ROAR-FUL! DAD DRESSED AS LION IS TURNED AWAY FROM HULL STORE
PRANK WAS INTENDED TO ‘PUT A SMILE ON PEOPLE’S FACES’
A HULL dad attempting to put smiles on faces at a supermarket was refused entry to the store because he was dressed in a full lion costume.
Dave Fish, 59, who calls himself ‘“Lion L. Messy”, visited his nearby Asda Kingswood store on Wednesday afternoon in the fancy dress outfit.
He was sporting a laminated sign on his chest and tail stating “your country needs two metres” - a quirky reminder for people to remember the importance of social distancing.
Mr Fish says that the prank was intended to “put a smile on people’s faces” during the sobering coronavirus pandemic that we are living through.
But, according to Mr Fish, his light-hearted stunt meant that he was denied access to Asda after a “jobsworth” security guard told him that he could not shop in the store as the cameras would be unable to see his face, due to it being masked by a lion head.
“Just to lighten the mood of supermarket staff and other customers, I dressed as Lion L Messy with a funny sign on me, but as I got to the front of the queue at Asda Kingswood, it was demanded that I take the lion head off or I couldn’t get in to do my essential shop,” said Mr Fish.
“I’d been queuing in the heat for more than 20 minutes sweating in the lion outfit just to be told by some officious jobsworth head of security that as my head was covered with a lion mask, the cameras wouldn’t be able to see my face, so for security [reasons], I wouldn’t be able to get in.
“I mean, what kind of threat to
Asda am I dressed as a lion? What did they think I was going to do?
“I said that I’d just come dressed as a lion to put a smile on people’s faces in the midst of this serious pandemic virus that we are living in, but the security guard just wasn’t having it, even though I said the whole thing was just meant as a joke.
“I had ID on me to show the guy and said I’d take the lion head off to show who I was, but he just wasn’t having it.”
The decision to turn Mr Fish away from Asda was “unfair” according to him, as he says that others with face masks were being allowed in.
He also believes that other shoppers cover their faces for religious reasons would not have been sent home even though their faces would not be picked up on camera.
“I know that what is fun for some isn’t always as fun for others, but lots of people were smiling at me and found the lion suit funny,” he said.
“They weren’t turning other people away that had their faces covered and as soon as they saw me at the back of the queue, if there was a problem with allowing people dressed as lions in the store, they should have just told me there and then rather than having a confrontation with me when I got to the front.
“Surely, they should have seen the funny side. It was so frustrating as all I wanted to do was lighten the mood and sending me on my way was just unfair. I’m just a guy that likes a bit of fun and I meant no harm”.
In response to the criticism levelled at Asda, a spokesman for the store said that a staff member reported that Mr Fish refused to identify himself at the door and so the decision was made to ask him to either remove the costume.
The supermarket spokesman said: “We never want to turn any of our customers away from our stores and enjoy a funny turn as much as the next supermarket.
“However, the safety of our colleagues and customers is of paramount importance and that is why, when Mr Fish refused to identify himself at the door we made the decision to ask him to either remove the costume and re-join the queue, or come back at a later date.
“We never want to discourage anyone from spreading cheer in our stores, but we would ask that they do so in a safe and respectful manner.’’
I know that what is fun for some isn’t always as fun for others, but lots of people were smiling at me
Dave Fish