A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to NYC...

[originally drafted 12/31/10]

My friends on Facebook saw the status message that I posted last night around 9:00pm:
LMAO @ the skinny European dude who literally just flipped out because the "fat girl" (aka me) was told to sit next to him. He demanded a seat change & he got it--right next to a fat dude & his uncaged dog. Now, I have my own seat. *smile*

I spent the holidays with my mom & dad in their new home in Rincon, GA (about 30 miles west of Savannah). I have started taking Amtrak down there because although the trip is l-o-n-g, it is far cheaper than flying down. My trip down was so carefree. I had a seat mate, and he and I got along fine.

Of course it would be coming home, December 30th overnight into New Year's Eve, that would bring some drama. The train is a Silver Meteor, which leaves out of Miami instead of out of Savannah. So obviously, there are people already on the train and the conductors assign seats based on what your stop is. I get ready to board and the 1st conductor tells me to enter the train and go to the car on the left, seat 26. I do so and find a man draped across both seats like he is home in his La-Z-Boy. I say excuse me polietly twice and he finally looks up.

"The conductor assigned me this seat," I tell him quietly. He sucks his teeth, and begins to move his belongings. I take my coat off, place it in the overhead comparment, and sit down.

Now, I've been in situations like this. You sit down next to someone who clearly has an issue sitting next to a fat person. I could see if my thigh or arm or shoulder was touching his because I was overlapping into his seat. I wasn't! But, I guess he just was mad that he no longer had his own seat. The man gets up, climbs over me dramatically, and begins to look for a conductor. I'm oblivious to what is going on until he is coming back up the aisle with another conductor and he is fussing:

"I do not understand why I have to sit next to the fat girl. It is not right! I demand a seat change!"

The train, which was relatively quiet, got very silent as this skinny dude with some sort of European accent (Russian? German? *shrugs*) is going off about how he does not feel it fair that he should have to sit next to a fat person, how we take up too much space and he was going to be uncomfortable. A few people turn to look for my reaction and it is at that point that I realize I can handle this one of two ways. I can either let the "Angry Black Girl" out and make an equal fuss about his rudeness, or I can play it calm and cool, look at him like "What did I do? I just did what the conductor told me." and see what would happen.
 
I honestly wasn't angry at dude for his outburst. It had been so long since I had been face to face with one of these fat bias situations that I really was like "Dude, seriously?" The conductors, seeing that I am not reacting at all, move him to another seat--next to a robust man with an uncaged dog. After complaining about that as well, he is moved next to an elderly lady and that is where he stayed until we all got off the train in NYC.
 
Mind you, he had to be told to remove his bags and belongings from where I was sitting by the head conductor--who was the cutest short Paula Deen-esque woman, who apologized profusely and hoped that I wasn't inconvenienced by the gentleman's behavior.
 
What did I learn?
 
1) There is such a thing as karma/divine intervention. And it showed itself on that train when the rudeness of that man got him an uncomfortable seat and my graciousness about the situation got me a seat to myself the whole 14 hour way home.
 
2) People are always going to have their assumptions and pre-conceived notions about us. After speaking with the conductors, they believed that it was more color than size that had the man's undies in a bunch. Either way, wrong is wrong.
 
3) I'm pretty sure the situation would have been completely different had I been flying rather than riding on Amtrak. Had I been flying, I'm pretty sure that I would have been asked to leave the plane and purchase a second seat based off of the man's complaints. I think major airlines should borrow a page from Amtrak and how they handled the situation.

Weight discrimination is real, folks. It is one reason why I try to make Belle-Noir Magazine so much more than just about plus size fashion. Yes, it is so important to look fabulous and have access to clothing that fits to make that possible. But it is equally important to support those who are fighting on the behalf of size acceptance and making sure that anti-weight discrimination laws are being included in equal opportunity laws around the country.