Navigating public spaces as a fat person can be tricky, as TikTok star Remi Bader knows all too well. When she was mistreated by employees at a ranch recently, she called the business out for failing to make its policies clear, and for rudeness when enforcing them.
“Shoutout to Deep Hollow Ranch in Montauk for making me leave because I weigh over 240,” Bader wrote on TikTok, where she has over 2 million followers. She added in the caption of the video that she’s never encountered the weight-limit issue while riding horses previously, and she asked the ranch to clearly disclose the limit on signs for future guests.
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To be clear, Remi Bader is not demanding that she be allowed to ride a horse if her weight makes it unsafe for the animal. She’s asking that the business be clear and upfront about its weight restrictions so that people don’t waste time, energy, and money traveling to the ranch only to be unable to ride. And above all, she’s asking for decent treatment at any size.
A teenage employee of the ranch (who, according to Bader, is the owner’s son) responded to her TikTok and called her a “fat bitch,” and the company responded with an apology on Facebook, writing, “It has come to our attention that a TikTok video was posted regarding the ranch and a teenage employee posted a response that in no way represents nor is aligned with the views that the owners of the ranch hold. We would like to apologize to anyone who this offended and we do not condone or agree with any part of that employee’s video.”
In a statement to , Bader said, “I’d never want to take down or make a small business look bad unless I TRULY felt it was necessary. I posted for a reason and that’s not because of me being denied to ride the horses. I get it, some places have weight requirements and I’d never want to hurt the horses, but it was the way I was spoken to and laughed at by the owner, and the way I was treated overall. What I experienced in person was only supported later by the owner’s son’s video, who made very clear that they did not want me there because of my weight and that is truly disappointing.”
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