Recently, two friends of mine, who happen to be chubsters themselves, had to fly to Seattle for an emergency trip. No, not emergency in the my-business-is-going-to-fall-apart-and-I-will-collapse-under-financial-ruin or the my-family-member-is-dying-and-I-will-need-to-raise-her-seven-children-under-the-age-of-five-on-a-teacher's-salary kind of ways. No, this was much more serious. This emergency was due to the fact that Edgar Martinez was retiring from the Mariners. (Having "Mariners" and "Edgar Martinez" in this article is TOTALLY going to get us some new kind of google hits of the non-porn variety. I hope.)
One of these women is such a fan of Edgar that she has named her dog after him and built a Mariner shrine to him in a spare room in her house, so you can see the kind of emergency I am talking about.
As these friends of mine were boarding their plane, they were told that the airline had put into place a weight restriction for this particular flight and they'd have to take a later flight.
Yes, you read that right. They were bumped for chub.
Now, these women are healthy. And beautiful. And educated. And OLD ENOUGH TO BE MY MOTH—oof! I was really just kidding about that last part—nothing detroys self esteem like being called fat AND old. I was just trying to point out that they aren't laying around all day, eating sides of beef, chased with boxes of Twinkies and watching nothing but game shows and reruns of Dallas. They're standard chubby girls, like me and Miss Laura and Generic Adult Female and maybe even YOU WHO IS READING THIS RIGHT NOW!
So, why would I tell this story? The Chubby Girl Brigade is not here to point out all the injustices to women of size. There are plenty of sites that do that. We're just here to say that *checks mission statement*:
"Being chubby was something we all had in common and it seemed to be something deemed by society that we should be ashamed of or, at the very least, not proud of. We're not saying that we bask in being lazy, unhealthy, willful non-exercisers, or anything else that gets lumped in with the description of a stereotypical rubenesque rascal. Nor are we really making a statement about weight. The Chubby Girl Brigade is simply for women who are chubby - whether they like that fact or curse their mothers for procreating when that devil of a woman KNEW she was passing down genes for flabby upper arms."
Which is to say the we're not really here to say anything. Talking with a purpose requires energy, which frankly, after 2 roasted chickens and 8 pounds of potato salad, chased with 3 cubes of melted butter, is the kind of energy I just don't have. Besides, the game show network is showing old Family Feud and I'm slightly in love with Richard Dawson.
But, even that isn't the actual point of this story.
The actual point of this particular story is to tell you that these ladies got free plane tickets to any destination they want as an apology for their trouble.
I'm flying out to Salt Lake City later this month and I'm secretly terrified that I'll end up bumped due to my—shall we say—"extra baggage." However, there is a part of me that is doing mental calculations on how much I can chunk up before I leave because a free flight is exactly the kind of reward a chubby girl deserves.
I'm curious to what airline. (Make sure I don't book a flight with them.) So far, most of the horror stories I have heard concerning this discrimination are from Southwest. (I say this discrimination as is: A woman, who couldn't be taller then 5'4, a size 14 and 35 lbs overweight has to buy an extra seat - but man who is 6'6 and 280lbs doesn't have to because he is in his size/weight class.) - It's idiotic. - Frankly, I think this boils down to airlines loosing money and this is how they are recouping losses. ....Screw creating a good business plan- let's charge anyone over size 10 more money!
Posted by: Danielle LaFleur | 19 October 2004 at 06:59 AM
JJerilyn, I swear you get funnier every day. Consider yourself worshiped.
Posted by: Lisa | 19 October 2004 at 07:32 PM
I am one of the women that was bumped! I believe that a few clarifications are in order: #1 - It is true that I named my dog Edgar, and the Edgar Shrine is a sacred place in my home. #2 - Although probably old enough to be Jerilyn's mother, I only profess to have been her babysitter. (If anyone wants good "Jerilyn as a child" stories, they can be purchased for a reasonable fee!) #3 - It was United Airlines that we were flying. #4 - They compted us the tickets because the clerk admitted that the flight held 27 seats, and they had sold 29 tickets! Interesting that my weight had something to do with them being greedy, over zealous business people!
Posted by: Wendy | 21 October 2004 at 04:28 PM
Why Wendy, I seem to have blocked out all memories of me being anything but a sweet, angelic child.
Posted by: Jerilyn | 23 October 2004 at 11:10 PM
Wendy, is chocolate an acceptable form of currency? I'd pay you in paper money, but I traded it all in for candy.
Posted by: GAF | 24 October 2004 at 07:36 AM
Jerilyn: you were very "angelic".
GAF: only if the chocolate has nuts in it.
wr
Posted by: Wendy | 04 November 2004 at 08:46 AM
Wendy, I love that you put angelic in quotes.
Posted by: Jerilyn | 04 November 2004 at 09:02 AM
i don't know why they would put a weight restriction on a flight to seattle because i'm from there, and not to be politically incorrect or anything, but many people in that area carry excess baggage, including myself. those jerks.
Posted by: megan | 04 December 2005 at 10:06 PM
I just flew to Spokane on southwest and i actually was quite comfortable. I am 5'9" and a size 22 and i had more leg room than most other flights i have taken. the seatbelt wasnt even at its tightest. i was afraid because i had heard horror stories about southwest, but it was all pretty good. i have also had pretty good luck with alaska. just some thoughts :)
Posted by: Luan | 16 July 2006 at 11:01 PM