I just got home and I’m shaking with anger.
I was coming back from checking the mail in my wheelchair, and my arms were too tired to push myself, so my husband was helping me. We’re rolling down the sidewalk — not the road, not someone’s lawn — the public apartment sidewalk.
And this ableist fat bitch with her kid starts walking straight at us. Like full-on acting like we’re the ones who need to move. The kid had more awareness than she did and was trying to pull her to the side so we could pass. But no — she decided to keep hogging the sidewalk, forcing my husband to veer my chair into the grass.
Now — I get where some people might wonder why I mentioned her size, so let me clarify:
We were already staying to the left side of the sidewalk, close to the grass, giving her and her kid the entire right side to pass that was closer to the parking lot. Her child clearly recognized this and tried to guide her that way, but she actively resisted and walked straight into my path.
My wheelchair has a 20-inch seat with 4-inch-wide tires — that makes it 28 inches total. I’m already wider than a walking person. And she still managed to force me off the sidewalk — not because there wasn’t room, but because she refused to shift her body even slightly.
So yes, her size matters in the context — because it directly affected how much physical space she took up and flat-out refused to adjust for, even when her own child was trying to help her do the right thing. This isn’t “fat-shaming” — it’s about spatial awareness, entitlement, and the way ableism shows up in everyday interactions.
Ableism isn’t just about slurs or overt hate — it’s about refusing to acknowledge our presence, our space, or our needs. And that’s exactly what she did.
I wanted to run over her ankles with my chair. I wanted to scream. I’m so fucking tired of able-bodied people treating us like we’re the inconvenience.
If you see someone in a wheelchair or with a mobility aid, move. Don’t act like we’re the ones who need to shrink ourselves to make space for you.
We deserve to exist in public without being pushed aside — literally or figuratively.
Do better able-bodied folks.