A plus size passenger who went viral on TikTok for slamming the size of travel seats has revealed she gets thousands of hate comments a day.
Kirsty Leanne, 29, from Shropshire, previously made headlines after sharing her experience flying on Ryanair, where she complained about the seat sizes.
She shared a video on TikTok (@kirstyleannetravels) of her experience on the budget airline, where she was given a middle aisle seat but was forced to ask for a seatbelt extender.
She then hit headlines again after claiming she was left bruised after travelling on a National Express coach due to the seat size.
But since sharing her experience over six weeks ago, she has received a barrage of hateful comments across her social media and on article comment sections.
Some of the insults tell plus-size Kirsty she should be banned from flying with others suggesting she get salmonella from raw chicken to help her lose weight.
Others tell her to “go sit in the cargo hold cow.”
Another comment read: “You don’t deserve to take up more space and I will do what I can to make it as uncomfortable for you whenever I can.”
“Usually 300+ is stored under the plane,” another trolls note.
“There hasn’t been a day over the last six weeks where I haven’t received a hate comment,” Kirsty told NeedToKnow.online.
“It doesn’t bother me when I get one or two, but it when I get comments in the masses it really can start to affect me.
“My whole business is about showing plus size people that they don’t have to lose weight to enjoy themselves and it can be hard to portray that message when I’m told on a daily basis that it’s not true.
“When it gets really bad I have to take myself offline and have a little breather, but this can be difficult when my business revolves around me being active on social media.
“The worst comments are when people make snap judgements about my lifestyle or those that tell me that plus size people don’t deserve to be treated the same as straight size people.
“It’s wild that in 2022, people still think like that when it comes to weight and weight gain.”
Other hateful comments have read: “Have fun in the surgery room when the doctors can’t suture up to your 6 in of belly fat that’s definitely the doctor’s fault.” [sic]
Another person wrote under a TikTok video: “You deserve it, you’ve shut down everyone trying to help. Hope heart problems get you soon.”
One troll said: “You don’t deserve anything!” before commenting again a minute later with: “I hope you will never be able to live a normal life! You DONT deserve it, f***ing disgusting.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “Fat people do not deserve to fly, travel or even have fun they should be banished to the gym until they’re fixed.”
Kirsty estimates she gets between 50 and 3,000 hateful comments a day under videos or articles.
She tries for the most part to shrug it off but admits she does pick up on a few particularly mean comments.
She added: “I know everyone responses to hate comments differently. Some people delete, block and ignore and others choose to address them.
“I don’t think either are wrong as everyone processes things in their own way and from experience, I know how much they can consume you.
“Personally, I do reply to the odd comments but it can be hard to keep up. I don’t feel obligated to reply but sometimes it’s hard not to, especially when I feel like I have to defend the plus size community.
“I’d hate for others to see what people are saying without reassurance that the trolls are wrong.
“I do occasionally have a little fun with it though! Especially if someone comments something ridiculous.
“People make a snap judgement about me based on my size. They see me as a burden on society and they’re not afraid to tell me that.
“Whether it’s telling me I’m going to have a heart attack at 30 or that they’d hate to look like me, every single comment they have to make is because I’m in a bigger body than they are.
“In reality, they should be directing their anger towards airlines and other spaces that are not accessible and they’re the reason they’re not comfortable.
“Of course, their response is ‘well it’s your own fault that you’re fat’ which just isn’t true.
“There are so many factors that can affect someone’s weight and no matter what someone’s circumstances are, they shouldn’t be any less worthy of respect, enjoyment, comfort and safety.”
But determined Kirsty hasn’t been put off by the hateful comments and still continues to share her experiences.
She added: “I just want everyone to know that the internet is a cruel place at times but no matter what everyone thinks, it’s important to stay true to you.
“Happy people don’t hurt others and for the most part, the people leaving these comments are not happy in their own lives and so take it out on others.
“If you’re ever in the position where you receive a lot of comments, remember that their opinions don’t have to define you.
“Deal with it in whatever way helps you best and continue being your awesome self.
“For those that leave hate comments on people’s posts, remember there’s a person just like you behind the screen reading them.”
