that is equally enforced on all of its flights.
Airline officials should determine the maximum girth and height at
which a person can fit into one seat, and ticket agents should make
determinations by this information alone.
Seat requirements should be made readily available to customers
before they approach the ticket counter. Customers should also be
made aware of all stipulations when buying their tickets online or
over the phone to avoid problems like last-minute purchases of extra
seats.
The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA)
advises obese people to familiarize themselves with airline policies
before buying tickets. The NAAFA’s website says obese passengers
should ask about seat sizes, be up-front about their size and request
seats that might allow more room when purchasing tickets.
“You have the right to fly anywhere you want to go,” the NAAFA
website tells its readers.
The NAAFA is correct, but it is not Southwest Airlines’ intention
to deny anyone the right to air travel. Southwest Airlines provides a
service — one seat on an airplane. If a person requires more than
one seat, his or her right to fly is not being denied. The person is
simply expected to pay for the extra space he or she uses.
Jessica Crutcher is a senior
journalism major.
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CHRISTY RUTH
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A mid threats of terrorist
action on the Fourth of
July, many Americans are
choosing to celebrate at home.
J-S intelligence reported June
20 it had received a tip concern
ing attacks planned for
Independence Day from a man who accidental
ly intercepted a conversation on his cellular
phone. The man understood Arabic and was
able to decipher some of what the two men
were plotting. The most specific information
obtained concerns a potential attack on Las
■egas, Nev., but the alerts do not rule out other
locations.
; Without a doubt, terrorists see the Fourth of
July as a tremendous opportunity to send their
anti-American message to all the happy families*
spending the day celebrating. The holiday repre
sents what terrorists hate about America: free
dom. One important thing to remember about
terrorists, however, is they get their power not
from what they are actually able to do, but from
what others fear they are able to do.
While terrorists have proven their ability to
catch the entire nation off guard, they do not
pose the kind of threat most Americans credit
them with. The reality of Sept. 11 is that the
attacks only killed one percent of the number
°f people that were killed by the bomb the
Tnited States dropped on Hiroshima.
I Ingenuity, determination and independent
■unding empowered the hijackers to carry out
||hcir massacre, but when put into perspective,
their might is little compared to that of the
ftl-S. Department of Defense, which is funded
■Y an entire nation of people and led by the
utost educated minds. Despite recent attacks on
the competence of U.S. intelligence agencies,
gew would deny that America is the greatest
military superpower in the world.
I A primary goal of terrorism is to scare
members of the American public into their
jjfmmes and keep them there, sequestered and
afraid of going to shopping malls
or openly patriotic celebrations.
That is the only feasible way for
terrorists to have control over the
country. This Fourth of July should
not be celebrated like every other
year; it should be even bigger.
Most A&M students have memories of ham
burgers and fireworks from years past, but this
year the younger generation learned how pre
cious freedom really is.
This year, the Fourth of July should be dif
ferent. Even for those who do not wish to risk
being involved in an attack, they can share a
fresh feeling of brotherhood and solidarity
with others. Anti-American terrorists will ulti
mately win if they can scare the country into
submission. What a sad display of irony it
would be if Independence Day passed without
celebrations of Americans standing side-by-
side, sharing the one thing they all have in
common. A mind plagued by fear is not free.
Time magazine recently ran a story full of
pictures of the new Afghanistan. Free from the
oppressive rule of the Taliban, people now play
music and dance in the streets, conduct non-
Muslim worship in the open, and women show
their faces. These might not seem like extreme
acts to most Americans, but under the rule of
the Taliban, participants were subject to public
execution for engaging in them.
Although the people of Afghanistan are in
much more danger of daily terrorist retaliation
than Americans, they are so intoxicated with
their newfound liberties that they live boldly.
They refuse to be held back by fear, and defy
opposition. America should use them as a
model for appreciating freedoms so easily
taken for granted this Fourth of July.
Christy Ruth is a senior
journalism major.
Renovations on campus
inconvenient for students
A s the first summer session
draws to a close, students
are frustrated not only with
finals, but with campus renova
tions as well. Although summer
may have fewer enrolled students,
many still rely on campus facilities
and equipment. Texas A&M should reconsider
its summer campus renovation plans in the
future because of the multitude of problems it
causes for students.
Despite its heavy traffic, the computer lab in
the Blocker building is closed for the summer.
This is an inconvenience for students because
the next closest computer lab is the Student
Computing Center (SCC). Many students have
summer classes in Blocker and use the computer
lab to finish last-minute homework assignments
or check their email between classes. When cur
rent students try to use the SCC during the sum
mer, they must compete with the crowd of new
freshmen attending New Student Conferences.
This summer, the SCC has reserved many com
puters specifically for the New Student
Conferences, limiting the number of computers
current students can use. For most students,
waiting for a computer is as frustrating as wait
ing for a parking spot.
Northside residents and other students dining
on campus are also at a disadvantage this sum
mer. After Sbisa Dining Hall was closed for
total renovation two years ago, students did not
expect it to be closed again so soon.
Nonetheless, the dining hall has been closed
throughout the summer, forcing students to seek
other places for meals and limiting the variation
of dining choices. It forces students to travel to
the opposite end of campus to eat if they do not
want to eat in the Underground. Students paying
for a meal plan are getting less variety for their
money.
Road construction has also been a problem,
limiting campus travel for several semesters.
However, it seems that more roads are closed
now than ever before.
ANDIBACA
People trying to access the
campus from Texas Avenue have
been out of luck this summer.
According to Parking, Traffic
and Transportation Services
(PTTS), New Main is under con
struction to enhance the entrance
to campus.
Among others, Joe Routt and Bizzell Street
continue to be closed, forcing drivers to find
new routes to campus. Koldus Parking Garage
has closed its main entrance, forcing guests and
workers to enter on the opposite side of the
garage. During peak hours, the entrance and exit
lines to the garage have commuters waiting
much longer than before.
During the summer months, A&M hosts
many competitions, clinics and student orienta
tion programs. Excessive construction causes
confusion and frustration for visitors who are
not familiar with campus. Although its purpose
is to beautify and improve campus, the construc
tion makes campus an unattractive hazard for
students and guests. Because of excessive con
struction, students walking on campus must
dodge heavy machinery, barricades and con
struction workers on their way to class.
It is understandable that a campus that sup
ports as many students and activities as A&M
will need repairs and additions. Many of the
roads around campus are narrow, uneven and
filled with potholes, and are in definite need of
attention. The Blocker Computer Lab is also in
need of renovation and expansion. However, by
attempting to complete all these projects at the
same time, administrators are ignoring the
inconvenience they cause students. Large proj
ects affecting the day-to-day life of most of the
student body should be planned in a compro
mise between what is good for this school and
for its students. Students should always be con
sidered, as they are paying to get an education.
Audi Baca is a senior
journalism major.