1 minute ago 2009-12-04T01:58:24-08:00
One thing I've received lots of e-mail about since starting this column is travelers' anger about being seated next to a very large person. I'm not sure why this comes up so much, but it clearly must have something to do with the increasing discomfort of air travel as well as the obesity epidemic.
More people are "traveling fat", and more travelers are concerned about it.
A lot of the responses came from a post about what extras passengers would be willing to pay for. Many said they'd pay more not to be seated next to a person who takes up more than their fair share of seat space.
But I found the perspective of the large traveler more interesting. The Fat Traveler's Homepage is devoted to the heavy (weight, that is, not frequency) traveler, written by, you guessed it, a weight-challenged traveler. I have a feeling the writer is female, though she never reveals her name. The blog is filled with personal diaries and diet tips. But it also links to great subsections on "Fat Friendly Airlines," seat belt extenders and airplane comfort for the overweight.
The Hoosier Gazette sees the humor in making the best of bulge battlers having to squeeze into an uncomfortable airplane seat. The site is hilarious, and really can't be labeled discriminatory because it's written by a big guy named Josh Whicker. His tips include always choosing a "diminutive'' seatmate and stuffing oneself before any flight, in case there's no food available on board.
Write to: Barbara Correa at bboydstoncorrea@yahoo.com
