"Friendly" visit

[Mara-chan]

I was reminded of some of the oddest requests for copies in our copy center. We've had people wanting copies of... er... 'bedroom' photographs, porn, photos pre and post 'enhancement' surgery, flyers with more swearing than an old Andrew Dice Clay album, someone who wanted to copy EVERY CD cover he owned, and then this 'Business card':

“You have received a friendly visit from the Ku Klux Klan—the next time it will be a real visit.”

Actually, we seem to get someone wanting copies of that (or something very similar) once every couple of years.

OFFICIALLY we can't refuse service, since it's kind of vague, but we did find a loophole that said if an employee was offended that they could refuse to make copies for the customer... and every employee refused.

We had to be real careful. We've heard that if you outright refuse, they'll actually try to sue the store for discrimination! I think we ended up saying something like "I'm sorry, but our employee isn't comfortable copying that, you'll have to use self service." or something.



Anyone else had to deal with something offensive like that where there was no real easy way out without having the 'discrimination' card turned against them or other 'reverse discrimination' type issues?

[redmountaingoldfish]

I'm pretty sure you can you'd be safe refusing the bedroom photos since "naked" isn't a specific group of people.

[El Pollo Guerrera]

There isn't a lot of really offensive material that comes into the place I work (print shop, copying, etc.), other than the occasional stipper poster. The strippers come to us when they are running low...

The only stuff we've turned away is stuff that is copyrighted. We've had a one or two people trying to make copies of CDs with covers so they could sell...

The only other one thas springs to mind was a guy making a business card for his "male escort service"... and the only reason I knew about it was because he was trying to 'drum up business' with a female customer I was doing work for while he was in the store...

[valhar2000]

Well, of all the stuff you mentione,d the only thing I find offensive is the KKK card. The other stuff may be disgusting, if the people portrayed are not attractive, but they ain't hurtin' nobody.

The KKK thing could be a joke, I suppose, but it is much more objectionable.

[Rapscallion]

OFFICIALLY we can't refuse service, since it's kind of vague, but we did find a loophole that said if an employee was offended that they could refuse to make copies for the customer... and every employee refused.

Hmm - accessory to threatening behaviour? I think that's a perfectly good get-out - point out that it would be an illegal act to help someone harass another.

Rapscallion

[tollbaby]

I agree with Raps...

“You have received a friendly visit from the Ku Klux Klan—the next time it will be a real visit.”

I don't know about you, but I find that menacing. Which makes it illegal If the second part of the phrase had been left off, there wouldn't be anything wrong with it. As it is, that card falls under the whole uttering threats thing. Not only are you within your rights to refuse service, but you could actually get the police involved in that sort of thing.

[PepperElf]

I agree. With that wording it's basically a veiled threat of attack.

Basically the same as printing up a card reading, "I am going to break into your house, beat you up, terrorize you and possibly try to kill you."

which the law doesn't like people saying to each other.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I am, as my screen name implies, an ex Kinko's employee. We were able to refuse to work on any job that we found offensive. We rarely acted on that right (mainly because it's tough to offend a bunch of folks who have literally seen it all), but there were a few instances when we did refuse.

Our Kinko's was a short putt from the heart of the local Klan territory, and I can remember one of my best pals refusing service on a guy who came in with racist propaganda. She was very polite, but told him she wasn't going to take his job and why. Amazingly, he was very polite back and went out and did his job in self serve. I guess it wasn't the first time someone refused his job.

The store had no policy on what we would refuse, but it was up to the workers if they would take a job or not. Within reason, of course. You couldn't turn away a job just because someone was a douchbag, but you could if the job itself was offensive.

"White power" stuff is generally considered offensive. Even if you COULD find someone to do it for you, it would end up costing so much with our infamous Asshole Tax, it wouldn't be worth it to get us to do it.

[Auto]

I agree. With that wording it's basically a veiled threat of attack.

Basically the same as printing up a card reading, "I am going to break into your house, beat you up, terrorize you and possibly try to kill you."

which the law doesn't like people saying to each other.

It all depends on the context and circumstance.

Generally, people planning to commit violent crimes don't pass out cards giving advance notice.

So something else is going on. (What, I don't know.)

But words by themselves, absent any real threatening context, don't mean diddly.

(When your team's kicker misses a game-winning field goal and you scream "I'm going to kill that bastard," you're not at risk for the cops coming in your front door to arrest you.)

A KKK card saying the next visit will not be friendly, in the right circumstances, can be considered a threat. Or maybe it's just some retard trying to be funny.

It all depends.

[Hobbs]

I agree with Raps...



I don't know about you, but I find that menacing. Which makes it illegal If the second part of the phrase had been left off, there wouldn't be anything wrong with it. As it is, that card falls under the whole uttering threats thing. Not only are you within your rights to refuse service, but you could actually get the police involved in that sort of thing.

Yes, sometimes the PATRIOT Act is your friend. Since this is technically a terroristic threat.

[Mara-chan]

Ah, but they can argue that the first 'visit' was just dropping off the card and the 'real' visit would just be to sit down and talk.

Most people would realize this is crap, but technically speaking, it COULD be taken either way.

AND they just wanted the card copied, they weren't giving out the card, so they weren't using the card as a threat.


HOWEVER...

Our store is in a small suburban/near rural area in Florida. The person who came in was a little old redneck man in a pickup.

Draw your own conclusions.

[Evil Queen]

I miss the days when the extremist groups would just make the fliers and cards in their basements.

[PepperElf]

Generally, people planning to commit violent crimes don't pass out cards giving advance notice.
A KKK card saying the next visit will not be friendly, in the right circumstances, can be considered a threat. Or maybe it's just some retard trying to be funny.

somehow i don't think they meant it as a cute joke-on-the-neighbor thing. but yeah, i think this can easily be taken as a threat.

The goal thing... yeah, said in the heat of the moment, one normally knows it's just a mouth running. Printed down on a business card... kinda doesn't qualify as "heat-of-the-moment"

[Auto]

somehow i don't think they meant it as a cute joke-on-the-neighbor thing. but yeah, i think this can easily be taken as a threat.

"somehow I don't think they meant it as . . ." -- that's my point.

Absent further inquiries to establish context, no words by themselves prove anything regarding the speaker's intent.

Of course, it could be a threat. Then again, maybe it was a cute joke on the neighbor.

Which is why we have cops to investigate.

[TattooedMommie]

Anyone else had to deal with something offensive like that where there was no real easy way out without having the 'discrimination' card turned against them or other 'reverse discrimination' type issues?

I used to work at a dry cleaners and one time we got a giant swastika flag to clean and press. When I finished with it, I brought it out to the owner, and in front of his current customer, I asked "Where do you want me to put the giant hate symbol?"
I think he refused to take it in again.