I know this is everywhere today, so I won’t go into it. I just wanted to share my experiences with going to nail salons.

I’ve been getting pedicures for about 8 or so years now. For awhile it was a monthly treat for myself on whatever day off I had when I was a retail manager in a mall. I would just hit up the nail salon around the corner and never felt particularly uncomfortable. I pretty much stuck with the same salon until they moved and then when they re-opened went back to them until one day I walked in and there was a man at the register/podium thing. He gave me the up-down (when they look you up & down in that judgey sort of way) and said, “You come back in 2 hours!” I said, “Yeah right!” and left. It wasn’t busy in the salon, I even saw a couple of the nail technicians chatting on a couch. Never went back. I’d been going there for almost six years, even had my nails done for my wedding there (took me so long to grow them out, too). I had never seen him before, but I also didn’t see my usual gal, Tina.

I tried several salons after that trying to find one with both the right price and quality work. (A bad pedicure, no matter it’s retail price is just never worth it!) One time a friend gave me a certificate for this shi-shi-la-la salon on Santana Row (fancy outdoor designer mall pavilion thingy where the rich and pretentious shop near San Jose, CA).  It was terrible! They treated me like a beggar with his first dollar ever! Obviously I didn’t go back (and I wrote a review of my experience on yelp.com).

Then for a few months I went to this seemingly shi-shi place but it was a great price for what you got. For $28-$30 you’d get a spa pedicure with parafin wax for your feet and a leg mask! But it was always crowded, I never “fit in” there and the quality went down over time.

Then I found this great little shop by my apartment. For $20 I could get the spa pedicure and read good magazines (I secretly love “Lucky”) and the gals were nice and liked to chat with you (all previous salon experiences differed from this). They also enjoyed nail art and I would always get a lovely flowery design on my big toes. For like $2-$3 more. They always looked fabulous and I felt great after. I was very faithful to that place until I was laid off a bunch of times and just couldn’t afford the luxury any longer. (I know, $20 isn’t much, but it’d be $30 by the time I left and again, it was a luxury.)

After a few months I’d long for a pedicure and break every now and then and get one at some random place. I began the habit of checking with the health department web site before going to a salon after the whole black-death-fungus-scandal (involving Paula Abdul I think). Then I stopped getting them again.

Now? UGH! Now I do them myself exclusively. Why? Money! But also, there is a certain vibe I would get from certain gals. Like they didn’t want to touch my cute little fat feet. My feet are adorable, too! But no, they’d rather care for the feet of a thinner gal who has hammer toe and some sort of awful going on (this is what I saw I’m not slamming all thin gals) who just wanted to tell everyone about her rich husband and all that he buys her. So money talks, I get it! But damn! Don’t I deserve to have cute colorful toes, too?

I don’t know if I’ve ever been discriminated against in a salon (aside from that one guy), but you can sometimes tell that you’re being treated differently or condescended to. That is unacceptable in any arena and I will tell people. I used to be more of a meek gal when it came to complaining. NO MORE! People need to be told when they suck and when they rock! I am liberal with my feedback because I would want to know if I’m giving someone shitty or awesome service. It is the only way to truly know how you’re doing . Because people will tip out of guilt or obligation or whatever, that is almost never an indication of service, more like common practice.

I am so glad that this woman stood up for herself. I wish more people had the nerve. Because, damn, people can walk all over you and then you just go home and feel bad about yourself when it’s so not your fault! I have been there and have resolved to never again! And shit, talk about biting the hand that feeds! Most if not all of the fat gals I have ever known knew how to pamper themselves at a damned salon, yo! But hey, if my money isn’t green enough for ya, I will gladly go where I am wanted!