Mom kicked out for wearing a bikini - body discrimination?

[cleo29]

First, you can just as easily loose your top in other suit styles. I have found string bikinis to actually be pretty good at staying in place, provided you have tied them well.

Regardless, I can't believe that she is the ONLY person in ENTIRE water park that might have made a dubious choice in bathing suits (according to those that work there). I just don't believe it having seen what people are wearing to pools these days.

[thebuddhagouda]

Jul 11, 2013 7:42:34 GMT -5 bricco said:

I think my biggest problem is that this just reinforces the idea that only a certain body type is acceptable.

Just the other day, this was on my facebook newsfeed:



And it just grosses me out that people still really think in 2013 that only one type of body is worth being proud of.

Devil's advocate, that post may not necessarily be about body size though. Last month, I went to the beach with some friends/coworkers and spent a day or two wondering if I should wear a one piece or two and at what age does it just become silly to wear a bikini? It had nothing to do with my body. I feel comfortable in either one.

[purrbox]

If the park wanted to kick everyone out who comes into the place wearing a string bikini, then fine. But she said that other younger girls were walking around with practically the same thing on and weren't being told to cover up. If they're going to allow younger girls to walk around wearing smaller bikinis, then she shouldn't have been kicked out for doing the same.

[karmasabiotch]

She should have bought the suit.

[thebuddhagouda]

And I hope it didn't seem that I was saying it's okay to mock people based on age. However, I do think that there does come a point where even if something looks okay on you, you just look ridiculous trying to dress like a teenager when you're in your 30s/40s.

I still don't think she should have been thrown out unless there was something else happening here (which I'm inclined to believe was the case).

[underwaterrhymes]

I also think there must be more to this story.

I suspect that bikini was not staying in place very well in the wave pool and that was the issue rather than her figure.

[thebuddhagouda]

I didn't read the article. Did it say if she had kids there with her? I know I plan my swimwear differently if I'm going to be hauling around a toddler or not. Some suits are fine for laying out but are going to result in my flashing the general public every two seconds if I'm actively playing with him and picking him up every two seconds.

[mushmouse]

Jul 11, 2013 8:45:31 GMT -5 thebuddhagouda said:

Jul 11, 2013 7:42:34 GMT -5 bricco said:

Devil's advocate, that post may not necessarily be about body size though. Last month, I went to the beach with some friends/coworkers and spent a day or two wondering if I should wear a one piece or two and at what age does it just become silly to wear a bikini? It had nothing to do with my body. I feel comfortable in either one.

I think there is a difference between a 2 piece and bikini.  I don't know why a 70 year old would want to wear a thong or string bikini.  But I don't think there is any age where you must stop wearing a 2 piece suit.  My sister is over 50 and she should wear whatever she wants to the beach as long as all her parts are covered.  She happens to do Iron Mans and several tris a year and looks better than most 25 year olds at the beach.  But I think the wrinkly old German ladies I see at the beach should also be able to wear what they're comfortable in.  Not everyone makes their choices based on what is pleasing to the eye of total strangers sweating in the sand.

eta - I don't think that bathing suit fits or flatters her.  I would not have complained but I also don't think they were wrong for saying something.  I would have rolled my eyes the same as I do about anyone who is desperately trying to get the attention of everyone around them and gone on with my day.  We were in a community pool once and one of the largest women I have ever seen came in wearing a white bikini.  She was also very pale so the white suit was even more striking.  I thought of myself bending over in front of the mirror to see if there was a roll over the top of my bottoms, did I look 'too fat' to leave the house?  And she just strolled past all the staring eyes and descended in to the pool.  I envied her confidence more than I ever have anyone else's.  I don't think you have to look sexy to everyone else just to be able to wear what you want.  The suit fit and that was that.

[joshlyman]

If there is not more to the story, then fuck them.

[Deleted]

WHAT.THE.FUCK. This makes me so mad. First of all, I think she looks great. I was expecting a fatty, which she is not. I wish I had her body and would definitely rock a bikini if I were her. That woman is like my goal size - curvy and healthy. Second, even if she were 300 pounds, if the water park had no issues with smaller girls wearing bikinis, then it is just disgusting to single her out. If they want to have an across the board no bikini policy, fine, but it needs to apply to everyone. Dear God, women have enough body issues and pressure about weight and image, can't we just go to a water park and have fun without dealing with this nonsense?

I'm also encouraged that this woman lost 100 pounds and has no loose skin. She looks fantastic.

[lolly]

Whoever kicked her out would have an aneurysm at my town pool, omg. I agree there's something missing here.

[Deleted]

Jul 11, 2013 8:25:41 GMT -5 librarylady said:

Jul 11, 2013 7:57:04 GMT -5 curtains said:

I wouldn't wear it but I certainly find it hard to believe that the bathing suit alone is a reason to call the police to escort her out.
I can't help but wonder how that call from the waterpark to the police went.... that the police agreed to come down and take her off the premisis when it doesn't appear any laws were broken.

I believe the local news reported that she is the one who called the police or at least asked for the police to be called because she felt she was being discriminated against.

Also, although in the pictures she has released, the bikini bottoms seem to cover her ok, I thought in the local news story (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/full-figured-missouri-woman-allegedly-kicked-swimming-pool-wearing-bikini-article-1.1389763 embedded at the bottom) they looked a little low-slung and could imagine that when she was bending over or sitting down she was showing too much.

Lolz, well that's pretty funny.

[Deleted]

I do agree that the bikini top is not flattering on her, but I think the bottoms are fine and that she'd look great in a more supportive top. However, the top not being flattering isn't a reason to kick her out of a water park.

[Deleted]

i worked at pools for years. i know that this is how it went down. ready? bikini mama shows up. she's wearing a revealing, yet covering bikini. some tipper gore type freaks the fuck out that her sons are going to see BOOBS and ASS and gets her junior league friends to go up with her and lodge numerous complaints so that they can relax at the water park in their land's end tankinis with skirts in PEACE without having to deal with someone else's sexuality. they do so repeatedly, and they're probably repeat customers at the park, so some weakass manager caves.*


anyway, i think it's total bullshit. our policy was that you couldn't go in the water without swimming attire + no thongs. full stop. neon green banana hammock? fine. the absolute worst days of my lifeguarding life were having to speak to women or men who were in the pool in t-shirts (with nothing underneath) or jorts or whatever. because 99/100 times, that wasn't a matter of taste, but economic status. anyway.

*i don't have any real problems with the junior league or land's end tankinis with skirts. but i KNOW the type. they also probably had terry cloth visors and those quilted printed bags people go nuts for with their monogram on them. trust and believe.

[purrbox]

Jul 11, 2013 9:46:37 GMT -5 @godawgs said:

WHAT.THE.FUCK. This makes me so mad. First of all, I think she looks great. I was expecting a fatty, which she is not. I wish I had her body and would definitely rock a bikini if I were her. That woman is like my goal size - curvy and healthy. Second, even if she were 300 pounds, if the water park had no issues with smaller girls wearing bikinis, then it is just disgusting to single her out. If they want to have an across the board no bikini policy, fine, but it needs to apply to everyone. Dear God, women have enough body issues and pressure about weight and image, can't we just go to a water park and have fun without dealing with this nonsense?

I'm also encouraged that this woman lost 100 pounds and has no loose skin. She looks fantastic.

I was thinking the same thing. That's awesome for her!