A “plus-size” travel influencer said Seattle airport staff refused to put her in a wheelchair because of her size. Forced to walk her own jet bridge, she nearly passed out from lack of oxygen.
Plus-size passenger's airport staff refused to assist her in a wheelchair, forcing her to walk, leaving her desperately short of oxygen
I previously wrote about 27-year-old Jaelyn Cheney, a travel influencer on TikTok. She went viral for suggesting to a petite passenger that she should be offered a larger seat for a passenger of her size.
> Read more: Larger passengers demand wider seats at taxpayers' money
In her latest post, she shares an incident that happened at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) after a flight.
My ordeal at Sea-Tac Airport will shock you. This experience I'm about to share with you is another example of why employee sensitivity training is sorely needed.
I am a plus size wheelchair user and on a recent flight to SeaTac Airport, I requested wheelchair assistance as usual.
When it was time to get off the plane, I saw an employee waiting for me at the jet bridge entrance to help me with my wheelchair. As I approached her, she realized that it was me she was helping, not the petite passenger, and she began walking with her wheelchair, commenting on my size.
Even when I told her I really needed a chair and wanted her to sit there, she blatantly ignored me and kept walking. Then I was forced to walk down one of the longest jet bridges I've ever encountered, and she didn't stop.
By the time she put me in the wheelchair and sat me down, my lips were white, my oxygen levels were low, and I almost passed out. It was my first time flying on a plane without oxygen.
At first, this woman thought I could walk and would rather I walk than push someone my size up the overpass. All the other attendants drove passengers to the jet bridge, but my needs were ignored.
This is discrimination. NoBODY should be treated like this.
@jaebaeofficial I didn't know when to share this, but staying silent is no longer an option. If you've faced something similar, you're not alone. Discrimination is real and I don't want anyone else to go through something like this. I'm not going to stop fighting for change in the travel industry or any other industry. Every BODY deserves respect and dignity, regardless of size, ability, or other factors. Let's unite to ensure equality for all. • • • #BodyEqualityInTravel #TravelForAll #AccessForAll #PlusSize #PlusSizeTravel #Flying While Fat #Traveling While Fat #Flying WhilePlusSize #PlusSizeTravelPetition
♬ Sad song for piano and violin (886018) – NOVA
I believe we shouldn't indulge the overweight by offering an extra seat or two like Southwest Airlines does, but that's not the whole story. I'm furious here, but I'm furious to defend Cheney.
> Read more: Empathy and compassion for larger passengers
First, it would be a shame if this woman was abandoned by airport staff because of her size. I realize it might be difficult to push someone this big in a wheelchair, but that doesn't mean I can leave her to fend for herself. Certainly, if I were her lawyer, I would consider litigation. Also, if she really couldn't walk on the jet bridge (which it looks like she couldn't), she should have refused to move at all until a wheelchair was brought to her. She doesn't blame her for that, but just because she doesn't like certain airport employees' behavior doesn't mean she has to walk if she can't.
But more importantly, this woman is a presence on social media that strives to be “fat positive” and embrace plus size. I hope this incident will make her more sober about the fact that she cannot travel without oxygen or walk more than a few feet without stopping to catch her breath. This is not a laughing matter or an insult. Her weight and lifestyle are catastrophic and anyone who thinks she can be proud of her body is left with her portable oxygen tank when she takes her last breath and travels. Look what you need.
conclusion
Friends, it is unacceptable for airport staff to decide that a woman does not need wheelchair assistance. That's completely wrong. But please wake up. Cheney is dying a very untimely death, and that's not something to be proud of. She wants airport officials to be held accountable. But I hope Cheney uses this incident to become even more proactive and make positive changes in his life. As this story clearly shows, her current body is not something to be admired. She wishes her success in changing her lifestyle.
Image: jaebaeoffical/TikTok
