Madelyn Sheaffer's Bikini Gets Her Banned From Missouri Water Park

[Kennah]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/03/madelyn-sheaffer-bikini-water-park-banned_n_3541885.html

Sheaffer, 43, said after she got into the pool with her niece and nephew, two teenage employees approached her and told her to put on shorts because her bottoms were too small.
...
Sheaffer then asked that the water park officials call the police to have her removed so that she could file a complaint against the park. On her Facebook page, she wrote that the officers who showed up sympathized with her plight.
...
Officials at the Adventure Oasis Water Park had no comment about the incident preferring to have the Independence, Mo., City Manager handle press inquiries since the park is on city land.

The City Manager was unavailable, but an assistant said that "the facility made the call and we rely on their judgment."

***************************************************************

Christian variant of Sharia Law, perhaps?

[Skittles]

1. it's not very flattering, but hardly oscene

[Aristus]

31. I was thinking she had quite a nice body.

n/t

[applegrove]

37. She just lost 100 pounds. So I understand her being proud. Still, you'd never catch

me in a bikini. Even if I was in good shape I'd still be all hips. I don't think she has enough support up top.

[Skittles]

48. she does, but needs better support

[Aristus]

49. I'd be happy to give her all the support she needs...

[NaturalHigh]

102. Me too.

[In_The_Wind]

2. She looked alright to me.

[Poll_Blind]

3. What the fuck? I don't even get what the problem was.

I thought it'd be some crazy fucking skimpy postage stamp thing but it's not. Looks like a totally normal bikini.



PB

[The Straight Story]

4. Maybe she is in training to join Femen

[MuseRider]

5. I wonder what they do to older guys

who might have just lost 100 pounds wandering around in a Speedo? Bet they don't have to put on shorts or get kicked out.

[Orrex]

40. I have never in my life seen an man in a speedo at a public pool or waterpark

I'm not saying that they don't exist, but I've never seen one.

Are they common in your neck of the woods?

[tavernier]

55. Oh yeah...

We get a lot of European tourists here in the Keys and yikes, some of them strut around in teeny weenie (heh) speedos, socks and sandals. Very attractive, especially when their bodies haven't seen the sun in years.

[trumad]

56. LOL

Plenty here at wet and wild in Orlando. Many men from different countries wear them.

[Orrex]

58. Ah.

I'm considerably farther north than Orlando, so I guess you might indeed see them with distressingly greater frequency!

[Nye Bevan]

60. For some reason European dudes like to display their packages (nt)

[uppityperson]

78. Many pools there require speedos, won't let swim shorts in. They have to be only for swimming, not

for lounging around is what I was told.

[MuseRider]

104. Seriously?

Maybe my experience is different because of age? I am about 60 but have not been to a public pool or water park for a long time now. I did see them there, sometimes it was younger guys. I lived in a small city in the Midwest, maybe the guys had something to prove? Never the less, it was kinda gross no matter what shape they were in.

Thinking back however, many of the Speedo's I saw were on scuba trips so it is possible they were men from other countries?

I don't know if they are common now but they were once upon a time when I was out and about at places they would be seen.

[Gman]

47. Geez! I would hope they do make 'em do something!

[woolldog]

98. I should hope they kick them out too.

That bikini does not flatter her. She needs to dress appropriately for her age.

[leeroysphitz]

110. Who gets to decide what is appropriate for what age? n/t

[woolldog]

111. evidently,

water park officials.....

[Eleanors38]

106. Speedo? In full trunks I look bad. She doesn't.

I don't think Independence has NYC catwalk standards.

[southernyankeebelle]

6. Well I have never been a fan of those types of swimsuits in the first place on anyone.

I can't really see the back but her cup does runs over. But hey if she is happy with it then it's her business and they should leave her alone.

[Lex]

7. Wonder if she was 23 and not 43 if there would be the same treatment? nt

[TorchTheWitch]

10. that's exactly what she was complaining about

That there were younger girls wearing the same type of thing that weren't kicked out.

