I've been uncharacteristically quiet the past few days, tending to my mom after her surgery (which went well).

But now I'm back!

I couldn't believe it when I read this story about a California man, a Hepatitis-C sufferer, who was denied boarding on a Southwest Airlines flight to Arizona for a liver transplant? Why? Because he was "too fat" and they wouldn't let him fly without purchasing an additional ticket so he'd have two seats.

Wow, I thought. He must have been really huge. Well, not really. The man weighs about 300 pounds, according to his daughter. He's on disability and couldn't afford the extra ticket.

Now, while I wonder why the guy was flying alone, why no one was with him to pick up the cost of the ticket and sort it out with Southwest later, etc., the fact remains that some ticket counter personnel thought it was more important to punish the fat guy than have some compassion for someone who was ill--the flight wasn't even sold out.

On the other hand, another Southwest employee bought him the second ticket so he could make the flight.

I have to fly to Chicago in March on business, and I'm already dreading it!