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**Trigger Warning: This story contains numerous fatphobic quotes that may be upsetting to readers.**
Conservative political commentator Sydney Watson has gone viral after live tweeting her experience being "sandwiched between two severely obese people" on an American Airlines plane.
During a 3 hour long flight from New York to Dallas, Watson was apparently only left with a "third of her seat" when sat between two siblings.
She says the "obese humans" were "invading her personal space" and "putting their fat rolls on her body without her consent."
"Both the fats are sweating on me," she wrote on Twitter, "[I] have realised if I lean forward, I am less crushed. Only draw back is the man in front of me has his seat back and I keep getting smacked in the head when he adjusts in his chair. Humiliating. This will begin my villian arc."
Watson repeatedly described the experience as "humiliating" and "distressing."
She says fat people should show "common courtesy" and buy two seats to avoid the "pain and suffering" of other passengers; or "just not fly at all."
In addition she claims people who need seatbelt extenders are simply "too fat to fly."
Once Watson's online rampage went viral, American Airlines took to Twitter to respond to Watson's fatphobic comments.
"Passengers come in all different sizes and shapes," they said, "we're sorry you were uncomfortable on your flight."
Eventually the airline offered Watson $150 compensation - despite Watson never paying for her ticket as it was paid by her employer.
Despite the criticism, Watson says it's not a bad thing for her situation to be labelled as "fat shaming."
"I'm totally fine with being in the news for fat shaming," she says, "being obese is not something to be celebrated or encouraged - the fact that this has become about fat shaming, rather than the fact that obesity on airplanes is a hazard."
I've written many articles over the years - this is the first time I've cried while writing a story.
As someone that is FAT and does require {god forbid} a SEATBELT EXTENDER, I was devastated reading Watson's comments.
More so because so many people were agreeing with her fatphobic statements.
I know social media can sometimes just be a cesspool of terrible humans, but seeing thousands of people show complete and utter disgust for these two plus size passengers just left me heartbroken.
What if something like this happens to me one day?
What if I'm just minding my business and someone next to me on public transport is tweeting about my fat rolls?
Not once did this woman ever consider the "distress" and "humiliation" these passengers must've felt having to sit in chairs that are not made for fat people.
Not once did she ever consider that they too are experiencing "pain" being in seats clearly catered to thin people.
All this story does is confirm that society still HATES fat people.
Yes we may have the "body positivity movement" and better diversity on our screens - but ultimately the world still hates us.
Fat people are still not allowed to simply exist in their bodies without shame.
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