Your calling me a what?

[KitterCat]

I currently work in the deli area of a convenience store/ gas station. To take an order we have touch screens where you hit exactly what you want. So if you want a turkey sandwich on wheat bread you hit the buttons for a turkey sandwich on wheat bread. Not that hard of a concept. There are a few things that we don’t actually sell though.

Your calling me a what?

I’ve heard friends and read on here multiple times of the race card being used. However I’ve never actually had it used on me, at least until last night. Now at this store we do not have an option for pieces of bread on the touch screens. We do have one for dinner rolls. In order for me to give you anything you have to buy it. Upper management is very very gun ho about making sure our stock to profit margins are correct. I am so pale I glow in the dark. I had a gentleman of the darker skin color trying to get me to give him for free two white bread pieces to make a sandwich. I did thankfully have a coworker come out of the back and help. She’s colored as well so he couldn’t use the same rational with her. Conversation went along this line.

SC: I want two pieces of bread.
Me: I can sell you two dinner rolls
SC: No, I want bread. I wants to make a sandwich
Me: All I can do is have to order two dinner rolls and give you two pices of bread, or you could buy a loaf of bread if looking for loaves
SC; I wants to make a sandwitchs. Gives me bread.
Me: *please stop trying to make words plural that don’t need to be. Dear god where did this guy learn English* I’m sorry sir, you have to order and pay for two dinner rolls before I can do that.
SC: I WANTS TWO PIECES OF BREADS TO MAKE A SANDWICH.
Me: You still have to pay for them.
SC: Your being raciest, gives me what I wants.
Me: *Ignoring what he’s just said* You still have to pay for them. If you order the dinner rolls and pay for them I will give you bread slices instead.
SC: Gives me what I wants
Me: *silence, maybe if I just stop talking the message will sink into this troglodytes brain.*
Spiffing Co-Worker has been over hearing what’s been going on and comes out the back. : Mister you need to order two dinner rolls like I told you last time before we’ll give you the bread.
CW to Me: Don’t worry about him he does this all the time and trys to get free stuff.
SC yells to Guy he came in with: Buys me dinner rolls.

We made him wait until I’d seen that they’d been paid for. Afterwards talking to CW I found out that this was a common occurrence with this guy, he’d pick out the people he’d never seen or thought to be a push over and would start yelling a them to give him stuff. Everything from sandwiches to bread. CW laughed when she found out he’d called me a raciest and told me not to worry, he’d told her in the past that she was mean.

[seigus]

I know you meant no harm, but just so you know, most people consider the term "colored" offensive.

[otakuneko]

The use of "colored" to describe a non-white makes me wonder how old the OP is and where he/she grew up. Even living in the south as I do, I don't believe I've ever heard it used.

Given that I'd be kinda surprised if anyone under 30 or 40 found the term offensive. They'd probably be more than offended. But hey, like I said -- haven't heard it in so long, who knows, right?

Enough pre-coffee musings. Off to get coffee.

[Victoria J]

The use of the term colored made me think the OP might not actually be from the USA. It's not common in the UK either (where it has a similar history of being seen as offensive - but now seems mostly old fashioned, though I read a newspaper report earlier where someone was quoted as using the term) but it is still used in other places. It still seems to be the most common term in some places.

Regardless of terminology it is always so nice to have a coworker back you up in these things who is of a similar race to the idiot complainer. I have had people threaten to make complaints about me being racist before (for things like unfairly telling them that we're closed when we're, er, closed with a big sign up to make it clear this applies to everyone) and it does get to me. There hasn't been a single occassion where this threat has been made when I've treated the person at all differently but I do worry sometimes that if a complaint gets made I could be labelled as racist.

Luckily I'm getting more secure - my coworkers know I'm not racist, and my manager knows it. The one time a customer tried to tell him I was he cut them down and told them they were speaking nonsense before even hearing the complaint. When they stopped saying that and made the specific complaint he dealt with it. (Sadly he doesn't always back me up like that about other unfair allegations).

Oh - and KitterKat - "I am so pale I glow in the dark" (Sorry, too lazy to quote properly)

You too ?

*sigh*, I once accidentally mooned the cinema (sat at front, wore velvet trousers which kind of clung to the velvet seats). My mother claimed I caused snow blindness.

Victoria J

[seigus]

I too figured that the OP was from somewhere other than the US. I hope I didn't leave the impression that I was fratching; that wasn't my intention. It's been a long time since I've heard that term, and it was somewhat jarring in its effect. I know that's not true of all places.

[Broomjockey]

I too figured that the OP was from somewhere other than the US. I hope I didn't leave the impression that I was fratching;

Unfortunately, intention or not, you've thoroughly derailed the thread right from the first post with something that should have been handled either by reporting the post and use of the term, or through a PM.

If anyone else wants to discuss the term, take it to Fratching. Focus on the customer and the sucky behaviour.

[seigus]

I apologize.
A question for the forum, then, regarding the customer - when people pull the race card, do they think that's really the issue, or is it a smokescreen? What's the percentage, in your opinion, of people who really believe that's the issue?

[Victoria J]

I apologize.
A question for the forum, then, regarding the customer - when people pull the race card, do they think that's really the issue, or is it a smokescreen? What's the percentage, in your opinion, of people who really believe that's the issue?

My experience is that in every case like this I have dealt with it's been a deliberate attempt to manipulate. They know prefectly well you aren't being racist.

