Boris The Ride Operator

(I work as a ride operator at an amusement park. Our company has a sort of exchange program overseas; we get international workers to come in and work for the company. I am working an older ride with one of the international exchange employees from Russia. The ride we are working on is based on a popular movie and was made in the mid-1990s. This means that because of the way it was manufactured, some people may have trouble fitting in the ride. The ride requires the operators to push down on a lap bar and then buckle a seatbelt on the side. If someone is too tall, or their thighs push on the lap bar, we cannot close it and therefore cannot let them ride. I am not the strongest person, but I always try my best to let all of our guests at the park ride. My Russian coworker has a bit of trouble speaking English, so he will often use shorter sentences to get to the point. The day in question is hot, and it is near the end of both of our shifts. I have been doing my best to fit people in, often having to use my legs to push down on the bar so I can get people buckled. I don’t want to ask my coworker for help, because I am embarrassed. However, I am having difficulty pushing down one lap bar. If he comes over and pushes, I can buckle it, but it is nearly impossible to do myself. I call him over and he walks up to the car in question.)

Me: “Can you help me push?”

(He looks at the guest and shakes his head.)

Coworker: “Too fat to ride.” *turns around to open the lap bar*

(I was mortified and had to tell the guest that “for their own safety, they could not ride.” Fortunately, the guest was very nice and accepted all of my numerous apologies. Looking back on it, I feel really bad for the guest, but at the same time I find, from a viewer’s standpoint, the entire ordeal amusing. I quit two months later.)

Related:
In Soviet Russia, Accent Speaks You!