I’d been looking forward to a romantic break with my husband. But instead I was forced to do a walk of shame. By Ellie Scott, 27
My mum and the kids stood on the doorstep, waving.
‘Be good for Nana,’ my husband Josh called out as we got into the car.
Josh and I had four kids under the age of nine, and we both had busy jobs too.
So, for Christmas, Mum had given us two nights away in a hotel so we could have a break. She’d even offered to babysit.
We were thrilled and as an extra treat, we’d splashed out on tickets for a day at Thorpe Park.
‘I can’t wait for this!’ I said to Josh.
I’d loved theme parks ever since Mum had first taken us to Blackpool Pleasure Beach as kids.
Three-and-a-half hours later, we arrived at our hotel in Luton and had a romantic meal, before getting an early night.
‘I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve,’ I giggled to Josh.
He rolled his eyes and said: ‘What are you like?’
'I don't think this ride is for you'
The following day we made the short drive to Thorpe Park and I practically skipped through the entrance.
‘What would you like to go on first?’ Josh asked me.
‘Let’s start big!’ I said, pointing at a rollercoaster.
We made our way to the queue and then I saw the waiting time.
‘Nearly two hours!’ I gulped.
Josh could see I was getting impatient, so he got out his mobile and ordered us two fast-track passes.
‘At least we’ll have them in time for the next ride,’ he said.
They cost £125 each, but I told myself it would be worth it.
When we finally got to the front of the queue, my tummy bubbled with anticipation.
We climbed into our seats and an attendant pulled a safety bar down over Josh’s head.
But when he started to pull my bar down, he shook his head.
‘Sorry, it won’t click into place,’ he said. ‘It’s, erm, it’s because of your top half.’
‘My top half?’ I said bewildered.
Then I looked down and the penny dropped.
My cheeks flushed with embarrassment as we both stared at the bar which was resting on my boobs.
I took a 38G bra size. I knew I was bigger up top than average, but I’d been to Thorpe Park loads of times and my chest had never been a problem before.
‘Shall I try taking my cardigan off?’ I said.
The ride attendant tried again.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘It just won’t go.’
Josh offered to give it a push, but health and safety rules meant he wasn’t allowed to.
‘I don’t think this ride is for you,’ the attendant said, looking as mortified as I felt.
So I had to get off.
‘I’ll come with you,’ Josh insisted.
‘No, you stay,’ I replied. ‘We’ve waited over an hour for this. No point in us both missing out!’
It felt like everyone was gawping as I climbed off and did a walk of shame back to the gate.
When the ride finally came to a halt, Josh joined me.
‘Let’s go on one of the lower-key rides,’ I said, not wanting the same shame again.
So we ended up on a kid-friendly, choo-choo train.
I thought: We might as well have brought the kids.
Eventually, I decided to try another one of the big rollercoasters.
But as the attendant tried to pull the safety bar over me, the same thing happened again.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘It’s your chest area.’
Horrified, I climbed off and Josh did too.
When I tried a third coaster, I explained to the female attendant what had happened.
‘Oh yes, they can get in the way!’ she said. ‘Do you mind if I push down a bit harder?’
‘Sure,’ I replied.
This time the safety bar clicked into place, but when I tried another ride after that, it was no-go again.
‘Let’s just go back to the hotel,’ I said to Josh, deflated.
The following day, when we arrived back home in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, and the kids asked us how our trip had been, I plastered on a smile.
I didn’t want to tell Mum the truth at first, because she’d spent so much on our hotel. But in the end I did and she was disappointed for us.
We’d emailed Thorpe Park to request a refund for our fast-track passes but we were turned down. Instead they suggested that Josh use them with someone else.
‘Charming!’ I huffed.
For a while I considered losing weight to shrink my boobs, but then I thought: Why should I?
The size of my breasts had never been an issue before.
I feel really let down. I used to love theme parks but now I never want to go near one again.
I reckon I’ve been squeezed out, all because of my boobs.
Thorpe Park told Take a Break: ‘At THORPE PARK Resort, we care deeply about creating magical experiences that are inclusive for as many of our guests as possible. We have always strived to create accessible attractions where people can be themselves and enjoy fun experiences together.’