I do sometimes work with people who have been discriminated against - and I've seen some serious cases. In all those cases the reaction wasn't to immediately start throwing accusations as loudly as possible but real shock and, kind off, embarrassment.

I hate that idiots like the SC here keep people talking about the "race card" which tends to minimise real prejudice people face.

But I think I've posted here about things people say which are never true. Has any one ever heard anyone yell "false advertising" and been right ? False advertising exists but the people who actually understand and notice have more mature ways of making their point. In my line of work it's "I know my rights" which is only ever uttered by those who have made up rights they think they should have.

Likewise I've never had a reasonable complaint against me. I've let some of my customers down, but they aren't the ones who loudly insist on speaking to a manager. I once spoke to someone in charge of complaints for the national umbrella organisation my place of work is affiliated with - and the same thing nationally. There are huge numbers of complaints that could fairly be made, it'd be good for the service to get some feedback, but overwhelming the complaints received are unfair and, er, slightly off the wall.

Victoria J

[Broomjockey]

I apologize.
A question for the forum, then, regarding the customer - when people pull the race card, do they think that's really the issue, or is it a smokescreen? What's the percentage, in your opinion, of people who really believe that's the issue?

Hey, that'd be a great discussion for a new thread. It'd fit nicely in General Work Chat.

[KitterCat]

Thought I should dispel some ideas here. I’m actually from the US, on the east cost in Maryland. Part of it are still very Southern. I’m almost in my 30’s but have had a very, very sheltered upbringing. So sometimes I just don’t see the reason behind P.C. terms. Sometimes my logic just doesn’t mesh with some of the inflammatory terms either. I’ve just never understood why some people view “colored” as inflammatory. You have more melatonin in your skin, simple fact it’s a darker color. I don’t insist that people call me “caucasian” just because I’m pale. White works perfectly fine to get the skin tone.

For Example: My husbands grandmother uses every term in the book for colored/black people. Heck for any thing other than white. I’ve been told the grandfather was 10 times worse. She uses terms that before meeting her I’d never heard in my life, like jigabo (sp?) I ended up picking up on the term “orio” like the cookie. She uses it in a derogatory way apparently for mixed children, but I’d only heard it in passing talks. Now given that
1) At one of my first jobs I was the only white person between two black guys who joked that the three of us made an Orio and
2) They are my favorite cookie. Chocolate cookie with cream filling what’s not to like?
I didn’t realize that I was in-fact not a term one uses in polite company until my husband heard me use it. He then had to explain it was not a complement, people did not use it in a happy sweet cookie comparison. Personally I still don’t get it, but don’t use it since its not in the norm.

[Green_Fairy]

I currently work in the deli area of a convenience store/ gas station. To take an order we have touch screens where you hit exactly what you want.

aahahaa! you work in a WaWa! awesome! i love those places sooo much. lol i totally want them to open over on the west coast.
(if you don't work at WaWa, mah bad...lol)

but people like that suck...i've been accused of being racist, too. just for doing my job (i'm in virginia). it's sad, but you gotta just roll your eyes and mooooove on. lol at least you have a story for the forum ^_^

[RecoveringKinkoid]

My experience is that in every case like this I have dealt with it's been a deliberate attempt to manipulate. They know prefectly well you aren't being racist.

IJ

Which is exactly right. I just act like I don't care.

They want you to get all freaked out and bend over backwards (or forwards, really) to prove you aren't.

People who want money imply that you are cheap. People who want sex imply that you are a prude. And people who want favors they aren't entitled to imply you are racist, sexist, any "ist" that they think will get you to "prove them wrong."

Me, if I get accused of being a racist, I just pretend that I am and that I don't care if they know it. Kind of drags the whole scam down to an awkward, grinding halt.

[Mr Hero]

aahahaa! you work in a WaWa! awesome! i love those places sooo much. lol i totally want them to open over on the west coast.
(if you don't work at WaWa, mah bad...lol)

but people like that suck...i've been accused of being racist, too. just for doing my job (i'm in virginia). it's sad, but you gotta just roll your eyes and mooooove on. lol at least you have a story for the forum ^_^

I have a friend from VA whom I met in an online RPG and when we started talking on the phone, she would sometimes hang up to go to WaWa. Until she explained it, I thought it was just her cutsie nickname for Wal Mart.

[HawaiianShirts]

SC: No, I want bread. I wants to make a sandwich

SC: I wants to make a sandwiches. Gives me bread.

SC: I WANTS TWO PIECES OF BREADS TO MAKE A SANDWICH.

SC: You're being racist, gives me what I wants.

SC: Gives me what I wants

SC yells to Guy he came in with: Buys me dinner rolls.

Don't tell me I'm the only one hearing Smeagol saying this stuff!

"We can't eats Hobbit food!"
"It's ours, it is. And we wants it!"
"Sneaky little Hobbitses..."

SC (as Smeagol): We wants two pieces of breads to make us sandwiches, precious!

[KitterCat]

HawaiianShirts

Don't tell me I'm the only one hearing Smeagol saying this stuff!

LOL The gentleman in question had a slight Baltimore mixed with Ebonics accent. Yes I know Ebonics doesn’t really have an accent, but anyone in MD will understand what I mean. Have to admit I didn’t notice that until you pointed it out. It’s not the right speech pattern but it defiantly works.