Richard Prince's popular column on the news media, published by the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education (www.mije.org).
FEBRUARY 7 | CNN Suspends Roland Martin Over Tweets
FEBRUARY 5 | AP Lays Off Diversity Advocate
FEBRUARY 2 | News of Don Cornelius' Death Goes Viral
FEBRUARY 10 | Diverse Support for Contraception Law
FEBRUARY 9 | Obama: Foreclosure Settlement Is 'a Start'
FEBRUARY 8 | Santorum Wins; Doubts About Romney
Flying While Fat
United Airlines is instituting a “flying while fat” policy and it concerns me for a few reasons.
While I don’t think anyone would describe me as “fat,” I am certainly wide in the shoulders. I am about the same size and girth as a heavy-weight boxer –will I get bumped from a plane for being too big? Who is going to be the one deciding who’s fat and who’s just big boned, and what are the criteria going to be? I wouldn’t want to be the person with that gig. You think the airport is hellish now, wait until you witness the first time some sista is pulled aside or bumped from a flight because she’s too big. There’s gonna be hell to tell the captain, for sure.
I don’t know if I get down with the Canadians, who think fat people should get two seats for the price of one. I guess it would make too much sense to make the seats bigger --- let’s just go ahead and make it uncomfortable for fat people to fly. On the upside, it could open up a whole new market, like Chubby Skies or FatLine Airways. I have some travel horror stories, but none of them relate to fat people or being kind of a large-ish person myself. Have any of you been bumped off a flight for being big, or know anyone who has?











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