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While out in the lot today doing my usual, monotonous job of collecting shopping carts, I had to bring some metal pieces an idiot left inside one back inside the store. As I was leaving them at a register, I noticed a black couple walking out our second exit door that had been left opened (And that I had admittedly come through) with a cart full of bagged stuff and no receipt in hand. This exit door is not used and we don't allow customers out of it except for wholesale customers that had bought hundreds (even thousands) of dollars of stuff and need it loaded. And they had also been coming from a direction toward the side of the store away from the registers.

At first I thought nothing of it and let them pass, since I'm not a door guard anyway, but then I really thought about it (since the bags could've been smuggled in) and decided to play it safe, so I went out to the lot and followed them to their car and asked them politely for a receipt.

The lady cooperated, I saw the receipt, and I put it back in her purse (it had been opened fully) and apologized profoundly for taking her time.

A couple of hours later, one of the Asst. Managers calls me in and brings me to the side of the registers. She tells me that they had come back to complain about what I did. The lady apparently had no problems, but the man argued that I had pursued them because I was being racist or something.

Both of my managers on today told me not to worry about it, but the complaint has been given to Tom, our General Manager (who was gone by this time and won't be back until Monday), so I get to wait until then to see just how big a fuss this will make and how much it's going to hurt my standing. And somehow, I can just see this guy as nasty enough to go to Corporate to get at me, and if Corporate bends over and takes it in the ass for stupid customers who want to return things that we have a bazillion notices saying cannot be returned, what are they going to do about someone crying "Racism!"?

Welcome to the wonderful world of over-sensitivity and political correctness, my friend...

Ugh, man. Some people have just never heard of prudence or good faith. They go out a door usually not used by people, you saw no receipt and nowhere near the registers. It's called being alert to shoplifters. I would have asked for the receipt whether they be white, black, or green.

Sheez. Some people just can't let things pass.

That sucks. I had similar problems when I worked at Meijers. Fortunately my boss backed me all the way. The best thing you can do is explain to your boss why you did it and if necessary make a big stink in return.

I would have explained to her the door situation, hopefully that would have gotten rid of any sign of inperpriety. But, no matter what you do there will still over sensitive people out there. You never know, but if the guy was old and grew up in a particularly racist area then is paranoia may be justified. But to the point, you did nothing wrong. As long as there aren't other complaints, and as long as your bosses aren't idiots, then you should be OK.

Actually, it was the man who was being racist, as he assumed you stopped them since they were black and you were white.

A bit eager to label the "offenders", aren't we? Why couldn't it have been an honest mistake? If you go to a store, pay for something, walk out, and then get stopped for proof that you paid, you're liable to ask yourself why.

From their perspective, they did nothing wrong whatsoever and were stopped by some white guy in the parking lot for proof when they could see nobody else was being stopped. If you were in their shoes, how would you react? If they push it and insist that it MUST have been racism even after an explanation is proferred, I would say that's a problem. But to lash out at them when they had every right to feel like they were unjustly harassed is completely unreasonable.

Darth Wong wrote:But to lash out at them when they had every right to feel like they were unjustly harassed is completely unreasonable.

Except that Steve wasn't overly hostile to them. Don't you think a rascist would come on a lot stronger than simply asking for a receipt?

IG-88E wrote:

Darth Wong wrote:But to lash out at them when they had every right to feel like they were unjustly harassed is completely unreasonable.

Except that Steve wasn't overly hostile to them. Don't you think a rascist would come on a lot stronger than simply asking for a receipt?

No. In fact, that's a very common behaviour of racists: making politely worded requests of black people that would not be rude except for the fact that they do not make similar requests of white people. For example, the infamous "stopped for driving while black" syndrome. The fact that the police officer is polite does not change the fact that he stopped the car with no real evidence of wrongdoing apart from the victim's skin colour.

I reiterate that it's perfectly understandable for that couple to react the way they did. While it may have been an honest mistake, painting THEM as bad people for reacting thusly is unreasonable.

Darth Wong wrote:A bit eager to label the "offenders", aren't we? Why couldn't it have been an honest mistake? If you go to a store, pay for something, walk out, and then get stopped for proof that you paid, you're liable to ask yourself why.

