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Parent Livid After Carnival Worker Won’t Let Daughter On Slide Because It’s ‘Too Dangerous’ For Girls

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When does a carnival ride become more than just a simple action of fun?

It’s when adults decide who can and cannot ride by parameters that seem obtuse.

Being a certain height to ride makes sense.

But a certain gender?

That’s an a new decision to discuss.

Case in point…

Redditor vchaz wanted to discuss their experience and get some feedback. So naturally, they came to visit the “Am I The A**hole” (AITA) subReddit.

They asked:

“AITA for making a scene at a fundraiser?”

The Original Poster (OP) explained:

“The local Boys and Girls Club was holding a carnival type fundraiser.”

“My wife works for the school connected to this club, and the principal and superintendent were in attendance.”

“The carnival was geared towards adults (beer, food) but kids were allowed and there were a few inflatable slides.”

“It had been raining so the slides were closed.”

“When it stopped and I saw kids on the slides, I sent my 6 year old daughter over (she was looking forward to it).”

“She comes back dejected saying ‘only boys are allowed.'”

“I go to the worker and sure enough, he said it was too wet and dangerous for girls to go on.”

“I raised my voice saying ‘What the hell?! You need a penis to go down a slide at the boys and girls club?!'”

“A manager comes over and decides to shut the slides down for everyone.”

“Someone who’s boy was upset about it starts dropping F-bombs at me.”

“Other parents start getting involved and it became a bit of a show for a few minutes.”

“My wife thought since it was for charity I should have let it slide and I embarrassed her in front of her bosses.”

“I felt it was Egregious enough to call out the bulls**t.”

“AITA?”

Redditors shared their thoughts on this matter and weighed some options to the question AITA?:

  • NTA – Not The A**hole
  • YTA – You’re The A**hole
  • NAH – No A**holes Here
  • ESH – Everyone Sucks Here

Many Redditors declared OP was NOT the A**hole.

Let’s hear some thoughts…

“NTA, the worker was an a**hole misogynist.”

“Either allow it for everyone or shut it down.”

“Boy’s father was upset only because he didn’t have a daughter trying to use it. Screw him.”  ~ Kirin2013

“So are girls too delicate, or boys don’t matter as much.

“What a load of crap. NTA.”  ~ REDDIT

“You’re an A+ girl parent, and definitely NTA.”

“Worker, manager, parent of other boy definitely a**holes.”  ~ mdkroma

“NTA. Your daughter has just as much right as the boys.”

“That whole thing is super sexist and I thought such a blatant for of exclusion and sexism was behind us.”

“What makes boys so different?”

“Your wife should grow a spine.”

“You did a great job.”  ~ mcsurfyfly

“Exactly. There are so many reasons why that was wrong.”

“Also it’s teaching boys that sexism is okay.”

“What the f**k? So NTA.”  ~ YoshiPikachu

“NTA – Her bosses are the ones that should be embarrassed that there was such blatant gender discrimination happening at their charitable event.”  ~ Forward_Squirrel8879

“NTA. I probably would have called him an idiot.”

“I mean, you are there giving them your verbal permission to slide.”  ~ crbryant1972

“NTA. I would have thought a wet slide would be worse for the boys to be honest.”

“If you don’t show your daughter that she stand up for herself who will?”  ~ thatsaSagittarius

“NTA. Thank you for calling it out.”

“If this was the charity’s policy, and not that of the one guy running the show.”

“I wouldn’t support it at all.” ~ maburke

“NTA- the bosses embarrassed themselves.”

“Tell your wife to grow a spine, and that I think she’s embarrassing to women.”  ~ Soft-Mousse-1000

“The worst part of this is it’s for the local Boys and GIRLS club. NTA.”

“They need to change their damn name if they’re going to discriminated against one of the genders they claim to be fundraising for.”  ~geekylace

“NTA no, nta at all, sexism doesn’t get a pass because its for charity, and it should always be called out.”

“Good on you for defending your daughter and calling it out.”

“They are the ones who should feel embarrassed for such sexist views.”  ~ shezza314

“NTA, what you DID do was show your daughter that she should never tolerate misogynistic treatment like this. Good job!”  ~ Sensitive_Coconut339

“NTA. But your wife sure is.”

