When a mother refused to give up her extra, paid seat for a fellow passenger’s toddler, the flight became uncomfortable. Due to her girth, the woman normally reserves an additional seat for herself, but on this particular occasion, she was seated next to a mother and her 18-month-old child. The woman refused, saying she had paid for both seats, when the mother requested her to fit into one so her toddler could have the extra one.
In describing her experience as a large person traveling, she mentioned that she purchased an additional seat “so everyone can be more comfortable” when planning a cross-country journey, demonstrating how she considered everyone’s comfort in addition to her own.
She remarked, “I know it stinks to have to pay for an extra seat, but that’s life.” The “customer of size” policy of Southwest Airlines was mentioned, but she added, “I wasn’t doing that because I’ve had some bad experiences with Southwest even before I was obese.”
The woman said, “It’s mostly my fault I even got fat,” which is a really devastating aside that demonstrates how pernicious diet culture can be. It is a fact that every body is unique. As much as everyone else’s body deserves love and care, so do obese people.
