Before I was a big guy, I still had large shoulders. Gini can tell you, I’ve filled in since those days. But, I’ve always had to sit with at least one shoulder overlapping the person next to me, unless it was a child. That’s a treat, too. When I was 16, and thin as a rail, I sat between two youngsters who spilled everything from their trays on me for a good part of the transatlantic flight. When I get a seat in the aisle, I get my shoulder bumped repeatedly.

Yeah, well be big guy about it, huh, you might say. Try wearing ill-fitting clothes or shoes for an hour or two. It’s not pleasant. There was a time when I would just suck it up. I had to get to New York overnight for that once in a lifetime interview with the Times. I had to get from Oakland to Denver quickly a few times. And, I’ve flown for various business meetings. Trust me, I never found away to fold myself or sit comfortably. When I could, I wandered the aisle.

My solution is not to fly. My dream vacation in Tuscany will have to wait until I can afford fist class. Meanwhile, I am working hard at shedding the extra pounds.

So, what do I do, Southwest. Get shoulder reduction surgery?

If the airlines wanted to actually deal with size-enhanced folks, the solution is a simple one. Redesign seats so that some seats can be converted from first class to husky or whatever. Three across seating has to be very uncomfortable for one and all.

When we get supersonic rail in this country (dream on), I bet they will be able to throw on cars for the more robust.

When I get down to my target weight, I still won’t fly unless there is a very good reason – not even the steep discounts by JetBlue. My petite wife said she wouldn’t get on a $10 flight. (Wonder what a fist-class ticket is on one of those…)

Maybe on this occasion, Kevin was over the top. The trend, however, is toward more huskiness. Make some room for crying out loud, airlines. What next? Bench seats?