[Poll_Blind]

11. And it should not be missed that teenagers "made the call" about her bathing suit...

...allegedly being inappropriate. I find that little detail an important material fact to the discussion and also a troubling one.

PB

[TorchTheWitch]

28. exactly so

Seems to me they were either jealous of her boobs or didn't think she looked perfect enough. I know just how she feels. I've been having a hell of a time getting a job because of my age. Who knew that bars and restaurants would rather have rude and lazy bartenders that are 20-somethings rather than someone that looks just as good though older that's damn good at it and knows how to up-sell?

[RILib]

81. the younger girls

shown were 100 pounds less and not falling out of their suits.

That said, if she wants to be vulgar, it's nobody's business but her own.

[Lex]

83. If you have contempt for older women

I can see how you might think so. Proves the point.

[RILib]

93. I am an older woman

and I don't go around with my boobs falling out. If she wants to wear a bikini, wear one of the right size.

[SheilaT]

76. Bingo!

Personally, I'm not sure I'd venture out in that bikini, but I am not her, so who am I to judge? She was as covered as anyone in a bikini is, and that should be good enough for the water park. Either they ban bikinis altogether, or they admit anyone and everyone who wants to wear one. Period.

This woman is what is sometimes euphemistically called full-figured. No matter what, she's going to have that body no matter what kind of bathing suit she wears. We all come in different sizes and shapes, and a water park, of all places, should be able to deal with it.

[R B Garr]

80. She was quick to say it was about her body

but maybe there was more to it than that. She can't be the only full-figured woman in Missouri to have ever visited that park. If her choice of bathing wear means that she will be at a high risk of exposing herself from the water activity, what's wrong with putting something else on. I'm sure she didn't go to the park to see naked kids, and I'm sure the kids don't care to see naked grown-ups. The park is there to make money through the water activities they offer. It's not a public domain like a beach. Maybe they got complaints about her and they didn't want to lose business.

[Phentex]

92. No. This was age discrimination pure and simple...

I think she looks good.

[orpupilofnature57]

8. Where do you draw a line, no pun intended, it's all about proximity .

I make my wife walk a mile from people so I can lay out bare-ass on Cape Cod, and in the middle of the summer that can be a chore . I found nothing lewd or offensive about her suit, but she was in the middle of the multitudes at a water park, only saying because the chances of offending someone in a situation like that, is likely .

[idwiyo]

9. That's really conservative swimsuit, IMO. I can only imagine what would happen if she was wearing

WikedWeasel stuff.

[customerserviceguy]

72. Ok, you made me look at that website

Thank you.

[idwiyo]

85. You are welcome! :)

[KT2000]

12. are you kidding?

The bottom is essentially a thong. She is wearing it to get attention - she is over-exposed. If she was at home or a friend's house- fine - but this is where little kids are swimming.

Do people not consider anything to be inappropriate anymore?

[Gravitycollapse]

16. Why would it matter that a child saw her wearing that?

[KT2000]

42. her butt was hanging out!

this vid did not show that. It was shown in another article - Daily Mail, where Huffington gets lots of their articles.

[Gravitycollapse]

50. Why would it matter if a child saw her buttocks?

[Eleanors38]

107. In this matter, I defer to anyone with your name.

[uppityperson]

51. Here is the Daily mail and I see no photo of her butt hanging out. Do you have another link to back

up what you are saying? A google search doesn't show me any such photo.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2355075/Madelyn-Sheaffer-Woman-43-kicked-water-park-bathing-suit-small.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

[Scootaloo]

57. Heavens to Murgatroyd!

[lunatica]

17. Some people may find you to be too critical

And they might be offended by your views.

Just saying...

[KT2000]

43. just sayin'

that a woman wearing a thong! and having her butt hanging out is inappropriate for a public pool. They were doing her a favor by asking her to leave.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

62. I'm guessing you've never visited California. n/t

[tblue37]

74. It was a regular bikini. I see NO pictures of its being a thong with her

butt hanging out. Where are you getting that from?

[JI7]

20. so what ? they are at the pool, most people are not wearing much, kids are focused on playing in the

water and having fun.

