What Would You Do If This Happened To You: Shopping While Black

What Would You Do If This Happened To You: Shopping While Black

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Has anyone anywhere ran into a situation like, just straight discrimination. If you have what was your response. Did you say anything or did you just stay out of it? Moreover, should an outside party get involved in this situation?

I am eager to read responses to something like this. Do not get it twisted, this is not black against white or anything like this. This is the discussion of should someone, IE society, get involved in this and lend support to the woman or should one just continue playing the sidelines?

Let's go!

EDIT: Bah, don't know how to imbed video still

[edit on 11-10-2009 by cenpuppie]

reply to post by cenpuppie

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I'm whit and have red hair. And I can say I've been suspected of being shoplifting before. (Edit: Profiled was the wrong wording)

I was having a bit of a rough day one day, while job chasing during the summer a couple years ago. After spending 2 hours going across town to do a drug test, they forgot to give me a test kit, and the agency wouldn't do the normal test without it. (I got it and went back the next day, the system for results was down anyway, so they had to do it by sending it to a lab anyways)

Anyways, after that, I went across the street. I looked pretty pissed off I suppose. I went into a circuit city to look at some video games and computers while I waited for my father to come by and pick me up.

During the time I had several employees coming up, asking me if I needed help. They then hovered around within several feet of me.

Anyone who has worked in a large retail knows that they train employees to do this if they suspect a possible shop lifter.

It was mainly the same employee that bothered me, so I know she wasn't simply being helpful.

I wasn't bothered by it at the time. It was stupid of her anyways. I was wearing jeans and a polo t-shirt, there was no where for me to hide anything.


[edit on 11-10-2009 by Miraj]

Waitress at Denny's once denied me a grandslam breakfast, she whispered,"It had pork in it."

I have been followed while shopping, but not because of my race, because of my boyfriend's. I got to see, up close and personal, what some people go through every day because of their skin color here in these United States.

Thank you SO much for posting this. I think I would have been like the lady who walked out. It wouldn't be the first time I'd made a scene in a store.

I don't understand how people can claim that racism is a thing of the past when 80% of these people said nothing to stand up for their fellow man. I would have been livid! Racism is alive and well, unfortunately.

Thanks again for posting!

Been there, done that- and last time, it was a Toys R Us: I am white, my friend is mexican/ native american, and the employee was black. I was pointing out the new Star Wars toy, and she simply would NOT leave us alone. As for shoplifting... everything in the section was in BIG BOXES.

The segment shouldn't be 'shopping while black', it should be : Shopping while not what 'society' is expecting. Society expects some pretty unrealistic things, and anyone- ANYONE who lives outside those norms are immediately suspect.

LOL well you remember those "Denny's are Racist" claims, right? Make a mean breakfast though.

I have been handcuffed and tossed in the back of a cop car and taken to a woman's house to be identified, thankfully she said it wasn't me.

I was told I matched the description of an Asian with a bag.

Not even Asian, and am I the only person who has ever used the dreaded technology known as bag?

Interesting,


I think this OP is a great social experiment itself.

To answer your question, I have seen this happen and have intervened a few times.

One almost got me shot by a Police Officer.

Most people will do nothing and say nothing, sad but true.

Some are just cowards, others just wish they had the courage to openly discriminate themselves.

A few people will actually get involved, but usually only if others with them agree to act in concert.

Remember, most people are afraid of their own shadow.

Good luck with the thread. Great subject for this place.

[edit on 11-10-2009 by ziggystrange]

[edit on 11-10-2009 by ziggystrange]

Once when I was out with my teenage godson we passed a crowded bus top and there was a Muslim woman standing there with a small child. The woman was dressed in a black burka.

As we walked past my godson shouted, ‘LOOK A NINJA’.

Immediately a group of young slightly intoxicated men who were part of the crowd at the bus stop burst into laughter and the woman seemed to shrink so I guessed she understood English and recognised exactly what was transpiring.

The men continued laughing and looked at me in a way that said ‘that kid is funny, well done mate’. Inside I was fuming but Edinburgh being Edinburgh you do not engage a gang of young men unless you want to risk getting a blade plunged into you (knife crime is rampant in this city).

I walked on, a mass of emotions swirling inside me and once around the corner I calmly explained that saying such things will bring bad things and under that black garment was a woman who now probably felt vulnerable as those comments had focused negative attention onto this Muslim woman and turned her into an object of ridicule.

