Is this discrimination?

[zhuzhu]

Just saw the news about an obese woman being asked not to come back to a salon, because they had to spend 2500 to repair the chair that she broke.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/michelle-fonvi ... d=11461062

I am torn about this one. It is for sure not nice that she was asked to not come back and got charged more, but from the business owner's point of view, it is also true that they can not afford to keep this women as a customer.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Tuckins1]

No, I don't think it's discrimination... I know it's a very touchy subject and everybody should be treated with respect- but if she really was so big that she broke a $2500 chair, then I understand why the store might choose not to serve her anymore.

 

[oranges]

I don't want to touch this with a 50 foot pole---it's a very sensitive subject, however, as tuckins1 said, I do think that the salon has the right to not want to serve certain customers if they are breaking chairs and costing the salon thousands.

 

[junebug17]

I get the impression from the article that the woman didn't actually break a chair. The salon owner is charging heavy people extra because she's afraid a chair will be broken. Maybe I'm slow today, but I'm not getting the owner's reasoning, and I think what she did is illegal. You can't charge a person extra for something she might do, or because the person is over-weight. And what difference is $5 going to make? I don't understand this story.

It sounds to me that after the woman questioned the owner and was given her money back, the owner told her not to return. I think it might be discrimination, because the owner didn't have a problem giving service to her prior to being questioned about the extra fee. What a weird story.

 

[Selkie]

I'm not sure whether it's discrimination in the legal sense, but it's certainly rude and unprofessional, and I'd be embarrassed too. She didn't actually break a chair, though. It's worded so that you might easily think that, but I think it's just the excuse the owner used, since it starts off: "A nail salon in Georgia, worried that their expensive chairs might break, charged a customer an additional five dollars because she is overweight." Do they charge all their "overweight" customers $5 extra, because that's a lot of manicures to cover one $2500 chair...

 

[junebug17]

This customer had to pay extra on the chance that a chair might, at some point, be broken by an over-weight customer. This woman didn't actually break a chair. And the customer wasn't made aware of this extra charge, it was just tacked on to her bill. I feel as if some law has been broken here. This just doesn't seem right to me.

ETA: does this store have a "broken chair" fund that all over-weight people have to pay into? And how does this owner determine who will have to pay $5 extra? What this store owner did just seems so wrong to me, on so many levels. Oh, and supposedly it took longer to do this woman's nails, so that's also why she was charged extra.

 

[packrat]

Is there a scale you step on beforehand to know who is considered a possible chair breaker? If it breaks it breaks, that's part of doing business, regardless of how much a client weighs. My dad broke one of our lawn chairs last year and he weighs a buck oh five soaking wet.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I don't think they can prove that the overweight customer was the actual cause for the broken chair. Maybe it was about to break anyways? Maybe some skinny person would have broken it is he/she had happened to be the next one to sit in it? Just because the obese person was the proximate cause of the break does not mean she was the ultimate cause.

How silly, anyways. That is a cost of doing business.

Apparently the chairs can only hold up to 200lbs. Does that mean they charge an extra $5 to large (not overweight) men, too?

So yes, it is discrimination unless they apply the rule to *every* person who weighs over a certain amount. I doubt very much they have their scale sitting there for each client

 

[megumic]

A more sturdy chair would solve the problem. It is more likely than not that at least one, if not many customers -- both male and female -- are likely to be over 200+ lbs. So if this business owner wants to serve his or her customers and not get a bad reputation for only servicing clients under 200 lbs, then I suggest a stronger chair is bought.

 

[Nashville]

I'm not overweight, yet I could still run the risk of breaking something when I enter a salon. If I knock over a vase, will I be asked not to return? Maybe, but that would be dumb on the salon's part when I tell everyone to not go there!

 

[Mara]

Often businesses have that 'right to refuse service' sign over their door. I would imagine that means they can deny whoever they want. Or charge whatever they want if people pay it.

That customer could have turned around and headed out the door as well. You vote with your $$.

