sexist/racist/Homophobic customers

[Sphinx]

I always get a good laugh out of seeing the guys' faces at school when I tell them I'm into gaming and computers.

Mhmm same here I have gotten passed over a lot before just becasue I'm a girl who"doesnt know anything". I was in a game store once buying something for me and the employee(male) didnt know about something on a FPS game so I volunteered information cause i owned the game and the look on both their faces were priceless!!
I have also been asked when buying a game if its for my boyfriend?? Heck no its for me, he can buy his own games

[phoenix_rising]

I work in a meat locker, not a typical job for a girl, and we get a lot of Amish men in the store(its almost always men, the woman dont come in very often) anyways, they never EVER talk to me first. They go to my boss, a male, and ask how much they owe on their storage, I love the look on their faces when my boss says "You're going to have to talk to Jashme about that, she does all the bookkeeping stuff"---- Of course had they spoken to me when I asked "Can I help you" the moment wouldn't be as sweet

The Amish are quite different from us. The women are not really permitted to speak much. The men don't speak to women if they don't have to. It's like old England. Only no English accents.

[phoenix_rising]

I just remembered..

Here I thought I had no discriminatory customer stories, but the one in question had slipped my mind...


A few weekends ago, I was working at the flea market. My mother had gone for a few minutes, so it was just me and another worker named Jeremy. For starters, Jeremy is bisexual leaning gay and I'm a lesbian. I am out and Jeremy had no problems admitting it either.
I walked into the booth after going to the bathroom and a boy (must have been like 12. I'm 17.) said hi to me (which was interesting. I guess customers can tell when you work there based on how you walk in the booth all business-like) then asked me a price. I told him and went to the cashier section of the booth to help Jeremy.
The boy and his family come back. Said boy asks if he can set his stuff on the table (he was carrying an iron skillet around) and I said yes. He then proceeded to ask me if Jeremy was my boyfriend. I just laughed and said "No! He's gay!". The kid then freaks out!
It became a 5-minute string of such phrases as "Are you serious?!" and "Ask him if he's gay!" to which I replied "I don't have to, he just is.". The boy looked thoroughly disgusted and said a few more things like "He probably likes my dad" and "Eugh, he took my money!" (as cashier).
Finally, this kid goes "Are you lesbian?" to which I immediately respond yes. And he's not freaked out by this at all. He proceeds to tell me about a girl he knows with a girlfriend. I was astonished that he was offended by a gay man but not a lesbian.
Once his family is done shopping, I saw him walk away and he immediately told his mother about Jeremy and me. I just laughed it off. I cannot believe the gaul of some people!

[Tria]

Finally, this kid goes "Are you lesbian?" to which I immediately respond yes. And he's not freaked out by this at all. He proceeds to tell me about a girl he knows with a girlfriend. I was astonished that he was offended by a gay man but not a lesbian.

Something tells me you've never cracked open a porno.... You have to bust ass to find gay male porn in the "normal" vids, but two women going at it scenes are a dime a dozen. My personal observations about finding out someone is homosexual. Bear in mind this is just my personal observations in my rather small circle.

Man finding out woman is lesbian: No problem.
Man finds out guy he knows is gay: Most would have a problem.

Woman finds out a guy is gay: No problem.... Unless he's hot....
Woman finds out that a woman is a lesbian : Oh well.

Personally, I don't care which way you swing as long as you are happy with you. But back on topic, I don't think the kid meant any harm, open mouth, exit first thought in brain.

[Silvercat]

i came across a situation where sexism would have been appropiate.

i was being shown around a large outgoing call centre and one of the companies they catered for sold insurance to women who had a family history of breast cancer. pretty specialised. a stranger calling you up and needing to know these kind of details would be bad enough, but would any woman feel comfortable talking to a strange man about her breasts over the phone?

I don't think that would be sexism so much as sensitivity. Wouldn't be somethng like having the appropriate sex of doctor for 'personal' exams?

[phoenix_rising]

Man finding out woman is lesbian: No problem.
Man finds out guy he knows is gay: Most would have a problem.

Woman finds out a guy is gay: No problem.... Unless he's hot....
Woman finds out that a woman is a lesbian : Oh well.

Personally, I don't care which way you swing as long as you are happy with you. But back on topic, I don't think the kid meant any harm, open mouth, exit first thought in brain.

Nah, I know all about that. I actually said something very similiar to that once. But a little kid like that? Shocked me. Then again, kids ARE growing up really fast these days.

[morgana]

I joined the Air Force straight out of highschool. In 1974. Am I the forum geezer?

Nope. I graduated high school in '69. So there.

[skeptic53]

Nope. I graduated high school in '69. So there.

Class of '71. We envied your class for the risque number.
Raps looks well-seasoned in his photo... wonder how old he is?

[PuckishOne]

SC: Y'all serve them in here!
ME: Huh?
SC: Them! You serve blacks here!

