A woman with facial tattoos has expressed her shock after being ordered to leave a beachside venue.
Kerrie Ashby, 63, claims she was turned away by staff at the Colley Hotel, formerly the Jetty Bar in Adelaide’s coastal suburb of Glenelg, on Sunday evening.
She and a friend had hoped to grab a bite to eat but claimed the waitresses “looked at it” [them] a bit funny’ when they asked for a menu.
The manager then approached the women and asked them to leave.
Mrs Ashby was left devastated by the incident.
“I thought he was going to tell me the kitchen was about to close and he tells me the owners have a policy where facial tattoos are not allowed,” she told the newspaper. Advertiser.
“I said that’s disgusting. “I’ve lived in this community for years, I’ve eaten here before, I was blown away and I just left.”
She previously faced discrimination and was branded ‘violent’ because of her tattoos, which boosted her confidence after being diagnosed with alopecia.
Kerrie Ashby (pictured) was turned away at Adelaide’s Colley Hotel because of her facial tattoos
The Colley Hotel (pictured) in Glenelg has a general policy against serving customers with facial tattoos that cannot be covered
She explained that the condition caused her hairline to recede and because she “didn’t like the bald look,” she decided to hide her insecurity with a mandala tattoo.
‘It’s just ridiculous, so many people nowadays have facial tattoos, but they are not affiliated with gangs or drug behavior and what bothers me is the fact that they have put me in a stereotypical group (of violent people) that I don’t belong to, Mrs. Ashby said.
The Colley Hotel says it has a “clean, tidy and respectful” dress code that prohibits “intimidating, aggressive or offensive” tattoos, as well as a general policy against facial tattoos – unless they have cultural or religious significance.
People with facial tattoos are allowed as long as they cover their ink.
Ms Ashby (pictured) branded the venue’s rules as outdated and said ‘so many people have face tattoos these days’
A hotel spokesperson said the policy “is designed to ensure all our guests, community members and families feel safe.”
He added that Ms Ashby was welcome to discuss the matter further with the audience to find a resolution.
Businesses in South Australia are allowed to impose ‘reasonable’ dress codes for customers.
This includes locations where customers are asked to comply with changing dress standards in different parts of the premises or at different times of the day.
The same standards should apply to all customers unless a reasonable circumstance arises, such as health and safety concerns.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Ashby and the Colley Hotel for further comment.