[markpkessinger]

33. God forbid a kid gets a glimpse of a woman's butt -- the horror! n/t

[madaboutharry]

34. There isn't anything wrong with her swimsuit.

And you don't know what the bottom looks like since she didn't turn around for the camera. Saying it was a thong is an assumption on your part. And so what if it was. She is proud of her body after having lost 100 pounds and feels good about herself. There is something terribly wrong when people decide that only those with a certain body type are allowed to wear particular clothing.

[KT2000]

44. not assumption

there was another article that showed the bottom, and from the back - the Daily Mail - where Huffington grabs articles like this.
You made an incorrect assumption. I don't think anyone should be wearing a thong to a public pool - young, old fat or skinny.

[uppityperson]

52. I looked at the Daily Mail, here is link, and there is no such shot. Please give your link.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2355075/Madelyn-Sheaffer-Woman-43-kicked-water-park-bathing-suit-small.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

[mtnester]

88. You know you won't get a response to this, right?

[Kingofalldems]

53. Looked at the Daily Mail and can't find what you posted

Are you sure?

[Gravitycollapse]

67. You haven't answered why. Why are you so averse to a woman wearing a thong in public?

[justiceischeap]

86. Please provide a link to the article that shows a thong

I went to HuffPo and the Daily Mail and found no such photo.

Why, in America, are we such prudes about the female body? Men of all sizes are allowed to wear whatever they please to these swim parks but a woman wears a bikini and is asked to cover up? What is so shameful and damaging about butt cheeks? Personally, I'd be much more offended by a teen-ager wearing something of this calibre than a grown woman.

[idwiyo]

87. Of course! Children should be taught as early as possible to be ashamed of their bodies!

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

13. the "Show Me" state?

[Art_from_Ark]

22. Apparently, it's the "Show me, but not too much" state

[WinkyDink]

14. The top is way too small.

[JI7]

21. it's hard to find bikini tops big enough for that size

[SoCalDem]

27. Perhaps the makers of said suits feel as if the largest size they make is ...well

the largest that "most" women would dare to wear in public.

The "art of decorum" is a lost art in America these days.

It's as if no one ever looks in a mirror.

I am happy for the women who lost 100 lbs, but in a public place, there could be a little more age-appropriate suit for her to wear.

That's a wonderful look for her in her own back yard pool or at a friend's pool but it's not a flattering look for her.

[JI7]

30. i agree it's not flattering but has nothing to do with her age

just her body type.

but it was the bottom they wanted covered up. couldn't really see in the video but it looks like she might have a tattoo, i was wondering if it was because of that.

[blueamy66]

35. I agree.

She should have worn a one piece suit.

Should she have been kicked out, no. But come on, I'm thin and I wouldn't wear that suit in public. Maybe I'm a prude.

[TheMadMonk]

39. If thine eye offend thee....

Just exactly how many milli-Hellens is sufficient beauty before you'll permit the wearing of a bikini in your presence?

[SoCalDem]

77. I wasn't there..don't give a crap what she wears

she got the notoriety she wanted..
Everyone is the poor aggrieved victim these days..


ogle at will

[Mopar151]

23. I'm sure it looked great 30# ago

Bear in mind I think she's just right now - in a suit that fits!

[SoCalDem]

32. Part of the problem is that suits can be pricey in larger sizes

and lots of places sell stretchy suits. If no one is there to say to her " That suit is not flattering to you", many women feel as if they "fit" in it so it "fits"..

And many women who transform themselves well into their 40's can often feel as if they can get back those years they :lost" when they were heavy.. they cannot.

I personally, know women who hung onto clothes they once wore...in hopes of someday fitting into them.. and then they did.. but honestly looked at themselves and laughed...and then donated those clothes..

[xmas74]

15. She looks fine but

her top would not have been allowed at my town's local pool. I've watched 16 year olds and 50 year olds be escorted out of the local public pool over those tops. It's even posted on a sign out front, before paying admission. "No string bikinis, no excessive cut-outs, no thongs, and no "V" suits. "

My local pool also doesn't allow cut-offs or suits that would be deemed "too small". If a customer complains about the suit the staff send over a manager to speak with the "offender".

