I Am Done Apologising For Being A Fat Flyer

Yes! I am fat! There, I said it. Can you please now stop staring at me? Yes, you, the overweight middle-aged man in the security line. And you, the aunty in a yellow dupatta, no! It doesn't take me longer in security because I have a 'larger body'. It literally takes me as much time as you or any other woman standing in the queue. Or maybe it takes me less because, you know, I don't fidget that much.

Oh, and the uncle in the brown suit, with an unusually large bag to clarify as hand luggage (I am looking at you airline authorities!), you had no right being offended by a fat girl wearing jeans. And no, aunty in that bright green dress, just because you have one hand bag and I two, doesn't give you the right to cut the line and go ahead of me. And I am sorry dude with the neck tattoo, that I was in the way of your bag and therefore deserved to be hit by it. After all I am fat enough to be taking space equivalent of you and your bag! Right? WRONG!

And please, aunty, just because you get the middle seat and I am polite enough to not point out that you should keep your hands to yourself, doesn't mean you can keep poking me and blame it on the 'lack of space'!

These are not incidents from one flight or at one airport. These are just few of many incidents and experiences I have had while flying around the world. I know I am fat. I know there are certain problems in flying when you are fat. And thanks to the 'low cost airlines', those problems are only aggravated. The seats are too cramped, the seatbelts are too short, the tray tables are too tight and overall there isn't enough space to breathe properly. And I know that! I get that! And I make sure that I am always the most considerate, the most accommodating traveller.

I am fat but I am probably better than your aunties and uncles travelling in airplanes like they own them!

But now I am done. I am just done. I am done apologising for asking for a seat with extra leg space. I am done apologising for stepping in your way. I am done squeezing myself into corners so that I don't accidentally touch you in any way. I am done being nice and polite. Because it doesn't matter. People are mean, frustrated and are just looking for someone to pile all that anger on. And I am done being that person every damn time.

I am done apologising. The end.

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