Friendships evolve over time, and sometimes the activities that once brought people together stop working the way they used to. The question is whether acknowledging that reality makes someone a bad friend.

This 21-year-old has been visiting the same amusement park with her childhood friend for years. It was a tradition they both loved and looked forward to every summer. But during their most recent trip, she noticed a significant change. Due to her friend’s weight gain, many of the rides they used to enjoy together were no longer accessible or comfortable for her. In some cases, she couldn’t fit on the rides at all. In others, she technically could, but found the restraints too uncomfortable to participate.

As a result, OP felt like much of the day revolved around figuring out what rides were still an option. Now her friend wants to go back, and OP is struggling with whether to be honest about why she’s hesitant—or simply suggest doing something else instead.

AITAH for not wanting to go to an amusement park with my friend because she is plus size?

I am 21F and have a childhood friend 22F. We live near a big amusement park in our state and every summer since we were kids we have gone to it together pretty often.

Ever since we were teens she’s been curvy/ plus size, and that’s fine by me. But recently she’s put on a lot more weight, again I don’t care about this at all, means nothing to me.

However it’s created an issue with going on the rides and attractions at the amusement park.

Interesting…

We haven’t been to the park in around a year. Our first time back was last week. When we were there I discovered that most of the rides we used to love going on, she can no longer can fit on them.

Others she can technically fit, but doesn’t want to ride them because the seatbelts feel too uncomfortable. There are very few rides left that she can go on without an issue.

Also, we went on a ride recently where two people share a bench type of seat, it was extremely uncomfortable because there wasn’t much room for me and felt like i was being crushed most of the ride, it honestly felt unsafe.

Yikes.

There’s also been an issue with her eating my food while we are there. Like for example I will buy some popcorn or something at the amusement park, she will buy her own stuff, then she asks to try mine. Usually she will eat it all if i don’t stop her.

I may get hate for this part but she sometimes gets dirty looks or pointed at when we are there together, because people are judgemental.

This makes me sad for her and just uncomfortable overall.

How awful.

She’s been asking if i wanna go to the amusement park this weekend and I really don’t see the point because we won’t be able to go on most of the rides.

I feel terrible tho and don’t know how to say i don’t want to go. Should I suggest some other activity? I feel like she will get suspicious because i love amusement parks and usually always wanted to go during past summers.

I’m not entirely sure why she wants to go there so badly if most of the attractions do not work for her anymore. AITAH?

Reddit leaned more toward NTA, with many commenters pointing out that OP isn’t judging her friend for being plus-sized—she’s reacting to the reality that an activity they used to enjoy together no longer works the same way. A lot of people felt there’s a difference between disliking someone because of their weight and acknowledging that certain activities have become difficult, uncomfortable, or inaccessible as a result of it.

Many commenters also noted that amusement parks are expensive. If the main attraction is riding rides and most of those rides are no longer an option for one member of the group, it’s reasonable to question whether that’s the best way to spend time together. Several suggested that OP simply propose other activities they can both fully enjoy instead of forcing a tradition that no longer fits their circumstances.

The food-sharing issue and uncomfortable ride experiences also made some readers sympathetic to OP’s reluctance. The overall consensus was that she’s not obligated to spend money on an outing she no longer enjoys, as long as she handles the conversation with kindness and doesn’t make her friend’s weight the focus of it.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee whose dietary restrictions caused the whole office to turn against her.

This person has an idea of what to say.

This person understands this from a worker POV.

And this person says to basically kill her with kindness.

Wanting a different way to spend time together doesn’t make her a bad friend, it just means the roller coasters aren’t the only thing that’s changed.