Oh, and I'm about 45 minutes from Independence.

[JI7]

24. but at least that applies to all ages, the problem here is others were allowed to wear

similar but only she was called to cover up.

[xmas74]

79. My best friend also has a link to this story posted on her FB page.

She lives in Independence. Along with the link she stated that last year her granddaughter (17 at the time and a body that most would envy) was informed that she needed to cover up or she would be ejected from the park. Her suit was supposedly even less revealing than this suit. She put on a t shirt and nothing else was said.

She said that anyone can make a complaint at any time and that she has personally complained about a couple of suits that looked like dental floss, even though the ladies in question wore them well. In the end, it's a family park and if a complaint is made then it has to be addressed.

[olddots]

18. I would make the retched little bimbos who complained wear Bozo suits

and do the hokey pokey .

[Gravitycollapse]

19. This is body shaming, plain and simple.

[idwiyo]

89. +1

[Tom Ripley]

25. There is nothing wrong with her or her suit

[hollysmom]

26. liking water parks myself for the activities, not laying about

I think it is too small for any rides there. If she was just sitting on a chair fine, but bikinis and friction, not good. Ihave seen enough women/men/children fall out of their suits there as it is.

[Gravitycollapse]

29. What exactly is so horrible about the human body that makes a potential slip so damaging?

[hollysmom]

65. friction

[Gravitycollapse]

66. I'm being serious. Answer my question.

[hollysmom]

69. wearing skimpy suits to a water park

means that one - they don't protect you against friction - I am serious about that, it can be painful.
As to the exposure - when it happens, the attention becomes all about the person losing their suit, it is mildly annoying.

When I was younger, I wore bikinis to the beach, but put a t-shirt on when I went in the ocean or pool because I like the sport, not the pulling and tugging. (I also burn like no one's business.), wear grandma suits now, but still put a t-shirt over it.

I was never a girly girl with a manicure to protect from boogie boarding.

[R B Garr]

75. I think you've nailed what the problem was with the outfit

The activity of the water park means that the likelihood of skimpy wear coming off is high. Like you, I went into the waves at the beach with a skimpy suit, and both sides of the tops pulled away and the bottoms came down my hips with every wave. So you have to adjust yourself constantly before standing up. Water parks have slides, etc. So that bikini slippage would be happening with this woman, no doubt, especially considering she was already half out of it.

Who knows exactly what was on the minds of the teens who approached her, but they supposedly talked to her about wearing shorts, so that fits with what you mentioned about the friction and other water activity. So much for people saying the teens were jealous of her boobs, when they supposedly did approach her about her bottoms.

[Buns_of_Fire]

63. I think the water slides are the most treacherous.

The more experienced women tend to go down the slide with at least one hand tightly clutching their top, lest a wayward splash dislodge said top and send it fluttering around their chin. I've seen it happen a few times, and much hilarity ensues (except, I suppose, for the unfortunate individual frantically trying to redress themselves while not really being in a position to do so effectively).

I suspect this lady is well aware that one false move and she'd be busted. So to speak.

[surrealAmerican]

36. Why do the police consent to involve themselves in these sort of matters?

It's a waste of their time. Shouldn't they be concerning themselves with crime or something, instead of water park dress codes?

[JI7]

45. because it can involve things like discimination and better to go now before it gets out of hand

i remember when there was the case of some minority kids not being allowed to use the pool. i don't remember all the details but i think they were mostly black and latino kids and they were using the pool in an area which has usually mostly white people, and some of those white people complained.

[PDJane]

38. Jesus people. A little tolerance here.

We're not all perfect, but it's a little ridiculous to expect '20's style swimwear.

[TheDebbieDee]

41. This is Missouri - we're right next to Kansas! The stupidity is

starting to creep across the state line.............

Thank goodness we have a Democratic Governor here in Missouri or else we'd become East Kansas!

[Generic Brad]

46. I fail to see what she did wrong

I have seen way skimpier suits in public places. She appears to be adequately covered to me.

[madville]

54. Why didn't they show the small bottoms?

Were they inappropriate for local TV news as well?