 

[NovemberBride]

As someone else said, it is not discrimination, at least not in the legal sense in the US. In the US, there are very few legally protected classes - sex, age, race, religion are the big ones. A business that serves the public can't discriminate on these bases. But they can discriminate for any reason they want as long as it is not a protected status. If a particular store decided they only wanted to sell to brunettes and didn't want blonds as customers -that's ok.

Of course, just because it is not illegal doesn't mean it is right or a good business practice.

 

[Tuckins1]

I'm not sure whether it's discrimination in the legal sense, but it's certainly rude and unprofessional, and I'd be embarrassed too. She didn't actually break a chair, though. It's worded so that you might easily think that, but I think it's just the excuse the owner used, since it starts off: "A nail salon in Georgia, worried that their expensive chairs might break, charged a customer an additional five dollars because she is overweight." Do they charge all their "overweight" customers $5 extra, because that's a lot of manicures to cover one $2500 chair...

Hmmmm... Yeah. You definitely can't charge extra for something that *might* happen.

 

[NovemberBride]

I'm not sure whether it's discrimination in the legal sense, but it's certainly rude and unprofessional, and I'd be embarrassed too. She didn't actually break a chair, though. It's worded so that you might easily think that, but I think it's just the excuse the owner used, since it starts off: "A nail salon in Georgia, worried that their expensive chairs might break, charged a customer an additional five dollars because she is overweight." Do they charge all their "overweight" customers $5 extra, because that's a lot of manicures to cover one $2500 chair...

Hmmmm... Yeah. You definitely can't charge extra for something that *might* happen.

Actually, in the US you can. There is no legal reason they can't.

 

[DivaDiamond007]

http://consumerist.com/2010/08/nail-sal ... -more.html


This story has already been commented on ad nauseum on The Consumerist, my other favorite site

Basically, being fat....er....I mean obese....is not a protected class and it is therefore not discriminatory to have the woman pay more for services. Maybe not the best business practice, but also not illegal.

I can see both sides of the story here. As Mara said, you vote with your money. If the woman did not like how she was treated she has the right to take her business elsewhere. Likewise, a business owner can discriminate against anyone who is not in a protected class. Where this could get sticky is if the woman is fat due to a disability, thus putting her in a protected class. I'm too grouchy today to even touch that one so I think I will shut up now

 

[starryeyed]

A more sturdy chair would solve the problem. It is more likely than not that at least one, if not many customers -- both male and female -- are likely to be over 200+ lbs. So if this business owner wants to serve his or her customers and not get a bad reputation for only servicing clients under 200 lbs, then I suggest a stronger chair is bought.

I'm with you on this one megumic.

The salon must be busy enough that they can turn away clients, but will business always be this good? I'd be inclined to have a few chairs that could withstand a higher weight limit. Why turn away paying customers for the sake of a chair?

That poor woman - I'm sure she doesn't feel good about her weight. She probably wanted to feel a little better about her appearance and instead was humiliated. How horrible.

 

[junebug17]

That poor woman - I'm sure she doesn't feel good about her weight. She probably wanted to feel a little better about her appearance and instead was humiliated. How horrible.

I agree. I can now see why it's not discrimination in the legal sense, but I still think it's a terrible thing to do to someone. Imagine the woman asking why she was charged $5 extra, and being told, "Oh, that's because you're fat, and you might break a chair." Just seems really wrong to me.

 

[AGBF]

That poor woman - I'm sure she doesn't feel good about her weight. She probably wanted to feel a little better about her appearance and instead was humiliated. How horrible.

I agree. I can now see why it's not discrimination in the legal sense, but I still think it's a terrible thing to do to someone. Imagine the woman asking why she was charged $5 extra, and being told, "Oh, that's because you're fat, and you might break a chair." Just seems really wrong to me.

Who cares about the woman who went to the nail salon? The important issue is that Thing2 recognize that fat women suffer more than skinny women.

AGBF


PS-For those who don't know me, that was a joke.

 

[iheartscience]

That poor woman - I'm sure she doesn't feel good about her weight. She probably wanted to feel a little better about her appearance and instead was humiliated. How horrible.

