Fat is Contagious

[MissToodles]

Everyone here must read this essay, especially if you ride public transportation. It's incredibly amusing and extremely witty!

http://www.freshyarn.com/42/essays/brittingham_fat1.htm

[imfree]

Originally Posted by MissToodles

Everyone here must read this essay, especially if you ride public transportation. It's incredibly amusing and extremely witty!

http://www.freshyarn.com/42/essays/brittingham_fat1.htm

Hahaha!!!, Miss Toodles, that was awesome. Check out my "Obesity
Epidemic", I'm in perfect agreement with the book idea!
The Big Ole Catfish,
(growing older and bigger)
Edgar

[love dubh]

Hot damn. That woman is a genius. I want to shake her hand.

[rainyday]

Loved that, Toodles. Thanks for posting it.

[biggie]

A great story, which made me laughs out loud. I would have LOVED to see in person that moment where she pulls the book in front of Mrs Hostility.

I sent links to it all around.

Thanks for posting about it.

[Tooz]

This happens to me when I fly. Southwest (when I was going somewhere they flew) has that open seating setup, and it was somewhat annoying to see person after person pass up the two empty seats next to me. They would literally be the last two seats taken on the plane. One time, a man sat next to a woman with a child who was throwing up everywhere. Yes, he'd rather be vomited on. I was kind of shocked.
I'm enjoying this essay.

[butch]

This essay is fantastic. It would be great if she made a template for this book cover available online, and all of us who use public transportation could utilize it on our trips. Maybe things are different down here in DC, but when the metro gets really crowded, people always sit next to me, and no one has ever said anything out loud about my girth on the metro. But then again, I think I give off really good "Don't mess with me" vibes when I'm using public transport.

Interesting aside, though-the other day I had a businessman sit next to me on the metro. 95% of the time, only women sit next to me, so I found this interesting. Maybe an FA, who knows?

[Timberwolf]

Originally Posted by love dubh

Hot damn. That woman is a genius. I want to shake her hand.

I'd like to take a seat next to her...

[Ruffie]

And man if we all did a ittle more of that type of thing we can educate the masses that while entited to your opinion of my weight you should keep it to yourself unless asked for it. With fatism being the last safe form of discrimination the more tmes someone challenges perceptions the more chance an opinion can be changed. I salute the author!
R

[Alicia Rose]

Best essay EVAR.

=Divals

[Fairia]

I got some good chuckles from the essay.

Oddly enough, I don't really see this issue when I ride public trans in my area, but then again, it's a small area where more people use their cars than a bus and the majority of bus riders are the elderly and a couple of college kids and still alot of room overall so it's a free for all. Or maybe I'm not looking closely enough.

[Tad]

Originally Posted by butch

Interesting aside, though-the other day I had a businessman sit next to me on the metro. 95% of the time, only women sit next to me, so I found this interesting. Maybe an FA, who knows?

Two quick thoughts:

1) An unwritten rule for men on public transit--at least the way you see it done around here-- is you only sit beside a woman who is on her own if the only available seats are beside women who are on their own. This is simply because a lot of women have had enough harrasement from men in one form or another, so without an invitation of some sorts you just give them some space (note that also by taking a seat next to another man, you don't force a woman who wants a seat to sit next to him). Frankly I'd normally choose to sit beside a woman than a man if it were not for this rule, because on average they are smaller and those seats are never big enough! If you want to see this rule in action, next time you are on the metro and it is moderately busy, start off putting a back pack or something on the next seat to you. When a bunch of people are getting on, look up, then move the bag to your lap, and smile while looking in the general direction of the people getting on. That is the invitation saying "This space is available, I'm not going to freak out if you sit next to me. I bet you get ahigher percentage of men sitting next to you then.

2) The metro? Hmmmm, do they call it that anywhere other than Paris and Montreal?

Regards;

-Ed

I admire Kimberly's nerve and initiative. When confronted with an ill-mannered person such as "Ms. Hostility", it helps when there is an "audience". Then as soon as one person speaks up in your defence, others may gain the confidence to join in.

Personally, I'd love to occupy that spare seat, just as long as I did not look too forward (as edx was saying about the unwritten rules). And my wee bottom only takes up half a cushion anyway

ianardo

[crazygrad]

The DC metro is called the metro. Take the orange line to the Smithsonian the next time you visit.

