People body-shamed a popular TikToker and called her rude after she asked for a seat belt extender on her Delta flight.
She said while commenters are fake-concerned about her health, they tend to be more concerned with how she talks (especially when it comes to lack of inclusion for larger bodies) than her actual safety.
Seatbelt extenders are exactly what they sound like. They extend a seatbelt to make them longer, usually so they can comfortably accommodate and protect larger people. These extenders are crucial for making it safe for people with larger bodies to travel since, without them, they may not be able to comfortably buckle their seatbelts on the plane, causing safety issues.
In a viral video with more than 3 million views, Samyra, who advocates for the inclusion of plus-size people in clothing and media, politely asked a flight attendant for a belt extender.
The flight attendant looked for one and seemed to struggle to locate it, but the whole time, Samyra waited patiently.
“Delta, where are the extenders?” Samyra thought to herself. “Oh it’s giving I’m just not buckling today.”
Still unable to find the crucial safety item, the person told Samyra that they’ll bring the extender directly to her once they find it. Samyra thanked the person and took her seat. Once seated, she showed viewers just how short the standard belt is.
“Please, I ain’t neva seen a buckle this short,” Samyra said in the text overlay on the video.
@samyra Cuz i was for sure goin go unbuckled @delta ♬ original sound – Samyra
This is not the first time airlines, and specifically Delta, got called out for not having the necessary tools for a larger person to safely and comfortably fly. Last year, model and influencer Remi Bader said she shouldn’t have to ask for an extender; instead, she argued, airlines should make the seatbelts larger by default to accommodate more body sizes.
Even if people wanted to bring their own extender on the plane to avoid the hassle, Delta does not permit this due to Federal Aviation Administration regulations.
Samyra’s video has more than 4,400 comments, but many people made nasty comments about her body, while others criticized how she asked for the extender, saying she wasn’t polite.
“Wait how did anyone find a problem in your delivery? This was literally the politest request ive heard all month,” a commenter said, defending her.
Others said the video made them feel more comfortable asking for an extender themselves.
“I’m so glad when I see vids of other people getting extenders. I was so stressed it would be a big deal to ask the last time I flew,” a viewer wrote.
In a follow-up video, Samyra said more people were upset about “the delivery of my request rather than the delivery of my belt extender.”
“To all of you who are so concerned about my health in the comments. You should also be concerned about my health and safety on an aircraft with a belt extender.”
She added that whenever she discusses anything as a fat person, especially related to inclusivity, people focus more on her delivery than the issue at hand. They call her, a fat Black woman, angry, loud, and audacious (all terms that are weaponized against Black women), while her white counterparts get called passionate for saying the same thing.
The Daily Dot reached out to Samyra for comment via email.
