Mum Slams Australian Water Park For 'Body Shaming' Daughter In Line For Slide
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Featured Image Credit: Adventure World/Instagram
A mother has criticised Australian water park, Adventure World, for "body shaming" her daughter by weighing her before going on a ride.
The 13-year-old had been visiting the Bibra Lake park on Saturday when she was forced to do a "walk of shame" out of a queue and past all the other excited revellers, because a traffic light system determined so weighed too much for the ride in question.
Visitors are told to step on the scales at certain rides, such as the the Abyss rollercoaster, which has a 600kg weight limit that levels across eight people.
This means the average weight of any guest needs to be 75kg, or they will flash up red, and be told they can't go on the ride.
Recalling her daughter's "humiliating" experience, the mum, named Jess, told The West Australia: “My eldest daughter took my youngest daughter, who has special needs, up the slides.
“She noticed the weight machine but just lined up with her sister and her friends.
“Once at the top she was stopped and asked to stand on a weight machine.
“After the lights flickered red the operator walked over to her and said ‘sorry, you weigh this amount and you can’t go down’.”
Jess was so angry at the public shaming that she demanded a refund of her season ticket for the park.
She added that other parents who saw her daughter's embarrassment came up to her and shared their own similar experiences.
The park's CEO Andrew Sharry later said on Facebook: "In our efforts to introduce important systems to better manage safety on some of our waterslides, we have handled the communication of these new waterslide systems poorly and we have upset our guests.
"On Monday, I connected with an expert who specialises in body image and eating disorders, and I can now see how these waterslide safety systems would be received as traumatic and upsetting for some of our guests and members.
"I am genuinely sorry that we have caused this distress to our guests and members - Our purpose is to create happiness and magical memories. We have not achieved that on this occasion and I acknowledge that we can do better.
"I have spoken with the family involved and have personally apologised for the hurt that we have caused."
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