Overweight Man Banned From County Buses. Yes!!!!!

Overweight Man Banned From County Buses

POSTED: 6:35 pm EDT March 27, 2008
UPDATED: 7:42 am EDT March 28, 2008


HENRY COUNTY, Ga. -- A Henry County man says he’s been kicked off the county’s transit system because he’s overweight.

David Washington, 65, has been confined to a wheelchair following an infection after knee replacement surgery. Side effects from pain medications keep him from driving so he’s been using county buses for trips to the doctors and other errands.

“I have no other way of getting there, other than using the Henry transit,” Washington told WSB-TV Channel 2 consumer investigator Jim Strickland.

Last week the transit bus took a side trip to a scale at the local recycling center; weighing the bus with and without Washington aboard.

Days later came word the county was suspending his service. Washington and his wheelchair exceed a 600 pound weight limit.

“I've been using that service for 5 years without a single incident,” said Washington. “So why all of a sudden are they denying me services?”

Henry County transit officials told WSB’s Strickland that Washington and his wheelchair were putting a strain on hydraulic systems used to lift him onto the bus.

“Our utmost priority is assuring the safety of the passengers and when they exceed that standard we can no longer assure that safety,” said Julie Hoover Ernst, the Henry County communications director.

The weight guidelines are in the Americans with Disabilities Act, the law that's supposed to protect Washington from discrimination.

“It is quite ironic they're using it against me and I don't feel that is right,” Washington said. Federal transit administrators said if the hoist is rated to handle the weight, the county should provide service.

Washington and his chair combine for 680 pounds. The hoist on the bus that Jim Strickland saw is rated at 750 pounds according to the manufacturer's website.

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Ban the fatties!!!

!!!

So how much is he without the wheelchair???

Here's tubby.

Too fat!

That's fucked up.

yeah, he couldn't get off the bus till they 'hoisted' him off.

I don't remember all these half ton monstrosities when I was a kid in the 70's and 80's. WTF?

This is where America is headed.

All I can say is........God Bless American fast food chains!

More likely it's the growth hormones fed to our farm animals...

I think he has a strong case. If the system is rated at 750 pounds max weight and he and his chair only weigh 680 pounds they really have no business telling him no he can't ride the bus.

Stop picking on Harmon Bokai!!!

Evenflow! Explain yourself!

Ah, the ingenius American breast enhancement experiment.

Indeed, when I was a kid I was amazed by the (then) world record tubby at 1,069 pounds.

Today, that's mere child's play, because that record has been greatly exceeded several times.

ohhhh, I feel like I weigh 1000 pounds. No. more. cupcakes.

A sick handicapped man can no longer see his doctors! Yaay!

Sure he can. He just needs to arange for a flat bed truck. Or have a friend of his drive him there.

That, and I can sympathize. His obesity is a side-effect of an injury apparently, not morbid gluttony.

Bullshit.

He eats way to much.

So clearly, he deserves to suffer and be denied public transport, if the 750 limit is true, for no good reason.

He excceeds the limit when he carries his lunch with him. And I'm betting he's always got some food with him.

Love how you neglected to bold that part. He's 65, he's had knee replacement surgery, and he's on pain meds (probably including steroids, which make you gain weight like crazy and retain water).

This poor man.

So you think he was slim and trim before the knee surgery??

Right.

No, I don't. Obviously there are some variables he can control, but I think we should at least *recognize* that there are some that he can't.

You obviously think they are irrelevant.

Dude, this is a Red Room thread.

This is not the hug and love one another room. We give wedgies and pull little girls pigtails in here.

This fuggin' guy!

Heh. Does anyone want to take bets on why he needed knee replacement surgery? I'm guessing either:

a) He was in a motorcycle accident
b) He blew out his knee playing soccer
c) He was already so goddamned fat that his knee just couldn't take the strain

I don't expect decency, but I'm not above pointing out when it's not there.

Do you have an actual response to what I said or are you just going to brush if off with "this is the red room honey."