Airplane travel = Embarrassment

Airplane travel for obese people can be a very painful experience.  I usually fly Southwest Airlines and have found the customer service to be fantastic.  I don't ever ask for a 2nd seat, the arm comes down and I fit into the space (not always comfortably), but I fit. So, yesterday, when I checked in at the airport, the desk agent asked me if I wanted another seat (they don't charge any longer).  I said, I don't need one.  She said, the flight is fairly full, so I want you to be comfortable, I am going to book a 2nd seat for you.

As I mentioned, I don't ask for one, but when the offer, I usually say okay.  It is just easier than having to deal with the looks of people when the get on the plane and the only seat left is next to me.  The give me a look like I have some type of infectious disease.  I just want to say, don't worry, you can't catch obesity just by our arms touching.  I get it, it isn't comfortable to be crowded in the middle seat, but I do have feelings.

So, here I am, with a reserved seat ticket sitting on the middle seat and they have allowed too many passengers to board and not enough seats.  Apparently, they had 5 crew members on board who were trying to get to their home base.  So, the flight attendant walks by, looks at me and says (not quietly), you have a 2nd seat, right?  I said yes.  This woman, across the aisle from my row, looks over at me in disgust.  I bit my tongue and didn't say anything.  I knew if I opened my mouth, I would have gotten kicked off the plane.  So then, they realize, they still have one crew member who needed to be seated.  The flight attendant asked if it was okay for the employee to seat in the reserved seat.  The man, said he didn't mind at all.  I said, of course I don't mind, I only took the seat to avoid the dirty looks of other passengers.  I also shared with her that she had no idea how rude and mean people could be.  I shared with her the looks I got when she announced I had an extra seat.  She said, are you kidding?  Well those people should look half as good as you do.  She said, honey, you are beautiful, people should be ashamed of themselves.  To be honest, I teared up a little bit. 

Thinner people have no clue what it is like to be large on a plane.  You get into your seat and make yourself as small as you can.  You hate having to ask for a seat belt extender (another embarrassment).  I hated it so much, that I purchased one through Amazon when I flew to Ireland last year. 

We talk to our children about how to deal with bullying, but yet, people don't acknowledge that when you say something hurtful to an obese person, you are being a bully yourself. If we all stopped and thought before we spoke or judged someone, it would be a better world.  When you say something hurtful, you are just adding to the emotional issues someone may have. We all have a history, and you don't know the path someone has had to walk through life. Needless to say, I am looking forward to my first plane ride after surgery.  I can't wait to not need a seat belt extender and to have room in my airplane seat.