[MissToodles]

Originally Posted by butch

This essay is fantastic. It would be great if she made a template for this book cover available online, and all of us who use public transportation could utilize it on our trips. Maybe things are different down here in DC, but when the metro gets really crowded, people always sit next to me, and no one has ever said anything out loud about my girth on the metro. But then again, I think I give off really good "Don't mess with me" vibes when I'm using public transport.

Interesting aside, though-the other day I had a businessman sit next to me on the metro. 95% of the time, only women sit next to me, so I found this interesting. Maybe an FA, who knows?

Even if a bus is jammed, no one will sit next to me. Only very petite, usually elderly Asian women dare to do so. I don't get it. Although I once paid for two seats on a long distance bus ride and the woman across from me (A professor I may add) kept shooting me dirty looks. Then I had to listen to her speak to her travel companion about how "tolerant" she is of so many types of people. GAG.

[Tooz]

Originally Posted by MissToodles

Even if a bus is jammed, no one will sit next to me. Only very petite, usually elderly Asian women dare to do so. I don't get it. Although I once paid for two seats on a long distance bus ride and the woman across from me (A professor I may add) kept shooting me dirty looks. Then I had to listen to her speak to her travel companion about how "tolerant" she is of so many types of people. GAG.

Am I the only person who'd say something in a situation like that?

[butch]

Originally Posted by MissToodles

Even if a bus is jammed, no one will sit next to me. Only very petite, usually elderly Asian women dare to do so. I don't get it. Although I once paid for two seats on a long distance bus ride and the woman across from me (A professor I may add) kept shooting me dirty looks. Then I had to listen to her speak to her travel companion about how "tolerant" she is of so many types of people. GAG.

Yeah, I get the dirty looks on occasion, and the furtive whispering between people sometimes about me, but no one has the guts to say something to my face when I'm on public transportation. Maybe if I rode buses more, I'd encounter more of what you speak of, MissToodles, or maybe because I probably divide my time 60/40 between sitting and standing on the metro, I have less exposure to the rude people. Or, the fact that I often use headphones means I just don't hear it-who knows?

Believe me, sometimes professors can be elitist asses. I've had professors who should know better (partly because they know me as more than a student in a class) say some appalling anti-fat comments during class. I wonder if part of this is the old stereotype that fat=stupid? Whatever it is, people need to learn some damn manners, professors included.

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

Wow.

This writer is the Bill Bryson of public transportation-using bbws.

If I don't sit next to a plus-sized woman, it's probably because I'm too overwhelmed with adolescent timidity, but then I don't represent the population as a whole.

[liz (di-va)]

I sent it out to all the peeps I know...thanks for posting, Toodles!

[MisticalMisty]

Originally Posted by liz (di-va)

I sent it out to all the peeps I know...thanks for posting, Toodles!

I did as well. Little do they know that A LOT of them do this..even after knowing me for years and years.

Maybe this will give them a clue.

[crazygrad]

You know, I just don't get people like Mrs. Hostility. If I wanna seat, I park my ass on the seat. I don't if I see older folks, pregnant women, someone whose been having problems walking or getting on the bus/train or someone bigger than me or someone carrying a lot of stuff or with small children- I figure they need the seat more.

Otherwise, my big butt and bad hair are getting in your space.

[Zandoz]

If someone doesn't want to sit next to me where ever, it's just that much more room for me...their loss and my gain. On the other hand I do get a bit down at times when I see folks crossing the street mid block to avoid the fat guy (me) sitting on his porch...especially the ones that cross back a little way up the street.

[Red]

Originally Posted by edx

Two quick thoughts:


2) The metro? Hmmmm, do they call it that anywhere other than Paris and Montreal?

Regards;

-Ed

The underground train in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (North-east of England) is called the Metro too.


This essay is brilliant, although I am shocked and appalled by real-life day to day confrontations. I tend to think they only happen to me, so it is kind of nice to see that i'm not alone in these horrid situations. I think I might have to hook up my printer to make myself a tailor made version of that book cover, not only am I a chunky monkey...but a ginger too!

Fat AND angry! *gasp!*

[mrman1980uk]

Genius! Now I just have to think of other good things to write about it to use up the minimum character limit. Um... hilarious?

[Darcy080872]

Somebody said they wished the writer had made up "Fat is Contagious" books for us to take on airplanes and stuff. Actually, she did. They're blank inside but they have the same cover she used during her stunt. I bought one for myself and my mom and two best friends. The link was in her bio on the site where the essay is. Here's that link to buy the book:

www.cafepress.com/teeandsympathy

Here's the link to her bio:

http://www.freshyarn.com/pastcontributors.htm#Kim

ENJOY!!!!!

Darcy