Racist bastard at dinner tonight

[protege]

I'm still pissed about this...

Grandma took me out to dinner for my birthday Sunday night. If you ever get the chance, the Sun Porch restaurant on Route 40 near Uniontown, PA is freaking awesome.

I parked along the side road, then helped Grandma get out. We picked a table, ordered, and had started eating. There was an older couple, who I'll call Old Racist Bastard or ORB and his wife at the table behind us. Most of the other tables were empty.

About 10-15 minutes after we sat down, ORB's wife looks out the window, sees my new Corolla sitting outside, and says that she liked the dark blue color. That was *not* what ORB wanted to hear!

He went apeshit over it and started going on about "those damn slanty-eyed Japs" and various other anti-Asian slurs. Apparently, just owning that car says you supported the Bataan Death March, were responsible for "ruining America" and just screwing things up here in general.

Since both of my grandfathers fought in WWII, I tend to take crap like that *very* seriously...even though it was just angry whispering. In other words, the guy saw me get out of the car, but didn't have the balls to confront me directly. If Grandma wouldn't have been with me, I'm sure I would have shoved ORB's "US Navy" hat down his throat.

At least I got some good ones in. I'm sure he heard me when I said that if he only knew that most companies here use Asian-made electronics...or how that if American-built cars were so great, why are GM and Ford losing cash? I'm sure he's at home crapping kittens when thinking about what products went into his Lincoln

It's sad that there are still people who think like this.

[Sofar]

Maybe if I want a car that'll last me longer than five years I'll buy a Toyota. And either way, most foreign cars these days aren't imports, they're made here. Think of how expensive it'd be to ship a million cars a year across the Pacific, much easier to build factories here. My Father's Subaru had MADE IN INDIANA inscribed on the door frame.

I'll try to stop thinking about cars for three seconds . . . effing racists.

[Librarybabe]

But...aren't some Toyotas made in the U.S. (or at least some of their components)? Something to do with Americans being a cheaper labor force than the Japanese?

[Becks]

Something to do with Americans being a cheaper labor force than the Japanese?

And yet many American jobs go overseas because labor forces there are cheaper.

[tollbaby]

My best friend Rob refuses to own a Japanese vehicle, and I respect his right to that opinion. He doesn't try to force it on anyone else, and is the first person to admit that the Honda Civic is a superior vehicle, and if it wasn't for the fact that it was a Japanese company, he'd buy one. This quirk of his is twofold. First off, he wants to help support the American economy, so he only buys American-made. Secondly, several family members fought in the war, and he even has a great-uncle who died at Pearl Harbor, I think, so it's a personal prejudice he can't overcome as well.

Ironically, he LOVES Germany and all things German..... (he's Jewish). (however, you can't even jokingly use the word "nazi" in conversation with him... he gets very upset).

[Talon]

So I guess my black corolla would give him double the nasty-whisper-volume? Oh wait, I'm of south-Asian descent so he'd go for a triple, whisper I'm a terrorist or some other nonsense.

[protege]

This quirk of his is twofold. First off, he wants to help support the American economy, so he only buys American-made. Secondly, several family members fought in the war, and he even has a great-uncle who died at Pearl Harbor, I think, so it's a personal prejudice he can't overcome as well.

I'm all for helping out our economy...but I'm not about to buy crap simply because it's made here. (I'm not saying all our stuff is crap here folks...) I try to buy the best I can, regardless of where it came from.

Quite a few foreign companies have assembly or production lines here. Not only does it put our people to work, but it saves on shipping costs, and is simply easier to deliver the products.

[blas]

Old people are so rude and stupid. They don't understand that it's extremely rude and disgusting to make such racist remarks in public nowadays. When they go home, they can talk all they want about "jews" and "slanty eyed japs", but nowadays, we don't do that anymore in public, and no, no one is going to forgive you because you're old and senile.

Truckers aren't very sophisticated, either. This morning my dad was on his chirpie walkie talkie cell phone giving a trucker directions for a delivery and then the trucker asked what my dad was doing today. Well duh, he was going to go around trying to get more customers! No shit, eh?

The dumb backwoods inbred then goes, "You're such a damn Jew, you know that? You can talk anyone into anything!"

My father is not Jewish. Although excelling in business is prominent in Jewish people, anyone can be persuasive and professional if they try hard enough.

That was my anti racist rant of the day. I hope that trucker doesn't kiss his customers with that kind of mouth! Oh wait, he probably kisses his sister with that mouth. My mistake.

[MadMike]

When they go home, they can talk all they want about "jews" and "slanty eyed japs", but nowadays, we don't do that anymore in public, and no, no one is going to forgive you because you're old and senile.

I think I posted about this somewhere already, but my wife and I recently had to listen to some old noisy couple at Burger King ranting about how "You can't trust those Mexicans, and those black people are no good either!"

She was about ready to rip into both of them. My wife is neither black nor Mexican, but her nephew is half black, and she's Puerto Rican, which is not that far removed from Mexican. Plus, her first love ended because his parents were racist assholes, so racism is already a sore point with her.

