My kid got kicked out of the zoo for a shirt !

[Shann]

My son (age 7), and our entire family, got asked to leave the zoo because he was wearing a shirt the said (across the top): "Ancient Chinese proverb:" and then had Chinese style writing (written from bottom to top)--in English--"Fuck this Shit". It looked like Chinese writing when you looked at it from straight on, and you had to turn your head severely to the side to see what it really said in English. My cousin bought this shirt for my son, and it really is adorable on him---AND he loves it ! The zoo "rent-a-cop" said it was a violation of the "family values" of the zoo, and told us if we didn't leave immediately, we would be forcibly made to leave ! I asked him to show me in writing where it said that in the zoo policies, and he said it was just a "spoken rule" and "should be obvious" that they wouldn't allow such a thing in a "family environment" ! I feel my son's rights were violated, not to mention the rest of the family's rights, seeing as how we paid good money to get into the zoo--money which was NOT refunded ! We never have a hangup in our family about such words and my kids also don't see why it was such a big deal, especially since you REALLY had to look to understand what it said. What do all of you think ?? Advice and opinions, PLEASE! My son said "Fuck their policies!" and i agreed with him ! LOL !

[siddie]

I wouldn't want to see profanities (even written top to bottom) at the zoo. Kids figure these things out and say it over and over for shock value. I don't want my ds saying that. I do't like to see grafitti with those words around either. nThey should have given you the option of changing shirts or getting a refund.

[grisandole]

I think they should have refunded your money, but I think they are within their rights. Disneyland does the same thing- they will let you wear the "offensive" shirt inside out, though.

I don't get offended by profanity, but it's common courtesy to not wear offensive shirts in family settings, in my opinion.

Kristi

[brandywine]

Yeah, it's offensive to me, but I agree with above posters that you should have been refunded.

[dynamicdoula]

Gotta agree...

7yo wearing a shirt in a zoo w/the F word on it? Yeah.. to me at least, a little offensive, and I'm no prude! I would definitely be upset if I saw that at the zoo. When my husband was 16 he was told to either leave the mall or turn his t-shirt inside out that said "If you dont like what we do" on the front, and "Fuck off" on the back. I would be less offended to see a 16yo w/the shirt than a 7yo! lol It is a little funny tho too, but just not at a zoo where the place is primarily for children, ykwim? Maybe at Monster Jam!

As far as refunding your $... I am not sure. If you guys had been yelling profanities and they'd kicked you out, would you have expected a refund? I think they could have given him the option to turn the shirt inside out or leave, but I don't know that a refund is appropriate.

[AahRee]

Originally Posted by dynamicdoula

7yo wearing a shirt in a zoo w/the F word on it? Yeah.. to me at least, a little offensive, and I'm no prude! I would definitely be upset if I saw that at the zoo. When my husband was 16 he was told to either leave the mall or turn his t-shirt inside out that said "If you dont like what we do" on the front, and "Fuck off" on the back. I would be less offended to see a 16yo w/the shirt than a 7yo! lol It is a little funny tho too, but just not at a zoo where the place is primarily for children, ykwim? Maybe at Monster Jam!

As far as refunding your $... I am not sure. If you guys had been yelling profanities and they'd kicked you out, would you have expected a refund? I think they could have given him the option to turn the shirt inside out or leave, but I don't know that a refund is appropriate.

ITA with this whole post. : I'm shocked that they even make a shirt like that to fit a 7 y.o., let alone that anyone would buy it or wear it in a family environment. And yeah, kids aren't stupid. They're going to figure out what it says FAST, and repeat it (probably where my 2 year old's innocent ears can hear).

[Sustainer]

I don't think the issue is whether or not the shirt was offensive. I think the issue is whether or not a security officer has the right to make someone leave a public place for wearing an offensive shirt, especially threatening to "forcibly remove" a non-violent customer. I see this as a First Amendment issue. A man here locally was made to leave a mall for wearing a pro-peace shirt. A security officer decided that pro-peace was the same as anti-soldier/anti-war/anti-Bush whatever and was therefore offensive. It doesn't matter if people are offended by it or not. People don't have the right to not be offended. Lots of people are offended by breastfeeding, you know. This is a bad precedent. I think the OP should contact the ACLU.

