I think that most people would agree flying is one of the most convenient ways to get from here to there. That doesn’t mean that it is without its problems, and one of those issues is being revealed by a plus-size model, Meg Goldberger.
At 24 years of age, Meg travels on a regular basis but she has a real problem with airlines. The issue is, they don’t make accommodations for plus-size passengers and she has had her fill of it.
Meg weighs in at 280 pounds and she talks about the problem with fat-phobia she experiences while in the air. This is not only true of passengers that may be sharing the same row with her, the airline staff has given her some trouble as well.
In an interview with The Sun, she said: “I want airlines to offer us business or first class upgrades for free if there are empty seats.”
She went on to say: “I won’t pay for it but it means we get access to bigger toilets and bigger seats,” saying that it was needed because “It makes flying more comfortable for me.”
She talks about how weightlifters and Olympic bodybuilders get free upgrades and she felt that she should get them as well. Her argument was that it was fair that she should get a bigger seat in a safe space.
Most people would consider this just to be complaining, but Goldberger said it was more than physical discomfort. There was also a lot of emotional trauma associated with other passengers who mocked her.
She claimed to have been called a “fat cow” on a recent trip to Dubai. They said that she belonged in the cargo hold while she was walking down the aisle.
“We suffer long-term trauma or PTSD from in-flight fat shaming,” she said.
Goldberger went on to talk about how she experienced fatphobia from the staff on a recent flight. She had asked for a seatbelt extender and they didn’t bring her one for quite some time, but when they did, there were no instructions given to her.
“I was terrified to ask for one and couldn’t find any information about seat size, tray table reach or plus size assistance and support on the airline’s website,” she said.
“Plus size people should not have to endure bullying and fat shaming on planes,” she added.
Source: The Sun