There was at least one black employee there as well, and she had to have heard it. They're lucky they waited until they already had their food to start their rant. We certainly don't condone messing with people's food here, and I wouldn't have any respect for anyone who would. However, at the same time, it is not wise to piss off people who are handling your food.

[Sofar]

However, at the same time, it is not wise to piss off people who are handling your food.

'Cause then they won't give you your food. And you'll be hungry.

[RentalRacer]

Nothing gets me going more when talking about cars than when people make a blanket statement about how brand A is a better car than brand B, just because Brand A makes it. Or that cars made by Brand A never break down.

My fleet is made up of anything from Toyotas to GM's to Hondas to Volvos to Fords..well, you get the picture.

What some of you will not want to hear is that All of them BREAK DOWN sometimes. No car is immune from breaking down. We don't rent out old beaters, we carry current model year vehicles. I even have some 2008's in my fleet, and nothing older than a few 2006's. While I won't argue that Toyota and Honda have a slightly better overall reliability record (which is part of the reason why they retain their value a little better than American makes) they do break down. Actually, I have more trouble on a yearly basis with the Camrys in my fleet than I do with my Impalas, Grand Prixs, Fusions and Lacrosses. Our Corollas however, are freaking bulletproof, I'll give them that. And the last time I checked (a month or two ago) Toyota actually had the most active recalls of any auto manufacturer. And you have to consider the fact that replacement parts cost a lot more for a Toyota/Honda/Nissan than a domestic brand (yes, many foreign cars are made here in the US, but the majority of replacement parts for those brands are still made overseas, than shipped here). Not just parts you need but because of a breakdown, but stuff you will need to buy no matter what kind of car you own, brake pads, sparkplug wires, exhaust system etc.

Also, I get a company vehicle. I have to switch into a different car every 5days. So do the math...4 years of driving a different car every 5 days. It is pretty safe to say I have driven nearly every car sold in the US that costs between $12,000 and $50,000 (we don't have stuff like Lexus, Benz, BMW etc, even those models that may fall into that price range...darnit). I have toyed with the idea many times of making my own "test drive" website or something. Cars have always been a hobby of mine. My personal experience has been that some of the American cars are just as well built, quiet, and economical as their hyped-up Japanese competition. Yes, for a long time some American cars were crap(think 90's GM's....gray plastic, crappy seats...yuck) but they are starting to turn it around. Before I had a company car, I owned 2 Mazdas, a Toyota, a Nissan, a Pontiac, and a Chevy, all of them bought used. I was lucky to have excellent luck with all of them, so I am not biased against Japanese cars in any way. I just disagree with people that say they are better [I]because[I] they are a foreign make.

About the guy, he was a racist bastard. He probably still holds Pearl Harbor against all Japanese people, just like others hold 9/11 against all Afghan/Muslim people. I feel another rant coming on, so I'm gonna stop here.

[Crazyredhead]

I can't stand anyone that talks like that. My grandfather used to royally piss me off when I would join them for dinner and he would talk about blacks like that.

I bet he would have shit bricks if my husband, kids and myself would have joined you. I grew up in Connellsville, and lived in Smithfield and hang out in Uniontown alot, when I am there. Have you ever heard of Dennis Gallagher, he used to play in a band. I am trying to think of the name but it escapes me, it was along time ago. I think it was High Chaparel or something.

[Gurndigarn]

US manufacturers are doing better these days, but they're not perfect yet. And yes, a typical Japanese vehicle frequently has a higher percentage of North American parts in it than a typical US vehicle.

And I'll easily forgive them Pearl Harbor if they'll forgive us Tokyo.

[protege]

American cars have gotten better. They used to be real pieces of crap...but have made great strides since then. However, after getting jerked around by the local Ford and Chevy dealers...I refuse to deal with them.

As to parts, you'd be surprised what you can find online--when my (now gone) Mazda needed new oxygen sensors, they were a bit expensive. Mazda wanted about $800 for the pair Screw that--I found them online for around $200 total, including shipping.

Somewhat along that line... I find it amusing that I can get parts for my 1969 MGB GT at a reasonable cost...and usually within 2 days time. Try that with a modern car

[Killer Bees]

My landlord is like that. He is the owner of the apartment that I'm renting and he's a lovely man. Always fixes things when there's a problem, but soon after I moved in, he came over to the give the place a final look and he started about how Asians are overrunning the country. True, there's a large Asian population here, but there are more white people I'd wager.

I just stood there in shock. I don't have anything against any race and you get your bastards everywhere, but he was unstoppable. I just said, "I don't know any Asian people so I can't comment."

Also, the old guy who runs the news agency next to my local train station is the same, Asians this, Asians that.

And I was on the bus the other day and sat in the seat directly behind the back door. There was about 6 people including me and this old woman comes and sits right next to me. I had my bag in the seat next to me and she sat on it, so I had to physically pull it out from under her.

She apologised and said she had to sit in my seat because there's more leg room. And then she said, "you'd swear blind these buses were made by Asians." Double

I just look at her like she was nuts and said, "whatever" and went back to reading my book. Thankfully she got off the bus a few stops down the road.

I think it's a white Baby Boomer thing in this country. I've never heard racist slurs from other generations.