For some reason I felt like it had been my fault just for being there, for not making him apologise there and then. Even now a couple of years later I still catch a bad feeling from that incident.

He’s not a bad kid he just tends to engage mouth before brain sometimes.

I wouldn't get involved, but I would leave the shop and never go back. Possibly, I'd tell a member of staff why I was leaving if they weren't all busy harassing the customer.

I was in a cafe along the road from my office some years ago when a local woman, well known in the area for being mentally unstable, came in and was ejected by staff who threatened her with a hammer. I never went back there.

I think it's the best thing you can do. If you don't like their behaviour, withdraw your custom and help put them out of business.

Discrimination can work both ways, though. I've had many friends complain about the times they've been followed around Asian-run corner shops, even when they're regular customers. I've had a lot of problems in those places with male staff trying to hold my hand when they've been giving me my change. Occasionally, it's been practically thrown at me. So I'd never go back.

Shopping can be one of the most soul-destroying experiences due to the rude attitude of sales staff. I used to try to make myself feel better by remembering that they were still stuck in the shop or tied to the till long after I'd gone back to my much better job, but it would always just get to me. Wondering why they felt it was ok to take out their nasty mood on me, especially when I'm always polite in my dealings with other people.

I think I used to suffer discrimination for being quiet and weird

Bob Evans kept putting me by the restrooms. I'm just a single white guy. The first time it was no big deal. The second time I said i didn't want to sit there and they moved me 2 tables away and I realized all the men were in this area and all the women and families were up front by the windows. The third time when they headed me twards the restrooms I asked out loud why all the men were getting put back there and everybody looked around and realized it was true. I walked up front and sat by the window. The manager asked me to leave and I called the police and filed a discrimination report with them and the company. Nothing ever came of and today we went there for the first time in a year or 2 and sure enough she made a left turn for the restrooms we turned right and sat by the windows. The manager came and asked what the problem was and I flat told him. He turned around and walked away. We were never served.My partner today was my lawyer. Cha Ching!!

reply to post by SmokeJaguar67

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Nobody is perfect, and we all do things we later regret. You cannot go backwards in life, only forwards. So remember it, that will ensure you learn a lesson from it, and the next time something like this comes up, maybe you will do what you feel is right.

Maybe you did what was right. Nobody died there that day, and another decision may have changed that.

Good, keep after it and get proof.

Don't let those bastards off the hook, now's the time to reel them in.

reply to post by cenpuppie

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I have seen this and have said something.

I mean what the heck, everyone's money is the same color. It all spends the same.

I never went back to the store where I witnessed this. The manager was not available at the time, but I called later and gave her and earful about her employees.

I would like to mention though, that the situation was reversed. It was a white person being treated like this in a store with all black employees.

Regardless of who ever I saw being treated like this, I would still say something.

That video is so fake. I think it is from one of those hidden camera shows where they were playing a joke on the black lady. Or, it is a fake video made by the hip-hop site that is hosting it.

It happens , I noticed it most once I started working for Porsche , I would leave work and go to the mall (Dressed in a suit to the 9's) and you would be treated perfectly. I've been to the same mall (after leaving the gym) and people reactions simply change , salespeople won't come up to you and basically act like you're invisible. I remember one case when I was shopping for a watch and I had just left work , I'll not name the store but it was very upscale. I was simply looking at the watch and the guy says "why don't you take a closer look" takes it out from the glass case and actually puts it on my wrist.

I came back during the week on one of my off days to purchase the watch , (wearing jeans and a t shirt) and I asked to try the watch on again (I tried several during the week and wanted to remember the weight of the watch) The salesman told me that they don't take watches out of the casings without a drivers license and a credit card due to insurance reasons. The original salesperson wasn't there so I simply said "ok, thank you" and left it at that and began to walk out. The salesman then goes , "just give me your credit card and license and I'll make copies of it and then I'll pull the watch out" I turned and looked at him and said plainly "are you serious?....WOW!" and walked out.

The next day , I went back to the store (after coming from the gym again) and met with my original salesperson (who remembered my name) and without a word he pulls the watch out and hands it over to me. I simply made eye contact and smiled at the guy i dealt with the day before , then I handed over my credit card to my salesman.

Did you watch the whole video?

reply to post by EyesWideShut

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I watched the first minute when they were in the store. It looked fake to me, so didn't bother with the rest of the hoax.

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic

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Hiya, Heretic.



The other way to look at it is that 20% of these people stood up for the woman.

Why are you upset about this?

Perfect!

Any other rationalizations you care to share?