Airline passenger claims police were called because she is “fat”
A woman has taken to social media to vent about her nightmare flight where she claims she was “shamed” by a woman sitting next to her and then was questioned by the police.
Amber J. Philips, a 28-year-old writer, was travelling on an American Airlines flight from North Carolina to Washington D.C. last week, when she said things became tense when her arm touched the woman’s next to her.
As the plane was very small with only two rows, their arms were touching even though he armrest was down. The woman next to Amber began “aggressively rubbing up against my arm” before finally asking her to move over. But there was simply no space to move, Amber says.
Furious, she posted photos and video of the woman on Twitter, writing: “I’m tired but in the morning, I’ll tell you all how a white woman @AmericanAir flight attendant called the cops on me because I made the white woman siting next to me uncomfortable because my arm was touching hers on flight AA5580.
“The cops were called on me for flying while fat and black.”
“This white woman literally spent the entire 45 minute flight making an active scene because my arm was touching hers,” she wrote. “Loudly asking if I could ‘move over’ on a plane so small everyone’s carry-on bags had to be valeted. It was awful!
“When this (woman) sat back in her seat during landing after leaning forward on her seat tray for most of the flight, she was able to sit back comfortably without touching me. That was my final straw. She made the choice to act out and make me feel like s**t when she didn’t have to.”
Amber says she suggested to the woman she should have bought another seat if she didn’t want to be in contact.
“Her broke ass should have paid for two seats if she didn’t want anyone touching her. It’s not my fault she has a Group 7 salary. @AmericanAir ain’t nothing but public transportation in the sky! I’m an avenge sized woman, 67 per cent of women in this country are my size. How dare you!”
Police were then called to the scene when the plane landed, which Amber says left her terrified.
“While waiting on the shuttle another passenger ask me if I was OK,” Amber said. “I said no and that I was afraid. I asked the woman, ‘Will you take my number? And if something happens to me, please record it and send it to me?’ because my phone was dying and I didn’t want to die without proof ... I was deeply terrified.”
American Airlines told Vice that police were called by the crew member after the passengers engaged in a verbal altercation.
“Upon landing in DCA ... one of the passengers requested to be escorted off the aircraft due to the altercation continuing,” an American Airlines spokesperson said.
“The Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority Police Department was called to assist and removed both passengers. We take claims of discrimination very seriously and are continuing to investigate the details of this situation.
“We have reached out directly to the customers for more information.”
Washington, D.C. police told Vice that both passengers were removed from the bus so the situation could be handled while protecting their privacy. Neither passenger was arrested or charged, and they went their separate ways.