Epic Racism

[GuardingYourLife]

I live in a very diverse city. We are not used to this kind of epic, overt racism. My head still hurts and this happened two days ago.

A customer has an issue. Ok.

SC: I was waiting for the shower for over 20 minutes. People should not be in the shower for 20 minutes. It's for a quick rinse after the swim, and I need hot water because of my handicap. Not the cold water I get after the Chinese use all the hot water.

(Note: She does not have a disability pass, which she would be eligible for if she did have a disability, and the disability she "has" changes every day.)

Me: Um, well, you're right, the showers are for a two minute quick rinse only. There are signs that say that. I'll start having my staff rotate through the changerooms to make sure --

SC: No, it's not everyone, just these three Chinese women. They stand there for 20 minutes, talking in there language (at this point she brings both her hands up and is opening and closing her fingers in the way you use to indicate when someone won't shut up, and starts talking in a high-pitched, sing-songy voice) "nee nee nee nyah nee nee" it just grates on your nerves. It echoes in there and I can't stand it. It makes my head split open. There are ways to behave in public, you know? They shouldn't be doing that. It just makes me want to hit them.

Me: Um, well, as I said, I will have my staff rotate through the changerooms to enforce shower times for all customers...

SC: No, no, it's just these three Chinese women. And it's not just length swims. It's all the swims I go to! (Conspiratorial tone) This is how you have to deal with Orientals: (Note: Don't know how it is where you live, but saying that is just about as offensive as calling someone of African descent the N word) The only show deference to the elders. The only reason they don't treat me politely is because one of them is older than me.

Me: (Desperately trying not to have a WTF face. Coworkers are running away before they can't stop themselves from laughing out of sheer disbelief.)

SC: Look, I'm not a bigot. *Ummm, yes you are! * I love the Chinese...food. And some of them have been in this country as long as some of us *woah, don't lump me in with you!* have...building railroads.

Me: (Again, don't know how it is where you live, but here, that's the equivalent of saying "some blacks have been here as long as us...picking cotton."

I don't even remember how I got rid of her because my brain was busy trying to escape my body. What would she have done if one of our Asian lifeguards or supervisors was the one who took her complaint?

[Rena_Muffin]

Holy crap. What the hell makes her think that's even remotely okay. I can't wait until she starts voicing her opinions around someone who'll really take offense, cause I can tell you, it'll be the last time she opens her mouth and lets out so much stupid.

[Fudgethatkay]

Oh helllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll no.

I'm white as milk, but if she pulled that I'd go off in Mandarin, Japanese, or Korean just to piss her off.

Ugh.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

"There are ways to behave in public."

Oui, madamoiselle. Je ne savais pas que les Etats-Unis avaient adopté une loi contre le parlant une autre langue. Sortez, ou je vais appeler la police et leur dire que je vous ai vu jeter un oeil dans les jeunes enfants.

[Mytical]

((Sorry if my syntax is off, been forever and a day))

Je ne parle Francais pah.

[raudf]

Given how ignorant she's acting, you could probably chew her out in Klingon mixed with Russian and a hint of German and she'd never know the difference.

Unfortunately, in my neck of the woods, I have to deal with this kind of crap on a semi-regular basis. And yes, I do take very dim view of it and let people know that their ignorance is showing. Loudly.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

((Sorry if my syntax is off, been forever and a day))

Je ne parle Francais pah.

"Je ne parle pas Francais." (Very close though )

I said "Yes, miss. I was not aware that the United States had a law against speaking another language. Get out, or I will call the police and tell them I saw you peeking in on young children."

[Fudgethatkay]

"Je ne parle pas Francais." (Very close though )

I said "Yes, miss. I was not aware that the United States had a law against speaking another language. Get out, or I will call the police and tell them I saw you peeking in on young children."

ooh...ouch.

Canada, though. Still...Canada has TWO official languages.

私もあのクソばばに日本語だけ喋るよ。

To that effing old bad I'd only use Japanese though, scratch the other two. Its an asian language. :]

But the way she described the language...thats how my mother does it when I talk to my roommate in Japanese.

Burns. Me. Up.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

ooh...ouch.

Canada, though. Still...Canada has TWO official languages.

私もあのクソばばに日本語だけ喋るよ。

To that effing old bad I'd only use Japanese though, scratch the other two. Its an asian language. :]

But the way she described the language...thats how my mother does it when I talk to my roommate in Japanese.

Burns. Me. Up.

I don't get it. I love the sound of the Japanese and Chinese language. The only time Chinese can get a little irritating is when they get really angry and start screaming at each other (but I think that's more in how the Chinese tend to argue -lots of repetition- rather than the language itself.)

Some people are just so intolerant that it becomes a physical illness!

Oh my god, you guys... we need to get to the medical community and say that ignorance is a hazard to your health! :O Think it will help?

[MoonCat]

*sigh* How long before we stop this crap? You'd think our species would know better by now, but noooo.... Same old racist crap.

[dragon_wings]

I'm fascinated by foreign languages. I've asked customers what language they were speaking (very politely of course, explaining I love languages). Most are willing to tell me too (probably cause I look all bashful and am polite :P).

[TonyDonuts]

For a few weeks after my store got robbed, every now and then, some guy would walk up to me, look around, and lean in close and say, with a gleeful smile:

"It was black guys, right?"

Different guys, same gleeful smile, same question, always worded the same.

I would pause, and then say, "Nope, two white guys, one with the gun, and one driving the car."

They always looked crushed, like I was disappointing them.

Idiots.

[XCashier]

The only time Chinese can get a little irritating is when they get really angry and start screaming at each other

Well, that's irritating in any language.

*sigh* How long before we stop this crap? You'd think our species would know better by now, but noooo.... Same old racist crap.

Knowing the way the human species is, I don't think it'll stop until the world itself ends.

[mhkohne]

For a few weeks after my store got robbed, every now and then, some guy would walk up to me, look around, and lean in close and say, with a gleeful smile:

"It was black guys, right?"

Different guys, same gleeful smile, same question, always worded the same.

I would pause, and then say, "Nope, two white guys, one with the gun, and one driving the car."

They always looked crushed, like I was disappointing them.

Idiots.

You did - you failed to reinforce their pre-conceived notions. Reality is like that sometimes. Well, OK, most of the time - reality doesn't give two <bleep>s about what we think - reality just IS.

[TonyDonuts]

And another one:

Some poor sap had an episode of serious gastro-intestinal distress in my truck stop's men's room. A point in his favor, he did come to the counter to tell us he'd left a "bit of a mess."

He got crap down the sides of the bowl, along the stall walls and door (complete with hand prints), in pools and small piles on the floor in both stalls, and in drips along the floor to the sink, which had spatters along the rim and mirror.

There were several of us in there cleaning this up when an old man walked in. His nose wrinkled in disgust at the smell, and he looked around at the mess.

He jutted his jaw out defiantly and said, "Well! I'll tell you one thing. It weren't no WHITE folks that did this!" He nodded at his own insight, and then strutted proudly out.

I kind of wish it was me, but somebody called after him, "Ain't nobody here but white folks!"

He paused a bit, but didn't stop to dignify that comment.

Good times.