Atlanta Nail Parlour Charging Fat People More
Just when you think you’ve heard it all, something comes up to make you wonder whether there is a scientific anomaly where people are born without brains. A 40 year old Atlanta woman, Michelle Fonville, recently faced a discriminatory price increase at a nail salon in Atlanta. If you’ve lived in the US then you know that most nail parlours are owned by Koreans. This particular one, called Natural Nails is managed by a lady called Kim Tan. Natural Nails claims they were worried that their expensive massage chairs might break, so they charged Michelle an additional five dollars because she is overweight.
Michelle Fonville, 40, said that she was “humiliated” when she discovered she had been overcharged because of her weight and left the salon in tears:
“I was letting my nails dry and was looking at the pricing list and realized that I had been overcharged,” Fonville told ABC News. “I said to the clerk that I thought I had accidentally been overcharged, I honestly thought it was an error. But when she came over and wrote out the prices she then said, ‘I charged you five dollars more because you’re overweight,’” said Fonville.
Tan told ABC News’ Atlanta affiliate WSB-TV that the chairs in her salon can only hold 200 pounds and cost $2,500 to repair.
“Do you think that’s fair when we take $24 dollars and we have to pay $2,500 [in repairs]?” Tan said. “I said to her I’m sorry, but next time I cannot take you.”
Tan also said that she charged Fonville extra because it took longer to do her nails. Fonville said that Tan, who returned her five dollars, told her not to come back to the salon anymore because of her weight.
“Then I couldn’t believe that another human would treat someone like that. She had such a matter-of-fact attitude,” said Fonville. “And I’m sure that other people have been treated like this and have no idea.”
Fonville plans a protest outside the salon later this week, hoping to spread the word about what she calls “discriminatory practices” by Natural Nails.
So basically she was charged more because she’s fat and she may damage the seat, and because it took longer to do her nails. Times are hard for plus size women. What action do you think should be taken against the salon, if any?
