First of all this a genuine AIBU, I really don't know the answer so please go easy on me as I'm going through a difficult time. I'm posting here on the chat board as I don't like venturing into the actual AIBU board.
I've always hated it when I sit on a bus and the person next to me squashes up next to me so their legs are touching mine. It's bad enough when it's a woman, but when a man does it I find it very intimidating. I wish the person next to me would leave me even half a centimetre so they didn't touch me. It's particularly intimidating when I'm sitting on the window seat and the person next to me squashes me in. I do understand that nobody wants to be hanging out into the aisle, but I still hate it.
The trouble is that throughout my twenties I was a size 12 so I hardly ever had this problem. In my 30s I went up to a size 14 and I noticed the problem increased. Within the past few months, for the first time ever I have gone up to a size 16. I am now noticing the problem happening a lot more. I know it's me who's taking up the extra width but I still feel like people are squashing me in deliberately as if to punish me for being overweight.
Please don't turn this into a weight loss advice thread. I don't want your diet recommendations. I'm already trying my best but it's slow going.
Yesterday I got on the bus and there was a woman sitting in the aisle seat but the window seat was empty. Instead of moving up, she stood up and motioned for me to sit in the window seat, so I did, then she sat down on the aisle seat again and proceeded to squash up next to me. I don't see why that should be okay when she could've sat in the window seat herself.
Today I was sitting in the window seat and actually ended up telling the guy who sat down next to me that there was no need for him to be touching me. He ended up getting up in a huff and moved to a different seat.
Like I said I know I've become more overweight, but deliberately pushing and shoving me is not going to help.