We're not targeting you!!

[Hon'ya-chan]

So this African American woman comes in and buys a couple of Bargain books. After the transaction is done, she asks for The Secret Life of Bees. So I grab a copy from the front and point out the empty bench near the registers to look at the book. No biggie, right?

Now, the bench is visible from the register, but part of it is obscured by some shelving, and it's in the path of where alot of the employees make their way to the register. Plus, one of my co-workers had placed his cart next to the bench, and was shelving nearby and going back to the cart for books. I was up at front doing Special Orders and helping customers.

After sometime, the woman comes back, and slams the book on the counter. "Why the hell did you put me there?" she yells out. I look at her confused. "Why did I put you there?" She remarks: "Yeah, why did you put me on the bench?" I respond "Because you asked me for a book, I gave it to you, and suggested a place that you could sit to take a peek at it. Nothing more." Now she's getting pissed. "You only put me there cause i'm black and I would steal stuff!!" "No, I suggested you read there to browse the book!!"

To make a long story short, LP walks up and amid some racial slurs being thrown about and threats to call Jesse Jackson on me and the company, escorts her out. I'm pretty pissed at the situation, only because I just offered her a seat.

[iradney]

Wow, so being offered a seat so you have a peek at a book in comfort is racist? What does she do if someone offers her a cup of coffee? Or if she goes to the hotel and they offer a wake-up call?? WTF?

[RootedPhoenix]

Maybe because it was out of the way? I don't know what on earth she was thinking.

She was totally bonkers. I'd be upset too.

[Iris Kojiro]

I'm sorry, but I have to throw this GIF in there

http://www.creepygif.com/image.php?i=10

That lady was projecting quite a bit...first trying to pull racism out of nowhere and then saying a bunch of racist stuff on her way out. Sheesh!

[MTNLaurelPoacher]

I think next time someone tells me something to do I'm going to call them a racist, and threaten to call Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter! I would sound like a complete ass.

[Snowbird]

Actually, that sort of sounds like a really guilty conscience rearing up and out at you. Not many people would make an instant jump in assumption that you're keeping an eye on them because the seat you point out is visible and near the register (mine would be more like 'cool, seat!'). The lash out of the race card is the quick turnaround to put guilt on you instead. Or not, I could be wrong.

If that isn't the case, yowza. Nothing like getting yelled at for being nice.

[lupo pazzesco]

I think I have to agree with Snowbird here. The quick reaction and playing of the race card is rather indicative of a guilty mind, IMO.

Or, you know, she could just be an ass...

Geez, so much for being polite and stuff anymore. Of course, if OP hadn't offered her a seat, that probably would've been racist, too, you know. Cuz, no one wanted to look after crazy lady's comfort an' stuff.

Gyaaaah.

[IT Grunt]

The Race Card(TM): Leave home without it. Please.

[SailorMan]

Being the nerd that I am, I don't always recognize social clues (body language, tone of voice) that other people do, or (apparently) know when to exhibit the correct nuance of body language or tone, myself. So, sometimes, but always unintendedly, I come off as somewhat 'distant' or 'unfriendly.' There have been times that people of color, instead of (mistakenly) thinking of me as 'unfriendly,' as people of my own flesh tone have, instead have assumed that I am unfriendly toward them, but because of their race. It makes me think of a bumper sticker I once saw: "I'm not a racist -- I hate everyone equally!" NOT that I actually do hate anyone!
Maybe their reaction is based on actual, past experience (and I've seen enough racism not to doubt that), but sometimes what you see, isn't actually what's really there.

[PepperElf]

lol, sailorman... that reminds me of what one of the watch supervisors in security once said his motto was: Love none, hate all. Not exactly friendly, but he didn't believe in treating anyone differently, regardless of skin (or clothing) color.

[MoonChild2007]

Actually, that sort of sounds like a really guilty conscience rearing up and out at you. Not many people would make an instant jump in assumption that you're keeping an eye on them because the seat you point out is visible and near the register (mine would be more like 'cool, seat!'). The lash out of the race card is the quick turnaround to put guilt on you instead. Or not, I could be wrong.

If that isn't the case, yowza. Nothing like getting yelled at for being nice.

How do we know that the seat has always been there? The OP didn't have anything to do with the seat being at the register. So, let's not blame the OP.
Unless the OP took a seat and placed it near the register. The seat would be there if a white, black, chinese person asked for a seat.

So, I don't find it a guilty conscience or its the OP's fault.

[Hon'ya-chan]

So, I don't find it a guilty conscience or its the OP's fault.

Yeahm I only target aliens. Mars, Venus, Jupiter....especially those Plutonians. Damn dirty Plutonians.

[Snowbird]

How do we know that the seat has always been there? The OP didn't have anything to do with the seat being at the register. So, let's not blame the OP.
Unless the OP took a seat and placed it near the register. The seat would be there if a white, black, chinese person asked for a seat.

So, I don't find it a guilty conscience or its the OP's fault.

Actually, the guilty conscience and fault I was referring to would be that of the sucky customer, not the OP in the least. Sorry about that misunderstanding!