Fat Night Club Owner Bans Fat Women

Marjorie Dawes: What advice can we give to Barbara, to turn her tragic life around? Paul?
Fat Fighter: [sighs] Cut out biscuits?
Marjorie Dawes: Cut out biscuits! erm... Mary?
Meera: Instead of sugar, use artificial sweetener in tea.
Marjorie Dawes: Something about sugar, but I think the best advice any of us can give you, is to look at the person on the inside, because you're obviously a very unhappy person...
Barbara: No, I'm not!
Marjorie Dawes: Well, you deserve to be! I know Mum doesn't speak to you, but that's not for here... but as far as she's concerned, if you were knocked down by a bus tomorrow the world would be a better place!
- Little Britain

A new form of discrimination!

Is it up to a night club to choose who it allows in? Should it be allowed to discriminate because of weight? The Havana club in Jersey, Martin Sayers - overweight proprietor - has decided to discriminate against women because of their weight. Interestingly, according to the witnesses, he cheerfully allowed overweight men inside!

http://www.thisisjersey.com/2008/07/28/club-tells-fat-women-to-go-home/

FEMALE clubbers were refused entry into Havana nightclub on Saturday night for being too fat. Police were called to calm the situation outside the Halkett Street club as bouncers and manager Martin Sayers allegedly told women to 'go away and lose some weight'. Over 20 women are expected to give statements to the police today.. Georgina Mason was one of the ladies refused entry. The 23-year-old, who works for Lloyds TSB, had been enjoying a night out with friends when it turned sour. 'About five or six or us got to Havana at about 11.30 pm and the bouncers said we were not allowed in because we were too big. I told them not to be ridiculous and asked to speak to the manager,' she said. 'When the manager came out he would not look at me directly but said that they had received too many complaints about fat people and he told me: "Go and lose some weight before you can come in - fat people are bad for business."

One wonders how many complaints he had in fact received and how he noted them. What if he had received complaints about coloured people, or Polish or Portuguese people? He would not think twice about refusing to act on those complaints, and yet he can discriminate against people on grounds of weight, or rather, of appearance - because I am sure he did not have a pair of scales and a height/weight chart handy!

Discrimination against weight may be on the rise. Airlines, especially in the USA, are looking to do just this. Southwest Airlines is to start charging passengers who are too large for the seats.

http://www.nationalpost.com/life/travel/story.html?id=665203

Could air travelers face the same penalties for being overweight as they do for excess baggage? A recent U. S. study showed that the additional 10 pounds gained on average by American passengers during the 1990s resulted in an increase in the use of fuel, to the tune of an extra 350 million gallons. Already, Southwest Airlines has begun charging passengers who can't fit in a seat without raising the armrest. The company argues that, in charging customers a double fare (when the flight is fully booked), it is acting on complaints from customers whose seats were infringed on by overweight neighbours. It also considers that weight costs, and that total weight - including passenger weight - should be considered in assessing fares.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/182/story/420855.html

Southwest Airlines will soon begin to impose a second seat charge to a passenger who is so large as to have to lift up the armrest to fit into his or her already purchased seat. What will this mean to us at the airport? If the airline counter person or the gate attendant sizes you up and believes that you will not fit into your seat, is there a mock airline seat handy that can be used to measure while the rest of the line waits? Are we no better than a suspicious piece of carryon luggage? What if your traveling companion is thin and together you don't take up more than two seats?

Meanwhile Mr Sayers has achieved national fame. The story first in the JEP has now reached the National Media, and appears in today's Daily Mirror. Mr Sayers defends this on the grounds that it highlights the obesity problem. But at what weight are people refused entry? Is there a pair of scales available to tell people what is allowed and not? His comments seem like the desperate attempt to gain some semblance of credibility from the stupidity of his actions, and the lack of signs outside the club - note that no sighs refusing entry to obese people were shown - illustrate that this was an off-the cuff decision, badly thought out, and probably pandering to the prejudices of certain men (we know the type!). Now he will certainly lose business, and perhaps he should get the shoot-yourself-in-the-foot award for this month!

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2008/07/29/no-weigh-to-treat-a-lady-115875-20675280/

No weigh to treat a lady By Laurie Hanna 29/07/2008

A group of girls hoping to enjoy a fun night out were refused entry to a club - for being too fat. Police were called to calm the situation after they say the manager told them to "go away and lose some weight". Georgina Mason, 23, who was among the group, was left feeling "disgusted" by the ban. She said: "About five or six or us got there about 11.30pm on Saturday and the bouncers said we were not allowed in because we were too big. "I told them not to be ridiculous and asked to speak to the manager. He would not look at me directly but said they'd received too many complaints about fat people. He told me to 'go and lose some weight before you come in - fat people are bad for business'. "I was disgusted he had the nerve to say this. My friend, who is only a size 14, was not allowed in either." Helen Warner witnessed the storm outside the Havana Club in St Helier, Jersey. Helen, who says she will never set foot in the club again, said: "I heard the manager say 'Go away and lose some weight, love'. I can't believe what happened." Altogether, 20 women have complained to police and a Facebook protest page has been set up. But yesterday manager Martin Sayers defended his controversial decision. He said: "We got a lot of people that I'd classify as morbidly obese and we were getting complaints. " I am deeply apologetic but business is not good at the minute and I was trying to protect my business. If this highlights the problem of obesity, then perhaps some good has come of this. I am overweight myself. I did not do this to hurt anyone."

Maybe Mr Sayers should go to America, where if Mississippi legislators had their way, they'd put forth a law that would ban obese people from being served at restaurants! He may say he "If this highlights the problem of obesity, then perhaps some good has come of this", but if so, he is clearly about as tactful about the matter as Marjorie Dawes in Little Britain's Fat Fighters!

Marjorie Dawes: What advice can we give to Christopher to help him lose weight? Paul!
Paul: Eat healthily?
Marjorie Dawes: Oh that's rich coming from you. Pat!
Pat: Don't eat too much chocolate!
Marjorie Dawes: What do you mean, don't eat too much chocolate, all the other kids hate him, chocolates the only friend he's got.

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/01/no-fat-people-allowed-only-slim-will-be.html