The woman took to Twitter to detail the incident. Photo / Twitter
A woman has taken to social media to share details of a nightmare flight where she claims she was "shamed" by her seatmate and ended up being questioned by police.
Amber J. Philips, a 28-year-old writer, was on an American Airlines flight from North Carolina to Washington D.C. last week when the incident occurred.
When I decided to take a picture & video to document the incident, I deplaned, picked up my bag, and boarded the shuttle. While I'm on the shuttle, this woman LIED that I assaulted her and the @AmericanAir flight attendant called the cops to remove me from the shuttle bus. pic.twitter.com/czMyxkQVQ7
— Amber J. Phillips (@Amber_Abundance) April 27, 2018
It was meant to be a quick, easy 45-minute journey. However, Amber says that all hell broke loose when her arm touched her seatmate's, news.com.au reports.
She claims it was a very small plane with two rows, and their arms were touching despite the armrest being down. It wasn't long before the woman began "aggressively rubbing up against my arm" before finally asking her to move over.
However, Amber claims there was simply no space to move, leaving her embarrassed about the confrontation.
Furious, she posted photos and video of the woman involved on Twitter, writing: "I'm tired but in the morning, I'll tell you all how a white woman @AmericanAir flight attendant called the cops on me because I made the white woman siting next to me uncomfortable because my arm was touching hers on flight AA5580.
"The cops were called on me for flying while fat and black."
I'm tired but in the morning, I'll tell you all how a white woman @AmericanAir flight attendant called the cops on me bc I made the white woman siting next to me uncomfortable bc my arm was touching hers on flight AA5580. The cops were called on me for flying while fat & Black. pic.twitter.com/9vc0PoFbX4
— Amber J. Phillips (@Amber_Abundance) April 27, 2018
And then came the next Tweet:
This was my view tonight because I made a white woman uncomfortable and held her accountable by AT LEAST making sure I documented her outrageous behavior of trying to humiliate me on a flight. @AmericanAir put my life and the life of other passagers in danger tonight. pic.twitter.com/yf9iyuubFq
— Amber J. Phillips (@Amber_Abundance) April 27, 2018
"This white woman literally spent the entire 45 minute flight making an active scene because my arm was touching hers," she wrote. "Loudly asking if I could 'move over' on a plane so small everyone's carry-on bags had to be valeted. It was awful!
"When this (woman) sat back in her seat during landing after leaning forward on her seat tray for most of the flight, she was able to sit back comfortably without touching me. That was my final straw. She made the choice to act out and make me feel like s**t when she didn't have to."
She suggested that the woman should have bought another seat if she didn't want to be in contact.
"Her broke ass should have paid for two seats if she didn't want anyone touching her. It's not my fault she has a Group 7 salary. @AmericanAir ain't nothing but public transportation in the sky! I'm an avenge sized woman, 67 per cent of women in this country are my size. How dare you!"
The confrontation allegedly continued after the plane landed while passengers were on a shuttle bus. Police were called to the scene, which she said left her terrified.
"While waiting on the shuttle another passenger ask me if I was OK," Amber said. "I said no and that I was afraid. I asked the woman, 'Will you take my number? And if something happens to me, please record it and send it to me?' because my phone was dying and I didn't want to die without proof ... I was deeply terrified."
Amber claims a police officer spoke with her seatmate and a flight attendant for several minutes before approaching her and asking her to step off the bus.
"I did nothing wrong. I left a report with the gate manager. The police never asked me for a statement. Only my ID."
American Airlines told Vice that police were called by the crew member after the passengers engaged in a verbal altercation.
"Upon landing in DCA ... one of the passengers requested to be escorted off the aircraft due to the altercation continuing," an American Airlines spokesperson said.
"The Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority Police Department was called to assist and removed both passengers. We take claims of discrimination very seriously and are continuing to investigate the details of this situation.
"We have reached out directly to the customers for more information."
Washington, D.C. police told Vice that both passengers were removed from the bus so the situation could be handled while protecting their privacy. Neither passenger was arrested or charged, and they went their separate ways.
Now, Amber is calling on action and compensation from the airline.
"Everyone just participated in policing me," she said. "The CEO ... needs to make sure this isn't happening. These are decisions made by people. [American Airlines] aided in all of this. I want my money back, my flyer miles back, I'm so tired."