>Horror is flying an airplane filled with too many narrow seats and being seated between individuals who would be given 2 seats if seats were distributed via percentage of total passenger mass.
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>LOL!!! I once had to take a flight on one of those little puddle jumpers with 1 seat per row on one side and 2 seats per row on the other. I was unfortunate enough to get a seat in the row with two seats. I was sitting down when I saw this big fat slob who must have weighed 350 pounds walking toward me :( You guessed it - he had the seat next to mine. The next thing that the fat slob (a stranger that I had never met before) did was to raise the seat arm that separates the 2 seats. I asked him exactly what the hell he thought he was doing. He said that he needed more room and wanted to get comfortable. I promptly slammed the arm separating us back down and told him "I paid for this seat and I do intend to use all of it for myself!" Can you even imagine the nerve?

Probably Victors reaction was the smartest/economically most valid - I would have at first probably oscillated between bullheaded negative, downright belligerent and totally clumsy (elbows, feet and knees EVERWHERE one that side). Wonder what would happen if the one really needing lifted armrest to physically sit down would encounter me in bad mood stubborn mode refusing to "cooperate" - who would have to leave the plane if all other seats are taken ?

Depending on other seats available and the people occupying the ones next to those still free I might have tried to switch seats later - I would not have gone to the airline (unless seriously pi$$ed off at them for other reasons) as there might be anti-discrimination rules forbidding them to charge more on such barrels, but I might have needled some money from the fat one to pay at least some drinks to share with new neighbour.