"Yes, and we even serve ignorant, head-up-the-arse hillbillies, so it's your lucky day! Can I interest you in the soup?"

Seriously, I know that there are racists in the world (of all colors), but this is still head-spinningly unbelievable.

Luckily, I don't have many work-related racism or homomphobia issues, but I do get a lot of the "you must be the receptionist because you're female and you answered the phone" sort of thing. It's also generally assumed that my (only) male co-worker is the office geek because, well...he's a guy. Just your garden-variety stuff.

[Rapscallion]

As Ree says, I look younger in real life. I'm thirty-six, though my beard has already turned badger blond.

Rapscallion

[Becks]

I'm another one who deals with the ageism crap. I've been working at my thrift store for about 2 years, and know everything about that store, and how to do everything in the store. They decided to make me AM which involves me running the evening shift. A customer comes in asks for the manager and gets me. Gives me a strange look but doesn't say anything.

The next day he comes back into the store, finds me himself and says "so you're the manager hmm?"

"Yes sir"

"You can't be more than 20 (says this very rudely, like how could you be so young and run a store)"

I just said "yes sir" and when I found he didn't need anything else I walked away.

Gee, do you think maybe I worked my butt off to get that position and just because you haven't done much with your life doesn't mean I can't do anything with mine.

When I started working at Goodwill, one of the girls had just been made a supervisor. One day we were discussing ages (I had turned 22 a few months earlier), and I was kinda shocked when she said she was roundabout 19/20. I don't know why, but I had kinda assumed that she was closer to my age. Of course, I had my first job at 18 and my first REAL job a year or so later. I wasn't sucky about it, just wowed.

[Kiwi]

at the craft store all of the craft department KNEW I was in my last year of university they used to ask how classes were going etc

yet they all thought I was 18.... um so Id be 15 years old when I started uni then ladies.... Im smart, but not that smart!!

[Dragon_Dreamer]

I posted this a couple incarnations of the board ago, but it remains my favorite.

While I was working Tech support, an older guy called in. Note that the rule was that tech had to try to help the customer three times before being allowed to transfer them, if it fell into our department. The office I was in suppoted *everything.* The conversation went something like this:

SC = Older gentleman with a southern twang.
Me = Cute smartass who usually behaved at work.

Me: Thank you for calling <company name>. May I have your shipper number, please?
SC: Yeah, I thought I'd chosen the option for your technical department. Can you transfer me?
Me: No, you chose the right option, sir, I am a tech. May I have your shipper number, please?
SC: *somewhat sternly* This is no time for jokes, darlin'. I know a secretary when I hear one. Now, transfer me to your technical support.
Me: *firm* Sir, I assure you that I *am* a tech, and that I can most likely help you. What kind of issue do you need addressed?
SC: Young lady, I want a man!
Me: So do I, sir. *transfers the jerk*

I do have one other story, from a couple jobs later, while I was working in the computer lab at the community college I was attending (and am about to return to for one more year. I took a couple years' break because of financial issues.) We were allowed to provide basic support, and I was partially hired based on my experience. Now, I am skinny but "endowed" rather heavily, thanks to genetics. I do my best to hide it with loose shirts and things, but it rarely helps. That probably contributed to this.

SC = Young man, probably a freshman, no older than 17 or 18.
Me = Still cute, still sassy.

SC: Um, hi, I'm having some trouble with my computer, and I was told that you guys could help. Is there someone here who could help me?
Me: I can certainly help you figure out what's wrong. What's the problem with the computer?
SC: *bewildered look* Uh, you don't understand, this is technical stuff that you wouldn't understand.
Me: *dryly* You'd be surprised.
SC: Look, this is too hard for girls. Are there ANY guys back there who could help me?
Me: *Annoyed* I'm the only one on duty, sorry. Are you sure I can't help you?

At this point, he stalked away, muttering about "idiot chicks." I began to smile as he walked over to the first male students he saw, about halfway down the line of computers, and apparently asked them for help. They pointed in my direction, and when he turned his head, hoping to see a male tech, all he saw was my face, wearing a ****-eating grin.

He glared and left the library. I didn't see him again.

[Misanthropical]

When I worked in a call center a few years ago, I would have men who refused to believe that I was the most qualified to answer their questions and demand to speak to a man. Usually, my male co-workers would make sure the customer heard them asking me for the answer to the question.

Working in Security, people assumed I was a lesbian. I got accused of being a man hating lesbian more than once. I always told the guy I would be sure to let my husband know that I'm suppose to be a man hater.

In Security, I would also get male co-workers who thought that women should not be in that field. We should be baking cookies or something.

[wj_737_700]

I have a feeling that i'm going to encounter a few sexist SC's when I (hopefully) enter the line of work I want to...commercial/airline pilot. I'll just tell them this "you can either have me who is qualified for this aircraft, or you can have my friend here who isn't qualified to fly anything bigger than a Cessna 172. Your choice."