Ryanair Poll Results Foreshadow "Fat Tax"

When it comes to air travel, portly passengers are not having the best month. First United announced plans to charge obese passengers for an extra seat, and now Ryanair, a low cost carrier in Europe, is considering the addition of a "fat tax" to its tickets.

In an online poll, 30,000 potential Ryanair passengers voted in favor of charging excess weight fees for very large passengers. Though not yet implemented yet, how the tax is added would include charging per kilogram for passengers exceeding a particular weight, charging per inch for every waist inch over a determined length, charging for every point in excess of 40 points on the Body Mass Index, and charging for a second seat if passengers’ waist touches both armrests simultaneously.

“With passengers voting overwhelmingly for a ‘fat tax’ we are now asking them to suggest which format the charge should take," said spokesman Stephen McNamara. "In all cases we’ve limits at very high levels so that a ‘fat tax’ will only apply to those really large passengers who invade’ the space of the passengers sitting beside them.”