From their perspective, they did nothing wrong whatsoever and were stopped by some white guy in the parking lot for proof when they could see nobody else was being stopped. If you were in their shoes, how would you react? If they push it and insist that it MUST have been racism even after an explanation is proferred, I would say that's a problem. But to lash out at them when they had every right to feel like they were unjustly harassed is completely unreasonable.

I'm not lashing out at them. I did apologize for taking their time, and I almost didn't stop them in the first place, I just didn't want this to turn out to be shoplifters (since you never really expect them, the last pair we caught were a couple of well-dressed young white women who also turned out to be car thieves and credit card thieves!).

If only one circumstance had been different in that situation, whether it be my presence, or the angle they came from, or the door they went out, nothing would have happened. And I'm quite sure they didn't know about the door, since a lot of people don't know about it not being used until they walk up to it and it doesn't open (this time the door had been physically opened, the door-opener still turned off).

But it did, and I apologized to the lady for taking their time. I explained that it's a part of my job.

I'll apologize again, since I know that being accused, even unintentionally, of something you didn't do is a galling thing.

I'm just a little upset that the man (not the lady, who I was told wasn't upset at all) thinks it was racism. Maybe he had some bad experiences earlier in his life, but that accusation, to me, would be the same as accusing them of shoplifting. And what really gets me, more of a fearful thing than anger, is that even if I didn't have any racial intentions whatsoever, I can still get in trouble simply because that has been invoked.

I mean, I was just trying to do my job. Did I do anything wrong?

Darth Wong wrote:No. In fact, that's a very common behaviour of racists: making politely worded requests of black people that would not be rude except for the fact that they do not make similar requests of white people. For example, the infamous "stopped for driving while black" syndrome. The fact that the police officer is polite does not change the fact that he stopped the car with no real evidence of wrongdoing apart from the victim's skin colour.

Ah. I see your point.

Steve wrote:I'm not lashing out at them.

Actually, I was talking about some other people in this thread who were starting to get a bandwagon rolling, starting to bash them.

I'm just a little upset that the man (not the lady, who I was told wasn't upset at all) thinks it was racism. Maybe he had some bad experiences earlier in his life, but that accusation, to me, would be the same as accusing them of shoplifting.

Correct, but they had every bit as much justification to accuse you of racism as you did to accuse them of shoplifting, did they not? It's one thing to do something for no reason at all, but in both your case and theirs, you DID have some reason for reacting that way.

And what really gets me, more of a fearful thing than anger, is that even if I didn't have any racial intentions whatsoever, I can still get in trouble simply because that has been invoked.

In this country, you need to have a very good reason to accuse someone of shoplifting, because nobody takes kindly to being accused of such a thing when they didn't do it.

I mean, I was just trying to do my job. Did I do anything wrong?

I can't see the store, so I can't see just how "out of the way" this entrance was. If it was a loading dock at the back of the store, I think your action would be completely reasonable. If it's a door that is not obviously off-limits to regular customers, then frankly, your behaviour warranted their complaint. If it's something in the middle, then it's just an honest mistake on BOTH sides.

Hey mike, you missed a part, I believe.

Steve wrote: The lady cooperated, I saw the receipt, and I put it back in her purse (it had been opened fully) and apologized profoundly for taking her time.

He apologized... a lot. But, it seems to be common behaviour of males to overexaggerate things because they don't pay attention.

Kelly Antilles wrote:Hey mike, you missed a part, I believe.

Steve wrote:The lady cooperated, I saw the receipt, and I put it back in her purse (it had been opened fully) and apologized profoundly for taking her time.

He apologized... a lot. But, it seems to be common behaviour of males to overexaggerate things because they don't pay attention.

What difference does that make? They were still stopped and accused of shoplifting, were they not? Do you subscribe to the notion that an apology erases a wrongdoing? And what's this about my responses having something to do with being a male? Must we introduce sexism to this thread as well?

I think in this case a genuine apology is all that is needed and it does make things right in this case. Asking for a reciept isn't that big a deal.

