Natalie Hage is a plus-sized Instagram model and an advocate for body positivity. While on a recent flight to Los Angeles, Calif. for a photoshoot, Hage noticed that the man sitting next to her was not only behaving rudely, but also texting fat jokes to a friend. Hage took a video of the interaction and posted it online for us all to see.
‘’I paid almost $70 extra for this seat I’m in because I know I need a little extra leg room,’’ Hage wrote under photos of the man’s texts. ''I’m extremely flight anxious but there were only middle seats available so I had to take what I could get. As soon as I sit down, the gentleman on my left began LOUDLY huffing, sighing, and readjusting himself in his seat.’’
The man took photos of Hage and sent them to his friend.‘’Hopefully she didn’t have any Mexican food,’’ the text’s recipient wrote.
‘’I think she ate a Mexican,’’ the man replied.
Hage then added that the man texted that he was 'leaving a neck mark on the window' because he was so smashed against the wall’’.
‘’From the photos, you see I’m not in his space,’’ Hage wrote under the video posted to social media sites. ‘’He’s even taken over both arm rests on purpose, coming to my space and digging his elbows into my side...which is my seat. I didn't do anything to him..."
Things got so bad that Hage stood up for herself. And she filmed the encounter for everyone to see.
The man said something along the lines of ‘’Sorry, sorry. I was drinking.’’ He then proceeded to make Natalie uncomfortable.
‘’You probably shouldn’t be sitting in an exit row seat,’’ the man said. ‘’When they ask if you’re willing and capable to assist people in getting off the airplane in an emergency, do you honestly think you are?’’
Hage responded ‘’You know nothing about me from the size of my body…My body is none of your business. Don't ever treat somebody like that again.’’
The story has gone viral. It has over a million views on Facebook.
When thanking her followers, Hage wrote ‘’ I couldn’t NOT speak up. I’m so tired of fat people being a social punching bag. I won’t stand for it. I hope this dude learned something today.’’
Way to go, Natalie
