A middle-aged white woman is seen on video cursing, giving the middle finger and then appears to try and assault a Muslim woman who claims the woman told her to “go back to where you came from.”
Sunday was a sunny summer day at Sesame Place, a popular water-ride focused theme park in Buck’s County, Pennsylvania.
The woman recording, Zafirah, is Muslim.
That statement is not seen or heard on camera. Dubbed ‘Sesame Place Sallie’ by the family, the video begins with the as of yet unidentified woman, in line for a ride, being asked to, “Say it again. Say it again.”
She does not repeat it, instead, the woman begins to use expletives and give the Muslim woman the finger and then, charge at her for taking photographs.
Here’s the video and what you need to know:
The Woman Dubbed ‘Sesame Place Sallie’ Uses the F-word Repeatedly, Gives the Finger & Aggressively Lunges While in Line at the Theme Park Based on Iconic Sesame Street
Instagram user Zafirah wrote, “Today I got told to go back where I came from.”
A hair stylist who has been featured in black hair magazines, and a “fit Muslim” who sells vitamin products, said she asked the woman to “quiet down” around kids, the woman allegedly said, “Bitch fu*k you and go back to where you came from.” Then she begins recording.
“Say it again. Say it again.” The woman says, “Here. Here,” as she gives her the finger and gets closer. Zafirah says, “This is terrible. This is horrible. She told me to go back to where I came from. This is terrible. In Sesame Place. In front of all these kids.”
The woman says: “Go fu*k yourself, bitch.” Zafirah says, “This is weird. This is terrible. Wow.”
Then the woman lunges at her screaming, “Don’t take my picture.”
A Twitter user forwarded the video to police.
Langhorne Police said the theme park was out of their jurisdiction but would pass on to the appropriate authorities in Middletown Township.
Family Members Said They Were ‘Treated as Aggressors’ & Believed the Woman Given Tickets to Return at Another Time After Being Asked to Leave/h2>
The family told media that the woman was treated well and rewarded with free tickets for another visit after being asked to leave.
Other family members also posted accounts of the incident. Phylicia Smith, who says she holds a season pass and lives two hours away in Enola, PA, said her cousin, who is Muslim, and the rest of her family were treated as “the aggressor,” by park management.
“So this is what my family and I experienced today at Sesame Place! The fact that this woman thought it was okay to talk to us in this manner because of the color of our skin and my cousin’s religion was and is horrible!!! To make matters worse the staff at this establishment had the audacity to treat us like the aggressor when in fact we are the victims. You can clearly see this woman physically and verbally attacking us in the video with no regard of the multiple children around us. As recurring annual season pass members I guarantee this will be the LAST membership we purchase. I’m disgusted.”
The theme pack denies the woman was given tickets for a return visit.
Sesame Place Says it Banned the Woman
In a statement issued to Yahoo Lifestyle, Sesame Place said the woman was kicked out of the park and banned.
“Sesame Place only welcomes respect for others and does not tolerate this type of behavior,” the statement read. “The guest depicted in that video was promptly removed from the park and will not be permitted to return. Creating safe and enjoyable experiences for all guests is our top priority. Furthermore, the guest in the video did not receive tickets to return.”
Sesame Place is known for being the only theme park “in the world designated as a Certified Autism Center.”
“It’s our goal to provide every family with an enjoyable and memorable visit to Sesame Place, and we are proud to offer specialized services to guests with autism and other special needs!”
Many children are seen in the video and some are heard crying.
The Universal Reaction on Social Media is that the Woman’s Behavior is Unacceptable at Best & Criminal at Worst
“It looks like one of those young girls was with her and petrified to witness this. Shame on her. This is not what we do in front of children. Or, grownups come to think of it.”
Sesame Place claimed it did not award her free tickets. But some said that despite that fact, her behavior must be called out.
“That horrid racist blob was apparently removed and banned & Sesame Place state they don’t tolerate this at all. The racist was not given free tickets for another time.”
“At Sesame Place of all places, an amusement park geared to small children and families. This woman is trash.”