Man barred for showing belly

[Matthew Dalton]

A MAN has been barred from a restaurant for a fashion faux pas – wearing a shirt deemed too revealing for his fuller figure.

Evan Johannesen, of Rockhampton in central Queensland, has been asked not to return to his local sporting club's buffet restaurant after wearing a shirt not long enough to cover his belly.

Mr Johannesen, who attributes his weight problem to a severe medical condition, said he had been discriminated against as women were allowed to wear clothing much more revealing.

“It's just been overwhelmingly discriminatory. I'm just totally disgusted,” he said today.

“When women go in there with virtually nothing on and young lads going in there with thongs on ... nothing done about it.”

Mr Johannesen, who is a regular at the Bluebirds United Sports Club buffet, said he received a phone call shortly before he and his wife left for their regular Friday meal, telling him to stay home rather than embarrass himself at the club.

He said it wasn't until the next day he found out his dress-sense was behind the move.pe”I really don't know why I've been discriminated against like that,” he said.

“I always do take pride in my dress ... it's just I've got a medical problem that is way out of my control.

“I work out at the gym twice a day. There's nothing more I can do.”

He said he took exception to the club's rude handling of the situation and was awaiting an apology.

But club president Peter Batley has defended the action, saying the club had merely acted on the complaints of other diners.

Mr Batley said Mr Johannesen had not been banned and was welcome to return if he changed his attire.

Queensland University of Technology fashion lecturer Dean Brough said wearing shirts that didn't cover the bottom of the belly was a top male fashion no-no, along with shorts showing bum cracks and singlet shirts.

He said businesses had a right to decide dress standards as certain clothes could make other customers feel “immensely” uncomfortable.

“There's things you look at and think: 'Oh God they shouldn't be wearing that',” Mr Brough said.

However, he said men were often discriminated against as women were allowed a much broader scope of what they could wear.

 

[Salv]

“I work out at the gym twice a day. There's nothing more I can do.”

Maybe he could try cutting down on the weekly trip to the buffet restaurant...

 

[Story]

As Mister Creosote said -

Someone bring me a bucket. I'm going to vomit.

 

[Fred]

Just one wafer thin mint.............................lol

 

[Paisley]

He may very well have bloating. A, uh, friend of mine has this problem. But she wears shirts long enough to cover her midriff.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

 

[moustache]

Just one wafer thin mint.............................lol

Oh please don't explode!!

JD

 

[J. M. Stovall]

Or maybe he could wear a mu mu.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

I think he has a valid point that if, in fact, women with bare midriffs and men with thongs are allowed in, then management has no leg to stand on regarding his attire. If he's got to cover up, so does everyone else. But what's acceptable and not acceptable here in the U.S.

But haven't they heard about a dress code? "No shirt, no shoes - no service?" And it's not that hard to find a long shirt. "Sporting club" and "men in thongs" - is this something along the lines of Hooters, or a resort poolside cafe?

But they say he's welcome back with a change of attire. Get a longer shirt and dig out a thong, since that's apparently on their approved attire list.

 

[Kt Templar]

I think the "thongs" in question are flip-flop sandals, at least I hope they are because the other image does not bear thinking about.

 

[jamespowers]

“I work out at the gym twice a day. There's nothing more I can do.”

Maybe he could try cutting down on the weekly trip to the buffet restaurant...

lol lol lol lol lol Exactly what I was thinking. His medical problem must have something to do with his hand putting food in his mouth. :eusa_doh:

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Apart from his attire choice being an issue, which one of you is his medical doctor. I presume one of you is, since you are saying he has no medical issue besides eating too much. Was medical school as hard as I hear it is?

Nice to see that the usual policy of judging folks who you don't even happen to know, is in full effect again.

 

[Paisley]

Amen. Coincidentally, I am seeing a doctor for tomorrow for a medical condition that makes my waist change by about two dress sizes over the course of a day. And I don't eat half what I used to before this started.

I guess I can just lay off the turkey breast and fruit, though.

 

[carebear]

Or maybe he could wear a mu mu.

Can you get those in tweed? You know, for around the office?

 

[Salv]

Apart from his attire choice being an issue, which one of you is his medical doctor. I presume one of you is, since you are saying he has no medical issue besides eating too much. Was medical school as hard as I hear it is?

Nice to see that the usual policy of judging folks who you don't even happen to know, is in full effect again.

Sorry, but you'll have to point exactly where I say he doesn't actually have a medical condition. Either that or get off your high horse.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

“I work out at the gym twice a day. There's nothing more I can do.”

Maybe he could try cutting down on the weekly trip to the buffet restaurant...

Right here, where you imply that cutting his food consumption has -anything- to do with his particular medical condition.

Again, unless you are his MD.....making a comment that implies that by cutting his food down, his belly would be changed, is highly speculative and judgemental.

 

[carebear]

It's in Queensland, Australia right?

It's a cricket club, for the Bluebirds United CC.

Here's an article with a pic of the man's belly.

http://www.themorningbulletin.com.a...localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection=

 

[Mike in Seattle]

I think the "thongs" in question are flip-flop sandals, at least I hope they are because the other image does not bear thinking about.

You raise a valid point - but since they were talking about how people were dressing, I assumed thongs mentioned weren't of the footwear variety. The article mentioned women in tube tops & thongs and was about some being able to wear more revealing clothing than what the gentleman in the article wore.

 

[GOK]

To be honest, if the policy of covering up applied to all clients and there was a prominent notice to this effect then I would say it was fair enough. As has often been pointed out here, businesses have every right to set their own standards. However, from what I have read, it does seem that this man is being discriminated against.

Whether or not the man has a medical condition is neither here nor there - this does seem to be nothing more than a case of;

"Ugh, we don't want to see a fat bloke with his belly hanging out but we don't mind chicks' midriffs".

Either all should be welcome to show a bit of flesh or none should - it ought not to be dependent upon whether they are the body beautiful.

In Johannesen's shoes, I'd tell the restaurant to sod off and find somewhere else to eat.

 

[Salv]

Right here, where you imply that cutting his food consumption has -anything- to do with his particular medical condition.

Again, unless you are his MD.....making a comment that implies that by cutting his food down, his belly would be changed, is highly speculative and judgemental.

I have no doubt that he does have a medical condition, but part of his own treatment for that condition is to visit the gym twice a day. It therefore follows that burning calories in a gym will affect his weight; if burning calories will affect his weight, then consuming fewer calories in the first place must also affect his weight. I don't need to be his MD to realise that.