I came away from Madrid with mostly a bad feeling because of several things, but the one thing that really stuck out was the way in which four seperate female employees at four seperate stores told me that I was too big to try on some or all of their clothes.

Has this happened to anyone else? I mean, I'm not size 6, but it's not exactly as if I'm trying on that size anyway. I'm trying on a size L or something that stretches greatly (I'm size 12--which is L, just so you know) and SEVERAL women stop me and let me know that I shouldn't try these SIZE L clothes on because I will rip them.

What kind of crap is that?

I tell this to a friend of mine in Madrid and they can't believe it, but then another adds that this kind of stuff happened to her friend in Italy. The friend just walked outside and starting crying.

I didn't cry. I just looked at them like, YOU B..... and tried them on anyway and actually bought many of the things that fit just fine.

Now I know that someone is going to say that there is a serious concern on the part of these employees that clothes will be ripped and they will be blamed, but then, why stop there? Why not stop people who smell badly? Or those who have lipstick on yet insist on trying on white or pale things and leaving lipstick marks?

I know this sounds absurd, but how humiliating and just plain sad that they felt the need to do this. And what a horrible image to come away from a country with.