[feebeeglee]

Definitely think you should have been offered a refund if they didn't tell you you could turn it inside out, or even if they did and you/he didn't want to.

I'd expect most public places, especially family-oriented ones, to not permit outright obscenities in printed form. Even if they were well-disguised.

[Emzachsmama]

Originally Posted by feebeeglee

Definitely think you should have been offered a refund if they didn't tell you you could turn it inside out, or even if they did and you/he didn't want to.

I'd expect most public places, especially family-oriented ones, to not permit outright obscenities in printed form. Even if they were well-disguised.

I totally agree.

[feebeeglee]

Originally Posted by sbf

...People don't have the right to not be offended...

What about hate speech?

I realize that's OT really, Alice, if you wanna PM me instead that's cool. Altho I predict this discussion will venture far and wide from the OP :LOL

[anythingelse]

stupid ? for the night - is that zoo you went to a public place??? If you paid to get in, it is not public right?? so if it is run by an organization they should be able to make their rules of what is okay & not okay to wear there I would think. not only to respect 'family values' but to keep their guests safe from gang violence as well or a lot of neked skin

it is your right to dress a lil girl in slutty stuff with make up at age 7 or your lil ds in a shirt with profanity on it but at a place you pay to go to that has rules for clothing posted, nope sympathy from here cause you got to play by their rules

[Sustainer]

Originally Posted by Vanna's Mom

they should be able to make their rules of what is okay & not okay to wear there

What if they made a rule that all females have to wear dresses? What if they say I can't breastfeed? Or that if I do I have to make sure that not a speck of skin shows? And what about that pro-peace shirt?

[anythingelse]

hey I am not down on you for doing anything of those things, just saying it is your right to dress your kid anyway you want even if it is profane, pic of something gross, or skin baringly sexy seven yr old girl

you knew when you put the shirt out for your ds to choose from that half of america would be offended and some would not 'get it' and another bunch would think it was a hoot

But there are places where there are dress codes -for example I bet your ds does not wear that t shirt to school, there are private zoos & public zoos I would not have left, I would have prob just turned my kids shirt inside out, we have done that before in our family cause my ds has shirt that is not allowed at his df school & we went to watch df in a class show

[indie]

I don't know why you would let your kid wear that shirt in the first place.

[kama'aina mama]

Hhmm... I find it interesting that everyone is worked up about the word fuck and no one cares about the intrinsic cultural insensitivity. I have mixed feelings about you being forced to leave. They probably do 'reserve the right to deny service' blah blah blah... and the shirt was indecent by some standards. An opportunity to turn it inside out or a refund should have been offered. IMO a business has the right, within legal limits, to insist that you not destroy the atmosphere on which heir livlihood depends.

[simonee]

I think they were within their rights if they can show you the portion of their rules that states that there is a dress code involving phrases or styles commonly perceived as obscene. If they don't have this, they were wrong for sending you out, and I agree with sbf in contacting aclu.

Other than that, I'd say "fudge them!"

[muse]

Originally Posted by kama'aina mama

Hhmm... I find it interesting that everyone is worked up about the word fuck and no one cares about the intrinsic cultural insensitivity.

ITA. The cultural insensitivity of that T-shirt sounds just gross.

[EFmom]

What kama'aina mama said.

[mgmsmommy]

I also think you should have been offered the option of turning the shirt inside out as well. Then it would have been your choice to cooperate or not, but do not feel a refund was warranted. This is a matter of common courtesy to others & I don't think there is anywhere where they would have given you back the money if you didn't want to follow the rules, written or not. JMHO

[Ravin]

The thing that bugs me is that they kicked you out based on something for which they didn't have a written policy. I would probably write a letter to the zoo and complain about the security guy.

Did they give you the option of turning the shirt inside out or changing shirts?

I would write them and tell them that if they're going to kick paying patrons out for violating their "family values" code they need to write said code down.