I agree. I can now see why it's not discrimination in the legal sense, but I still think it's a terrible thing to do to someone. Imagine the woman asking why she was charged $5 extra, and being told, "Oh, that's because you're fat, and you might break a chair." Just seems really wrong to me.

Who cares about the woman who went to the nail salon? The important issue is that Thing2 recognize that fat women suffer more than skinny women.

AGBF


PS-For those who don't know me, that was a joke.

HAHAHAHA! I knew when I saw your post as the last one you were going to be saying something to me! I will gladly admit that this is terrible and wouldn't happen to a skinny woman! There-are you happy?!

 

[AGBF]

HAHAHAHA! I knew when I saw your post as the last one you were going to be saying something to me! I will gladly admit that this is terrible and wouldn't happen to a skinny woman! There-are you happy?!

As a clam. Do you know what a joy it is to have intelligent women friends? I love you!

Deb

 

[iheartscience]

HAHAHAHA! I knew when I saw your post as the last one you were going to be saying something to me! I will gladly admit that this is terrible and wouldn't happen to a skinny woman! There-are you happy?!

As a clam. Do you know what a joy it is to have intelligent women friends? I love you!

Deb

Right back atcha! I might whine about PS being boring but I'll never leave you!

 

[kenny]

OH MAN! Thank God I didn't start a thread about an obese woman breaking a chair!

Can you imagine the Kenny-bashing.

 

[boredstiff]

I agree this is a pretty bad thing to do. On the other hand, I do support airlines who charge obese people for two seats because they actually take up that amount of space. Also, I wouldn't be opposed to using weight as a secondary consideration in calculating health insurance premiums, as obesity will eventually account for up to 21% of U.S. health care costs (or $344B/yr). http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2009-11-17-future-obesity-costs_N.htm These measures would also encourage people to get healthier.

 

[AGBF]

OH MAN! Thank God I didn't start a thread about an obese woman breaking a chair!

You're learning. This is a good thing, Kenny.

Love,
Deb

 

[mousey]

Put it like this- if I became aware that a salon I went to did this to someone, I would not return, and I think most people would feel the same way (perhaps I am wrong here?!). It might not be illegal, but it sounds like very bad business!

 

[kenny]

OH MAN! Thank God I didn't start a thread about an obese woman breaking a chair!

You're learning. This is a good thing, Kenny.
Love,Deb

Actually Deb, you may have hit the nail on the head.
One of the things I get a forum flogging for is generalizing, but here goes.

Gay guys may be more woman-clueless.
Straight guys learn early how to negotiate women's obstacle course if they want to . . . well . . . you know . . .

Throw in my equality-obsession resulting in treating women and men the same, add Internet anonymity and it is like poor little old Kenny has a target on this chest.

Women are different, I guess.

 

[dragonfly411]

Kenny - I actually hope you keep posting threads. Sometimes I agree, sometimes I don't but I always find your threads enlightening and many times I learn things from them.

 

[kenny]

Kenny - I actually hope you keep posting threads. Sometimes I agree, sometimes I don't but I always find your threads enlightening and many times I learn things from them.

Dragon, what did you say your age and your weight were, Oh, and are those real?
Did anyone tell you, you're kind of cute when you're mad?

 

[dragonfly411]

Kenny - I actually hope you keep posting threads. Sometimes I agree, sometimes I don't but I always find your threads enlightening and many times I learn things from them.

Dragon, what did you say your age and your weight were, Oh, and are those real?
Did anyone tell you, you're kind of cute when you're mad?

For no particular reason this made me LOL

 

[Loves Vintage]

While it is not discrimination, it also isn't very nice. I've walked out of businesses for lesser reasons. I would not go to this woman's shop, and I'd guess many other locals will feel the same way.

Also, as others have posted, the chair did not break. The salon owner apparently wants to charge some customers more for wear and tear in advance without informing the customer the reason for the charge. Yeah, seems like a bad business decision.