Wide Body Plane = Wide Butt Passengers?

[Ocklawaha]

So you REALLY think a "luxury" aircraft OR bus seat is equal or better then a Amtrak/Railroad seat?

SEAT WIDTH

Transit bus - 17.5"
Greyhound - 19" width + 30 degree pitch
Airline First Class:   21" wide +39 degree pitch (AA 757-200)
Airline Coach 17" + 32 degree pitch (AA 757-200)
Amtrak Coach- 23" + 50 degree pitch recline
Amtrak First Class - 28" seat + 40" sofa


The average weight of Americans has increased in the last 50 years, and it’s having an affect on the transit and motorcoach industry. As the butts of Americans get wider, the size of transportation seating is also increasing.

A study released last August by England’s esteemed medical journal The Lancet predicted that roughly half of American men and women will be obese by 2030 if U.S. eating habits are not drastically altered (God knows I've done my part!)

So last year it came as no surprise when the Federal Transit Authority announced plans to boost the standard for passenger weight to 175 pounds from 150 and to expand passenger bus floor space from 1.50 to 1.75. The 150-pound guideline was based on the numbers from the National Health Examination Survey, which was conducted during the first years of John F. Kennedy’s administration. One could call it the Camelot days of ideal body weight.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average weight of men 20 and older is nearly 195 pounds and about 165 pounds for women in the same age range.

Expect a lot more butts in these seats. According to an American Public Transportation Association study, there could be an additional 670 million passenger trips per year on transit systems if gas prices reach an average $4 a gallon nationally. At $5 a gallon, the association predicts 1.5 billion more passenger trips.

Larger seats pose a problem for transit agencies. A bus only has so much room. Fewer seats could equate in a loss of revenue, not good news for many agencies now operating under the weight of major funding cuts in lean times.

SOURCE:  http://busride.com/2012/01/wider-bus-seats-affecting-transit-industry/

OCKLAWAHA