Commercial Racism

[Carborendum]

I'd like to share an experience about "commercial racism".

DESCRIPTION: We know about violent racism.  We also know about stereotypes.  We know about ethnic jokes.  And we know about those individuals who, well... bless their hearts... just don't know how racist they sound when they say or do certain things.

COMMERCIAL RACISM is what I'm calling those things that people do in commerce/business/employment, etc based on race.

While I've experienced this before, there was always some shame in it.  They always hid it in such a way that there was a small (sometimes tiny) level of plausible deniability.  Yesterday, I came across blatant, open, admitted commercial racism.

I have a Sam's Club membership.  As such I have a credit card that provides a lot of cash back.  Every April/May I cash in (that's the cycle I'm in).

I went to the club  to get a few things.  I went to a checkout line that had the "open" sign on.  I began to unload when the checkout lady (let's call her Shayna) said that she was closed.  She was just standing there doing nothing.  Just waiting for... something.  Then as I moved away another woman came with her cart and began to unload.  Shayna began to help her unload and started checking her stuff.

I waited in another line and checked my stuff out there.  I asked about cashback.  They said that I could cash out at the membership desk.  Once all loaded up in the car, I went to the membership desk and asked for my cashback.  The lady there said that she couldn't do it at the membership desk. I told her what the checkout lady said.  She told me that I'd been misinformed.  I needed to go back to the checkout area and speak to someone in a green vest (one of the supervisors).

I found that Shayna had a green vest.  So, I began waiting at her line.  When she was all out of customers, I asked her about he cashback.  She said that she was not going to help me.  Then she proceeded to wave someone else forward to unload.  I asked her why she told me she was closed earlier.

She said, "I don't want to serve you people.  You're the reason we've got COVID."

"I'm actually Korean, not Chinese." (in some half-effort to appeal to her).

"Same difference."

She then began to ignore me and got the next person to unload.

Just then I noticed that another green vest came by.  I spoke with him.  He said that it is taken care of at the membership desk.  I rebutted.  He took me there personally.  The lady then looked at me with some disgust and went through the motions.  I got all my money.  She didn't need any instruction from the green vest.  She knew exactly how to do it.

After it was all done, she walked briskly away from me and began a conversation with another worker until I left.  As I was far away, I noticed she came right back her station again.  No customer.  Just the lack of "me".

[LDSGator]

That you personally had to deal with this flat out breaks my heart. 

[beefche]

Wow. Just wow. I honestly would give a complaint to not only the store manager, but at corporate as well. And I would provide names--this is seriously unacceptable. They should not be in any type of customer service job if they can't serve everyone with respect--they can think what they want, but they shouldn't treat someone like that while at their job. 

I wouldn't want them to be doxed but they either need to be reprimanded or fired. 

[NeuroTypical]

Yeah, Sam's Club needs to know about the behavior of this employee.  

[Just_A_Guy]

2 hours ago, beefche said:

I wouldn't want them to be doxed but they either need to be reprimanded or fired. 

I’d vote for “fired”.

And the company needs to be sued, and the media alerted, if you don’t get proof that it’s happened.  

This is not someone who was simply “uneducated” or didn’t take enough sensitivity trainings.  She went out of her way to be cruel.  So, make it hurt.  She needs to remember you, viscerally.

By the way—what was “Shayna’s” race?

Edited May 8, 2021 by Just_A_Guy

[Vort]

I agree, Carb. Corporate needs to hear about this. What you describe is nothing short of appalling.

[LDSGator]

I’m generally against doxxing, but the best way to avoid it? Act like a decent person. No one gets doxed if all they say is, “Good morning, how may I help you?”

[NeedleinA]

@Carborendum

Sorry to hear about your experience, some people flat out suck.

While it may not have recorded the conversations, Sam club will definitely have cameras that recorded your experience there. 
I won't be shy about talking to someone in actual authority at the store... everyone there has a boss. 

[Carborendum]

13 hours ago, Just_A_Guy said:

I’d vote for “fired”.

And the company needs to be sued, and the media alerted, if you don’t get proof that it’s happened. 

If I do that, then I'm no better than all those who engage in cancel culture.  I refuse to be that vindictive.

Over the past several years I've made it clear that my position on racism in America is that today's kids have no clue what racism actually is.  We've been so coddled by PC culture come cancel culture, that we mock the suffering and progress of these past decades.

I refuse to forget the progress.

Quote

By the way—what was “Shayna’s” race?

Take a wild guess.  Who has been randomly attacking Asians in every report we've heard of in the past month?

And the other lady at the membership desk was the same.

Edited May 9, 2021 by Carborendum

[Ironhold]

54 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

If I do that, then I'm no better than all those who engage in cancel culture.  I refuse to be that vindictive.

Over the past several years I've made it clear that my position on racism in America is that today's kids have no clue what racism actually is.  We've been so coddled by PC culture come cancel culture, that we mock the suffering and progress of these past decades.

I refuse to forget the progress.

Take a wild guess.  Who has been randomly attacking Asians in every report we've heard of in the past month?

And the other lady at the membership desk was the same.

MBA here. 

The employee in question is a lawsuit waiting to happen. 

It's cheaper to fire an employee with a documented history of racist behavior than to handle the lawsuits caused by their actions. 

You'd actually be doing corporate a favor. 

[NeuroTypical]

Holy crap people, it's ok to notify an employer about the behavior of one of their employees.  No need to think in terms of doxxing, canceling, or getting someone fired.  

And it's ok not to get caught up in lucifer's lies and traps about how it's sometimes important to keep the truth a secret, because tattling makes us tattle-tales.  He sows that one into us early on, but it's still a lie.  Another lie is that when a person does something horrible, the consequences aren't the fault of that person, but the person who makes the behavior known.

