Alameda, CA
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| Massage therapist Ameena Badmood fired for tableside manner |
Ameena Badmood, certified massage therapist with over ten years of experience, was fired from Knotty Body Spa in downtown Alameda yesterday. In spite of her obvious talent as a body worker, Badmood's tableside conversation was frequently negative, leaving her clients hopeless and despondent at the end of their sessions.
"Last week, she was on an anti-fluoride rampage," reports long-term client Oliver Stiff. "She says to me, 'Do you know what fluoride does to male fertility? Believe me,' she says, 'your eight year old son has probably already ingested enough of that poison for you to kiss any hopes of grandchildren goodbye.' I swear I walked out of that office in tears."
Stiff was not the only client ever to leave Badmood's office in tears. Serene Nomore recalls a tableside tirade about GMOs. "It's not that I'm unsympathetic to the issue," says Nomore. "But, the more worked up she got, the rougher the massage got. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't hear me beg for mercy." Like Stiff, Nomore was in tears when she walked out the door.
Stiff and Nomore, along with other Knotty Body customers, complained to management about Badmood's behavior.
Ivan O'Cloo, Knotty Body General Manager, gave Badmood one warning before firing her. "I did my best to be sensitive to her feelings. I told her, as gently as I could, 'Can't you just zip it while you're at work? I mean, maybe you should find a support group for hysterical women to deal with all these issues of yours.' I thought I was being nice, offering suggestions and all, which I didn't have to do. Anyway, I guess it backfired. Ameena stomped out of my office, furious. Apparently she couldn't contain it, either, because her next client left the office black and blue. That's when I knew I had to fire her."
Badmood plans to file for unemployment and is considering a change of vocation. "I'm considering law school," she said, "Lots of people have told me I'm cut out for it." As for Knotty Body Spa, Badmood harbors no bad feelings "This whole experience has been a wake-up call for me," she began. "I had no idea how much denial people were in. I tried to raise their awareness and they preferred to stick their heads in the sand. Now, I'm more determined than ever to get people to face their demons." Whatever the future holds, Badmood's friends and family members are committed to seeing her through this difficult transition, but secretly admit that they are afraid to be left alone with her.
Written by Diana Shapiro
Photo courtesy of http://blogs.smh.com.au/lifestyle/asksam/archives/2008/09/
I see a cheap shot at lawyers. True she has a knotty problem but instead of law school I suggest she become a psychotherapist, Hopefully during her training she will work off her negative energy...or knot.
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