Feel absolutely awful after encounter on train

To me it sounds like you probably made a huge fuss, spraying perfume, tutting making faces etc.

She's a vivid story teller. Painted a picture so clearly that I could see it as I read. I appreciate that! You don't, evidently - so read different threads, fgs.

The passenger's body size is obviously germane to the story, or there'd be no explanation for the woman accusing OP of 'fat shaming'.

I've also enjoyed your ripostes to all the trolls, OP.

You can sit wherever you want, I hate it when I’m sat next to someone on the bus and their bum is taking up half of my seat.
Another time I went and sat upstairs on a bus, because where I was sat previously, there were two ladies sat behind me speaking really, really loudly and it was doing my head in.

You’re bu for squirting perfume around.

I have every sympathy OP. I really can't cope with these smells either.

I’d love to think that if someone was that rude to me, I’d have loudly said “if you must know, I’m moving because you absolutely stink” however it’s unlikely I’d do it IRL.

I was flying from Oman last year. Economy seat in the 2x3x2 formation. I was by the window of a 2. A man got on beside me and the smell of BO was unreal. Every time he moved, the waft hit me in the face. I complained to the stewardesses, well not complained as such but to see if I could move. Said I’d pay whatever to move wherever. But the flight was completely full even in business (no first on that flight). The staff were completely sympathetic because they too could smell it every time they walked past, and all they could do was give me two masks to double up (felt like covid years again masked up), plus a bottle of that spritzer stuff they spray in the cabin. I sprayed it regularly, liberally and that plus the mask helped marginally but that was the longest and most horrific flight I’ve ever taken. They did bring me a couple of glasses of champagne which was nice of them.

A propos of nothing, those iarnód éireann trains look a lot nicer than they did Back In The Day.

Even if heavy breathing, sweating, or spilling water is noticeable, it’s not the same as a drunk being disruptive. Those things are largely unavoidable bodily functions, not deliberate actions meant to harm or disturb others. Calling them shameful because the person is overweight targets their body rather than the situation, which makes it ridicule, not reasonable criticism. You wouldn’t describe a thin person the same way for the same behaviour, so labelling it as obese behaviour exposes your bias.

She sounds very unreasonable and somewhat unhappy. And I would also have moved due to the antisocial behaviour / smell. But I agree with others that all the unnecessary detail about this woman's physique gives your post a judgey, fattist tone.

You know what you’re doing OP and it’s a little sad.

She said she moved due to the smell, not any other behaviours, so the myriad descriptions, all designed to paint the woman unpleasantly, are superfluous, especially since they take up more descriptive length and clout than the actual issue – moving due to smell and then the subsequent name calling.

She sounds like a headcase with a giant chip on her shoulder. Don’t give it a second thought, OP.

First off who is she to question you!!!
She knew she smelt and she felt embarrassed and placed that embarrassment on you !
Thing is if she's as large as you've described then it will be harder for her to wash rolls and crevices etc.
I've smelt the same smell on ppl and it's vile .

However I've seen plenty of big ladies take ownership of their bodies noting that yes it is harder they sweat more and plenty of places to wash n keep dry etc and they go the extra mile in keeping themselves clean so there's no excuse unless shes physically unable to but from that lip she gots plenty of energy to put into bathing properly .

Which part is overblown? The fact the woman was huffing and puffing? That she dribbled water on the OP? All reasons in themselves to move frankly, but perhaps you enjoy those things happening to you

You can wear your normal shoes! Make sure you have a tight belt around your waist as that pushes up your tummy. Disclaimer: there are things in my tummy that weren't there before dc and have never truly left, so that might give me a special advantage.

Stop dressing up overblown descriptions (most of which have zero impact on the OP) as 'stating facts'.

So we now just have to avoid stating facts to be polite? I think the details in OP’s post showed that she was trying really hard to be tolerant and put up with a lot before moving. It’s relevant to the story. She wasn’t being a “fat shaming b*tch”; she was in fact trying very hard not to offend the woman.

She was rude asking you where you were going. You could have been going to the loo. None of her business.

I think the obese smelly woman on the train may have been kinder to you than some of the posters here...

first post nails it!

lol this reminds me of the time my precocious toddler dd farted repeatedly on a train whilst reciting the words to one of Julia Donaldson’s annoying books. Train full of hungover festival-goers. It was so stinky she actually cleared a space for us to sit down comfortably! Quite a feat on a train where some people were sitting on the floor.

The advantage of being smelly AND loudly obnoxious on a busy train is that no one else will sit down once you scare away the passengers crowding you, then you have all go it seats and a table to yourself…

I find the table seats more comfortable, I have a better view out of the window and sometimes I even talk to the other occupants. The horror!

If have said loudly, “ I feel uncomfortable I’m moving seats”

This.

There is no “group only” or “family only” dedicated seating on trains.

If you feel uncomfortable sitting at a table alone, that’s fine. But please don’t tell other people they’re being “selfish” it makes you look right condescending plank.