An amusement and water park in Australia has issued an apology after visitors claimed they were “fat-shamed” when they were asked to stand on a set of scales before going on water rides.
Adventure World is located in Bibra Lake, Australia, in Perth. Opened in November, 1982, the park is open seasonally.
Like many thrill rides, Adventure World has several attractions that have minimal and maximal capacity standards for height, and maximal ride weights.
As someone with a growth disorder, I can attest that height requirements are usually not a big deal. Either you’re tall enough or you’re not; there may be some disappointment involved, but that’s about it. This isn’t to say that “height shaming” isn’t a thing – it is. But it doesn’t happen nearly as often as those who are made to feel bad about their weight.
When it comes to weight, there’s oftentimes hatred and prejudice for those who are considered to be “too large,” and the process to determine if they’re “too large” can be demeaning.
Case in point: some of the water rides at Adventure World.
The theme park introduced a system meant to manage safety – to ensure there wasn’t overage of maximum weight, Adventure World HAD A SERIES OF SCALES in the queue. Guests had to stand on whichever scale and a green or red light would flash. If a green light flashed, you were free to go on the ride. If it flashed red (IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY), you were too heavy and had to leave the queue.
PC: Facebook
It was a new system, just introduced this year, and the 1400+ comments about this process on Facebook were…not kind. The words “degrading” and “disgraceful” were thrown around, and there was also this comment:
“I promised my girls that after chemo I would take them to Adventure World and go on some of the rides that I normally would never go on, but feeling brave after going through something really scary, my hair was growing back, I was feeling good and I was ready to embrace a bit of fun and go on some rides with my kids. I was waiting in a very busy line and a young woman in Adventure World uniform approached me, and in a very loud voice told me that there was a weight restriction and I wouldn’t be able to go on the ride. I was so embarrassed, everyone was staring at me, and I had to exit the line. I was so humiliated and angry.” – Kerri B.
Travel friends, I’ve gone to a lot of theme parks in my time and I know that safety precautions are there for a reason. But you can follow them without the whole queue seeing.
Management of Adventure World realized that scales with flashing green or red light for all the world to see was probably not the best idea.
I don’t know what the park’s plan is to ensure safety for riders in terms of weight requirements, but their apology was classy and appropriate.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
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