Lindsay McGlone, 26, went viral after sharing her flight experience with Ryanair as a size 24 passenger. Cruel trolls claimed she should stump up the costs for two seats
Lindsay McGlone’s video shows her getting seat belt extensions
A Ryanair passenger has hit out at “fatphobic” trolls after they targeted her on TikTok and told her to purchase two seats on a plane.
Lindsay McGlone, 26, from Barnsley, Yorkshire, received backlash from social media users after she shared a video of what it is like to be a plus-sized traveller. Lindsay, who is a size 24 and 5ft3in, filmed her experience as she boarded the flight to Bulgaria.
Her video aimed to reassure larger people that “they deserve to travel”, as she felt that they can be “demonised” for their weight. Lindsay, who was with her partner Tommy, 28, asked flight staff for a seat extender in the video. She also showed that she can pull the table down.
The video amassed more than 907,000 views and gained 10,000 likes. However, she didn’t expect it to “blow up.” Speaking to Luxury Travel Daily, she said, “I want to show people that they can travel and advocate for people who have different body types while being considerate of the people around them.”
She continued: “I have a larger body and I’m aware that some people don’t agree with my body type. You’re going to get derogatory and fatphobic comments. I didn’t expect the video to blow up as it has.
“I’ve had messages from people that the video has helped. One person messaged me saying that they were getting on a flight, they’re bigger and they were so relieved that they found the video. People said I should eat a salad. It’s so petty.
“I haven’t needed two seats before. I recognise I would maybe be more comfortable with two seats but I recognise that I fit in one seat. I treat the trolls with kindness. They comment because they feel a certain way about themselves.
“There’s a reason they’re like that and it might not be their fault. Getting into an argument with someone on the internet is a waste of time. Fatphobia is so loud. I’d ask them to think about if it was their relative or if they had an illness that made them bigger.”
Lindsay believes most holidaymakers can’t afford to pay for an extra seat. Lindsay said: “If seats were accessible financially to someone who is larger, do I believe that they should buy two tickets? If they feel it’s necessary. If I bought two tickets, people would say I was stopping an extra person from going on holiday. “People can’t determine what it’s important to spend your money on.
“People think they have a say in where or how we sit. It’s up to the individual. We have autonomy over our bodies. We don’t need other people to tell us.” She says she always goes out of her way to make sure the people around her are comfortable when she’s on public transport. Lindsay said: “I haven’t really had an uncomfortable flight but I build up the anxiety myself believing that I’ll have a negative reaction.
“I speak to the flight attendant and ask if there’s going to be anyone sitting next to me who I could make uncomfortable. “People demonise us and see us as needing fixing rather than as individuals. I always ask the person next to me if they’re comfortable. If you approach the subject or take ownership you can be made to feel like the devil so we can’t win.”