CANBERRA (Reuters) - A weighing machine that has told a woman "get off, fat pig" and abused a man who had put on some weight over Christmas has been hastily removed from a busy Australian shopping centre.
Management of the Greensborough Plaza in northeast Melbourne pulled the plug on the coin-operated scales after several customers complained about offensive comments on printouts detailing their weight, height and body mass.
One 79.9-kg (176-lb) man was stunned to read on his printout: "You are a little overweight. Fat xxxx."
Although his wife was offended, he was nonplussed.
"I was more worried about my weight than the message," Greensborough resident Bruce Hamilton told reporters.
The shopping centre, managed by Australian property group Lend Lease, removed the machine immediately.
"The comments that the machine spat out were offensive and it was removed immediately and is being examined by the supplier," spokeswoman Melanie Shelton told Reuters.
"A preliminary audit indicated someone had tampered with the machine and altered its usual messages such a Happy Christmas and Happy New Year."
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