My apologies if this has been posted already.
http://www.xojane.com/relationships/...nes-fat-people
I almost fell out when I read this because it's EXACTLY how I feel as a larger person whenever I have to fly. I particularly liked the different take on the situation that prompted this thread in the first place.
Some key passages for me:
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Flying is not always about jet-setting off to some glamorous vacation. Sometimes people have to fly for not-fun reasons, like for work. And sometimes people have to fly to get to their sick mom’s bedside before she dies.
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Some feel fiercely entitled to the arbitrary amount of space the airline has decided we deserve; some think it’s unfair for space to be distributed according to need, as why should a fat guy get to be as comfortable on a plane as a smaller person? Some think the fat guy should be punished with discomfort: see, this is what you get, for being so fat.
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and
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There is no easy solution; if one existed, airlines would have implemented it by now. But I do think it’s reasonable to expect airlines to provide reasonable accomodations to all bodies, without surcharging the people who require slightly more space than others. I also think it’s reasonable to ask that we all remember that the fat people on that plane with you are also people, and they are not always edging into your seat out of a callous disregard for your comfort. As unhappy as you may be with their companionship, I can assure you they probably feel even more self-conscious and miserable than you do.
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