[Tien1985]

59. I have a nine year old

The only response necessary to him seeing a person in a skimpy bathing suit it "mind your business and go play." And he would, because it's not that big a deal.

We once saw a naked couple at the beach, he looked at me quizzically and said why are they naked? I said "I don't know. Lets sit by those dunes." And that was it. He wasn't scarred for life. There's a point where if your kid can't roll with the punches a bit, their going to have a hard time later.

Seriously, "think of the children" is stretching it for an excuse for this.

[Lex]

84. Plus, it's weird to me that people are more worried about kids seeing naked humans (or

nearly so) than glorified and very realistic violence on tv.

[tavernier]

61. Years ago hubby and I were walking the beach

when a rather fleshy woman passed us wearing a bikini. Hubby said, "Honey, if SHE CAN, you can!"

I said to him, "Nope, because I don't want to be walking the beach wearing a bikini when a couple passes me and the husband says to his wife, 'Honey, if SHE CAN...'"
---------------

This suit looks to me like a "Honey, if SHE CAN" suit.

[Apophis]

64. There was no reason for her to get banned.

[dawg]

68. Must see the butt in order to pass judgment.

The suit looks perfectly acceptable from the front.

[PDJane]

70. It looks to me that there are wayyyyyyyyyy too many people who can't mind their own damn business.

Her body, her choice. No child will be traumatized for life. It's a swimsuit. I don't give a damn what she's wearing, frankly, and it's no-one else's business. What the hell is wrong with people? Everyone has to take care they don't offend someone? How the hell do you do that? Someone is going to take offence no matter what. If she's comfortable, to hell with it.

[Honeycombe8]

71. Looks to me like the top is more the problem than the bottoms. But they should have a bikini

rule across the board: either the park allows them or not. That way, the rules are clear and not personal. How insulting to that poor woman.

Still...in a private property business, they get to decide the dress code rules.

I don't go to water parks, so I don't really have a personal opinion. They seem like dirty, germ-filled placed to me. Yuk.

[Deuce]

73. Don't see a problem from the front view...

[darkangel218]

90. I have a problem with her bathing suit.

ITS TOO BIG!! damn those tan lines, they suck! She needs a much smaller one.

[Phentex]

91. LOL!

I think she looks pretty good myself. I really do see this as age discrimination.

Yes, I was expecting something much smaller than this and I HAVE seen much smaller at the water park here.

[darkangel218]

94. In South Beach lot of ladies go topless. Obviously there are children around

Big deal! Gawd, people have become such puritans

[Eleanors38]

108. In Austin, you can dispense with the top altogether.

[cbdo2007]

95. hahahahaha, I live in Independence, MO and you can see much worse than this

at the local festivals or just walking around the streets. I personally think she looks great and not at all inappropriate.

[Eleanors38]

109. I'm 65 and she looks fine.

[Evasporque]

96. Missouri GOP introduce Aquatic Recreation Freedom Law

GOP codifies Modesty Wear requirement.

[NaturalHigh]

97. I saw this on another page.

WTF are these people thinking?

[RobinA]

99. Inappropriate

and vulgar, but that's her business. I kinda think if they hadn't made a fuss about it, that bathing suit would have been relegated to the back of the drawer pretty quickly. It's a major pain to have to rearrange your bathing suit every time you move.

[bunnies]

100. Its a good thing these poor, offended, delicate flowers...

dont live anywhere near the ocean. I could pop over to the beach at any given moment and come back with photos that would make their heads explode. Women in thongs, Canadians in speedos, toddlers without shirts on, full figured women in bikinis... OH GODS! The horrors!!!! The horrors!!!!!

[woodsprite]

103. Canadians changing their speedos on the beach.

Made for an interesting day for me

[bunnies]

105. Isnt it a riot?

The first time I saw the speedo changing incident musta been an 80ish year old man. The beach just wouldnt be the same without our Canadian entertainment.

[truebrit71]

101. I don't see anything wrong with that bikini, or the person wearing it...

...and why did the Fuzz need to get involved?

Total waste of time...