So apparently I'm racist.

[Laund-o-rama Mama]

Also another thing to think about is when people react in an over-the-top, offended manner to a simple reminder not to walk out with merchandise (or insert other suspicious behavior here), the red flags go up. Usually their extreme offense is a defense mechanism; a smoke screen to distract you from their suspicious behavior and get you so YOU'RE on the defensive. Normal people who are not planning to steal usually react with embarrassment, apologies and/or humor.
That woman was probably reaching for the most inflammatory thing she could conjure up. Try not to sweat it too much.

[Food Lady]

^ I couldn't have said it better. Also, I wish I'd thought of this reply before now: "I'm not a racist now, but if you keep this up I might change my mind."

[protege]

I had a black woman call me the N-word once at work...

I was outside Hechinger's, watering the millions of dead plants they had on display, and had a hose across the sidewalk. Rather than wait for me to finish, and move the hose, she decided to push her wheelchair over it...and got stuck. She could have waited a few seconds, then been on her way. But, she got impatient...and was now held up by a piece of rubber. As I'm trying to help her, she muttered that I was a "dumb N-word." That's when I lost it. I went off on her. "First off lady, I'm white. Second, you call me that again...I'll push your crippled ass out into traffic." I have very little tolerance for stupid racists. If you're going to use a racial slur, at least find one that fits my skin color How I didn't get into trouble for flipping out on her, I don't know.

[RealUnimportant]

I'm with notlovinit; I've used the line, my white co-worker's used the line, even my black co-workers have used the line on black customers complaining about not getting their asses kissed by the white staff... There's nothing you can do to convince these people, THEY are the ones who've been "conditioned"!

[Aethian]

People don't have to even be racist towards other races, but even to their own. I don't care if she's black or not, calling someone else an "Uncle Tom" is a very racist statement.

Bit off topic but I had been sitting and talking with a couple friends. I had just started talking about a family story when I started getting lectured on being rude and racist... The person I was talking about? My Uncle Tom, at that time, a captain in the AF.

Wasn't till the love of my life explained the meaning to me that I understood the lecture. Course that happened with over ten years between the lecture and the explanation.

[Mr Hero]

This is by far the ugliest form of EW.

[wolfie]

I had a black woman call me the N-word once at work...

I As I'm trying to help her, she muttered that I was a "dumb N-word." That's when I lost it. I went off on her. "First off lady, I'm white. Second, you call me that again...I'll push your crippled ass out into traffic." I have very little tolerance for stupid racists. If you're going to use a racial slur, at least find one that fits my skin color How I didn't get into trouble for flipping out on her, I don't know.

I can only find one fault in your response - you failed to call her a "cracker" or a "honky".

Note: the SC called Protege by an ethnic slur that belongs to her race, not Protege's. The 2 terms I used would be returning the insult in the same form.