TripAdvisor removes 'feminist' pub review for 'breaching guidelines'

Christina Fowler left a review condemning a pub owner for slapping a waitress on the bottom

Christina Fowler left a review condemning a pub owner for slapping a waitress on the bottom (Google Street View)

A 'feminist' review describing a customer witnessing a pub owner slapping a waitress on the bottom has been removed by TripAdvisor for purportedly 'breaching its guidelines'.

Christina Fowler of Bedford wrote the review, entitled 'Great food with a side of misogyny', of The Bell at Westoning in Bedfordshire on 8 March, detailing how she saw the pub owner "bite" a young waitress on the shoulder.

She wrote: "Today, on International Women’s Day, I saw the pub owner bite a young waitress on the shoulder, which she tried to shrug off but then appeared to complain to her fellow waitress.

"Five minutes later he slaps her on the bum and made kissy noises when she jumped. A huge reminder that we still need feminism, even in 2015."

After it was posted she received a scathing response from the pub manageress, who said: "On TripAdvisor we are not here to discuss or comment on feminism or who makes ‘kissy’ noises; the latter is something we believe pre-school children may discuss.

"It is such a shame that you spent your time focusing on your feministic views and not our food; had you done so you may have actually found something interesting to write about that would be of interest to others."

Christina Fowler of Bedford wrote the review, entitled 'Great food with a side of misogyny', of The Bell at Westoning in Bedfordshire (Shinyshiny.tv/Christina Fowler)

Christina Fowler received a scathing response from the pub manageress after her TripAdvisor review (Shinyshiny.tv/Christina Fowler)

Ms Fowler posted the exchange on Twitter, but after her original review received more than 100 recommendations, it was suddenly taken down.

An apparently automated email said it had been removed because it was not “relevant to trip planning and research”.

She told The Guardian: “I was allowed to repost it in the end removing the words ‘misogynist’ and ‘feminist’, but I don’t see that either of those words are particularly shocking.”

TripAdvisor spokesman James Kay told the newspaper that the review was removed because it breached guidelines asking reviewers not to make personal political, ethical or religious commentary.