A group of men who call themselves Overweight Haters Ltd. are handing out fat-shaming cards to women riding the London Underground—cards that label the commuters "fat, ugly humans" who disgrace the good name of pigs. And according to a tweet posted yesterday, the British Transport Police are searching for information that could lead them to the offensive propaganda and its creators.
"All of our customers have the right to travel with confidence," Steve Burton, director of enforcement and on-street operations, told The Guardian, "and this sad and unpleasant form of antisocial behavior will not be tolerated."
According to witness accounts, young and middle-aged men have approached dozens of female commuters with the cards, which read, "Our organization hates and resents fat people. We object to the enormous amount of food resources you consume while half the world starves. … And we do not understand why you fail to grasp that by eating less, you will be better off, slimmer, happy, and find a partner who is not a perverted chubby-lover, or even find a partner at all."
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Both men and women have taken to Twitter to document the fat-shaming. One Twitter user recounted, "Young man just got on train at Oxford Circus, gave printed card saying 'you're fat' to overweight girl. He jumped off. She read it, and cried."
Other women have used the social media platform to speak out about how disgusting the cards—and not the victims—truly are. One user wrote, "Dear Overweight Haters Ltd: If you hand me a card, please ensure you have a Tupperware container with you in which to carry home your teeth," while another was quick to point out that he'd "rather be fat than ignorant and stupid."
It's unclear what action the police will take if they identify the men, or whether the group's actions are illegal as well as hurtful.
How does this news make you feel? How would you react if you saw someone distribute such a card to a woman?