“So why was it dangerous for a little girl, but not dangerous for a boy the same age?”

‘Are girls any more fragile than boys?”

“Or is it the whole mentality girls are inferior?”

“NO OP, you did the right thing.”

“You need to ask your wife, when both of you are calm, why is it ok for one sex, but not the other?”

“Does she really want to live in the 1800’s or the 1950’s?”

“Should you not show fairness in all things so that the children learn that when it comes to safety, it does not matter if it is a boy or a girl?”  ~ JCWa50

“NTA, that’s absurd! If the slides are too dangerous, they’re too dangerous!”

“Either everyone can go on or no one can go on.”

“‘Boys only’ reeks of sexism and doesn’t even make sense because at 6 years old there’s no fundamental difference between boys and girls bodies (aside from their genitals).” ~ The-Moocat

“NTA, but close.”

“The ride worker was clearly wrong, and you have every right, more so a duty, to advocate for your daughter.”

“Think about what your daughters take-aways will be from this incident though.”

“Yes, Daddy loves me, and the way to settle a simple matter is to get loud right from the start and shout hyperbole.”

“You could have settled this much more gracefully with gravitas and adamant civility.”

“Your daughter might have even gotten to ride the ride.”  ~ TampaCraigA

“NTA. Your girl wasn’t the only girl left out.”

“Their clients girls were as well.”

“Something needed to be said.”

“And they are lucky no one died or was injured since it would be their fault they let someone on in dangerous conditions.”  ~ InspectorMosit

“NTA. Woman was an ass and also it was inevitable someone was going to say something.”

“It just takes 1 crying child (in this case female) telling their parent about this situation for it to become immediately apparent that the worker is an issue and needs to be removed.”

“They were going to have a problem.”

“Besides, what kind of example would you have set for your daughter if you just frowned and said, ‘Oh I’m sorry honey, because you don’t pee standing up you can’t use the slide. It’s just how this world is—little girls like you can’t really decide what you want.'”

“Maybe she won’t remember what you did here, but maybe she will remember that her dad wanted people to treat her with respect.”

“That kind of thing really helps as you develop self-worth into adulthood, because ‘Dad thought I deserved respect and equal treatment’ becomes ‘I DO deserve respect and equal treatment.'”  ~ GreenStrawbebby

“NTA, sure it could’ve been handled a little more diplomatically.”

“But what the school did was much worse.”

“Why discriminate against an entire gender for a stupid reason?”

“it’s just as dangerous for boys as it is for girls, so why are only the girls excluded?”

“I think this was just a crap excuse and they wanted to limit the people that went on the slide, and they picked an arbitrary standard.”

“I agree with you making a stink about it, but maybe it would’ve been better if you said it politely before going guns blazing.”  ~ MiggyTennis

“NTA. So it’s okay with your wife if your child is discriminated against due to their biological sex as long as it doesn’t embarrass HER in front of colleagues.”

“What kind of lesson does she want to teach your daughter?”

“Food for thought if she ever reads this post.”  ~ DeeDee-MayMay

“NTA, and you should def hit up local media about this in my opinion.”

“If it was a boys and girls club worker, they really need to be made an example of and banned from working/volunteering.”

“If it was a slide-owner employee, they should also be fired, and if they aren’t the slide company shouldn’t be hired locally again.”

“Does that sound like a dramatic take? Maybe.”

“But as an adult woman that faced a lot of misogyny as a young girl in the Midwest- I will tell you that if you make an even bigger deal out of this situation.”

“It will impact more daughters that hear the same thing from that person/company in the future.”

“I’m all for calling people on their shit, but don’t let them off with just a ‘What the f**k?'”

“WTF is not how change happens- consequences for their actions is.”  ~ cherrycoke00

“Now you know you need to visit Boys and Girls Club activities to see if the misogyny is pervasive.”

“You did the right thing, by the way.”

“The people who shut down the activity for everyone in response did so to make you and your daughter the killjoys.”

“That’s why you need to find out how the club treats girls.”  ~ 2ndcupofcoffee

OP… Reddit seems to be with you.

You have to stand up for what you believe.

Especially when it’s the simple things.

Happy sliding…