Thin privilege is not being publicly humiliated and denied what you’re owed. I’m currently on vacation with my family. We rented a beach house, and so far it’s been rather empty so I haven’t experienced much hate for swimming while fat. No “Whale in the ocean!” comments… yet. I’ve seen some people swim away when I drift over, like they wouldn’t dare be near a fat person. But so far the worst injustice was when me and my (thinner) sisters attempted to go parasailing. As I am quite fat, I checked the website to see if they had any weight limits on the harnesses. The website said no more than 750lbs per harness, so I figured they had all the necessary doodads to accommodate those of all sizes.

When I got to the dock with my sisters, I was informed in a very loud and public manner, in front of many strangers, that I was too fat to go parasailing. I obviously demanded to go, as I had pre-paid, when the snotty thin woman working the counter haughtily told me I was too large for their life jackets, and so I could not go. I was furious at the blatant fatshaming and fatphobia. They did not even let me try a life jacket on! I told the woman that I had already paid and that I was an excellent swimmer, so they should let me go. Still she refused, stating over and over I was too fat for the life jackets. I left in tears, while my sisters went on parasailing, stating that they had waited all year for it.

If a company has chutes that can carry up to 750lbs, they should have life jackets for all sizes up to 750lbs. How unreasonable is it to be three hundred under that and expect that they have the necessary accommodations? That is blatant fatphobia and discrimination. I’m writing a complaint to the corporate office about their mistreatment of me.