Was he protecting the company's interests? Or the would-be customer's?
Or was he discriminating against the would-be customer?
Giant Halifax, a shop in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, refused to hand Sebastien Barsetti a bicycle he'd bought. Barsetti made the purchase from the Giant Bicycles website and was later notified that it would be ready to pick up from Giant Halifax.
Before going to the shop, Barsetti called to ask some questions about proper adjustments. "I told them my weight, my height," he recalls. "Shortly after, they told me they wouldn't sell it to me because of my weight."
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| Sebastien Barsetti |
Barsetti tips the scales at just over 300 pounds, the rider weight limit. Riding the bike was part of his plan to get back into shape. Even though he pledged not to ride the bike until he lost some weight, owner Barry Misener backed his shop's refusal. "You cannot ride that bike safely," he explained. He expressed concern that the bicycle's components could fail and result in serious, possibly life-threatening injury.
Finally, Misener said he'd let Barsetti take the bike only if he signed a release. "So he finally understood that the bike is not safe to ride," Misener said. "At that point, he hung up on me."
While Misener cited safety concerns, Barsetti saw the situation differently. "I wonder, would they weigh everybody going into the store?"
He got a refund through Giant Group Canada. But, he says, he plans to push forward with his active lifestyle goals. "I'm hoping to find a bike and just commute to work," he said.
I can understand, somewhat, how he felt: like one of many people who walked into a bike shop and felt discriminated-against because they didn't fit the shop owner's or employee's image of what a cyclist should be. (I actually once overheard a shop salesperson telling a potential customer that she should lose weight before she started riding a bike.) On the other hand, I also understand why Misener acted as he did: Just about all bikes and parts can bear only a certain amount of weight. In particular, many lightweight racing parts, such as rims and handlebars, are made for riders of 85 kilograms (185 pounds) or less.