Whether the employee's consequences are getting fired, reprimanded, re-assigned to a non-customer facing role, enrolled in training, punished, or ignored - the consequences are because of the employee's behavior.  Not Carb for telling.   

Now Carb's internal scan of his motivations for acting, is important.  Yes, you can blow the lid off of stuff for the right reasons, and the wrong reasons.  But there are absolutely right reasons to blow the lid off this thing.

Jeez.  It's feeling like 3rd grade recess in here.

Edited May 9, 2021 by NeuroTypical

[Just_A_Guy]

5 hours ago, Carborendum said:

Take a wild guess.  Who has been randomly attacking Asians in every report we've heard of in the past month?

And the other lady at the membership desk was the same.

In most reports of anti-Asian violence that I’ve seen lately, the race of the attacker has been fastidiously omitted.  I can take a guess, based on the fact that the pseudonym you offered for her is not exactly a traditional Anglo-Saxon name, but . . . yeah.

[NeuroTypical]

Anyone who follows Andy Ngo's twitter feed sees daily accounts of Asians being harmed by African Americans. 

[Carborendum]

6 hours ago, Just_A_Guy said:

In most reports of anti-Asian violence that I’ve seen lately, the race of the attacker has been fastidiously omitted.  I can take a guess, based on the fact that the pseudonym you offered for her is not exactly a traditional Anglo-Saxon name, but . . . yeah.

I noticed the omissions as well.  But the videos show what the videos show.  And there is a racist element of it.

[NeuroTypical]

I was fairly young when the Rodney King riots broke out in 1992.  But I remember watching the news and thinking "why are the Koreans having to take their rifles up to the roofs of their restaurants, to fight off mobs that are angry because four cops were not prosecuted for beating a black guy?"

Edited May 10, 2021 by NeuroTypical

[Carborendum]

22 minutes ago, NeuroTypical said:

I was fairly young when the Rodney King riots broke out in 1992.  But I remember watching the news and thinking "why are the Koreans having to take their rifles up to the roofs of their restaurants, to fight off mobs that are angry because four cops were not prosecuted for beating a black guy?"

Excellent question.  Here's the answer.

https://www.thedailybell.com/all-articles/news-analysis/roof-koreans-civilians-defended-koreatown-racist-violence-la-riots-1992/

[Backroads]

I agree with notifying management or even corporate.

I appreciate you not wanting cancel culture, but in my view it's the same about letting the cook know the food is uncharacteristically and truly awful. (Glass in the soup sort of deal)

You're doing them a favor and letting them know there's a problem.

[mirkwood]

Reporting this to higher management is not cancel culture.  It is accountability for terrible behavior.  Imagine if I refused to take a report from someone while I was at work due to their race.  Would it be cancel culture to complain?

[Vort]

I appreciate your desire not to participate in so-called cancel culture. Good for you. Consider that reporting this occurrence may be more akin to letting parents know about errant children than about looking for revenge and trying to destroy someone's career.

[NeedleinA]

 

[LDSGator]

https://www.wfla.com/news/hillsborough-county/tampa-police-dunkin-employee-arrested-claims-customer-he-hit-in-face-who-later-died-used-racial-slur/?fbclid=IwAR02XQ3bYLT-qAKFECdwG8KICoa1tyVokCplmu1skmqILjQOXddLl0dyrPE
 

This just happened down here. Sad all around. Racism is disgusting. 

Edited May 11, 2021 by LDSGator

[Vort]

37 minutes ago, LDSGator said:

https://www.wfla.com/news/hillsborough-county/tampa-police-dunkin-employee-arrested-claims-customer-he-hit-in-face-who-later-died-used-racial-slur/?fbclid=IwAR02XQ3bYLT-qAKFECdwG8KICoa1tyVokCplmu1skmqILjQOXddLl0dyrPE
 

This just happened down here. Sad all around. Racism is disgusting. 

You know what's even more disgusting than racism?

Murder.

[LDSGator]

43 minutes ago, Vort said:

You know what's even more disgusting than racism?

Murder.

Yup, agree totally, even though this was manslaughter. But yes, agree. The kid should have just walked away. 

[Suzie]

For me, it doesn't matter her race... she is a racist - period and she seems proud of it too and empowered!

[Traveler]

On 5/9/2021 at 5:55 AM, Carborendum said:

Quote

By the way—what was “Shayna’s” race?

Take a wild guess.  Who has been randomly attacking Asians in every report we've heard of in the past month?

And the other lady at the membership desk was the same.

I have witnessed that Hollywood and most media outlets would have the world think that the prejudice in the USA against Asians is primarily from White Supremist.   I would be interested if there has been any violence by any white supremist group recorded against any Asian in the last 20 years in the USA.  The question that I have is why is the truth (if such is the case) is being distorted?  How can anyone benefit?  Especially those of any particular race that disapprove of a certain race - why not admit such publicly and own up to their opinion?  But worse yet - why divert and blame someone else?

I am well aware that perhaps the worst prejudice of modern history was presented to the world by the White Supremist of the Nazi movement - but I would remind the world that the Nazi's were close allies with Japan in WWII.   I am beginning to think this era (or generation) of history in the USA will be recorded in history - not as a WOKE era of enlightenment but an era of stupidity and ignorance.

For the record - having traveled in my work to a number of Asian countries - I personally find Asians to be one of the world's kindest and accommodating places on earth.  I do realize and experienced some racial situations but I found in general that Asians as a culture treat others with respect and kindness  - even when they do not like them.  I am sorry for your experience with the dark side of our culture.

 

The Traveler