I've had it happen and I've asked to see people's reciepts. As long as Steve was courteous about it I see no reason it needed to go farther.

Nononono, I did not mean YOU. I mean her husband overexaggerated. The thing is, there should have been someone at that door to prevent that from happening. But, shit happens. If his manager is going to be an asshole about it, he isn't a good manager, especially if he's a really good employee.

I know that an apology doesn't make a wrong or perceived wrong go away, but isn't it supposed to alleviate it?

If I had asked them at the door it probably would've been better. Unfortunately, I let myself get caught up in pondering whether I should or not. Bah. This is one of those things that, if I were a drinker, I'd probably get some tequila for, or vodka, or whatever the hell I'd drink.

As it is, I'll just have to make due with my unsweet tea.

Kelly Antilles wrote:Nononono, I did not mean YOU. I mean her husband overexaggerated. The thing is, there should have been someone at that door to prevent that from happening. But, shit happens. If his manager is going to be an asshole about it, he isn't a good manager, especially if he's a really good employee.

OK, sorry about that. As I said before, it sounds to me like an honest mistake on both sides, but seriously, if people can't understand why blacks in America can be a little sensitive about stuff like that, then they're just not paying attention.

Steve wrote:I know that an apology doesn't make a wrong or perceived wrong go away, but isn't it supposed to alleviate it?

If I had asked them at the door it probably would've been better.

True. For a while at the local Wal-Mart, they used to ask EVERYBODY for their receipts at the door. But having an employee chase you out to your car is going to raise an eyebrow, like it or not.

Unfortunately, I let myself get caught up in pondering whether I should or not. Bah. This is one of those things that, if I were a drinker, I'd probably get some tequila for, or vodka, or whatever the hell I'd drink.

As it is, I'll just have to make due with my unsweet tea.

If there's no lasting repercussions, don't worry about it and take it as a learning experience.

Darth Wong wrote: OK, sorry about that. As I said before, it sounds to me like an honest mistake on both sides, but seriously, if people can't understand why blacks in America can be a little sensitive about stuff like that, then they're just not paying attention.

Thing is, they hold a grudge about something that happened 200 years ago. Hell, you can be NICE to them and some will cry "racist". Not all do that, of course, but there are a lot of radicals.

Kelly Antilles wrote:

Darth Wong wrote:OK, sorry about that. As I said before, it sounds to me like an honest mistake on both sides, but seriously, if people can't understand why blacks in America can be a little sensitive about stuff like that, then they're just not paying attention.

Thing is, they hold a grudge about something that happened 200 years ago. Hell, you can be NICE to them and some will cry "racist". Not all do that, of course, but there are a lot of radicals.

It's not just stuff that happened 200 years ago. Are you seriously saying there is no discrimination against blacks in society any more?

Kelly Antilles wrote:Nononono, I did not mean YOU. I mean her husband overexaggerated. The thing is, there should have been someone at that door to prevent that from happening. But, shit happens. If his manager is going to be an asshole about it, he isn't a good manager, especially if he's a really good employee.

I know my managers like me and consider me a good employee. I do my work, I help out with projects in the store when called and do so without raising a fuss, and I'm punctual in my attendance. I've been late one day since I started the job last June, and that was because I had a tire blow out while I was driving to work that particular morning. I've called in sick on two occasions, both being decisions I made only after great consideration, and on another more cently, I arranged to get a day off for a surprise Birthday party for my Dad, just to have that bastard Murphy step in and cause him to have to work late that day and scrub our plans.

I think the real wound is that, well, I hate racists. Very deeply. To be accused of being racist just.... galls me, even if I can intellectually understand why the man in question may have some reason to think that a factor.

Darth Wong wrote:

Kelly Antilles wrote:

Darth Wong wrote:OK, sorry about that. As I said before, it sounds to me like an honest mistake on both sides, but seriously, if people can't understand why blacks in America can be a little sensitive about stuff like that, then they're just not paying attention.

Thing is, they hold a grudge about something that happened 200 years ago. Hell, you can be NICE to them and some will cry "racist". Not all do that, of course, but there are a lot of radicals.

It's not just stuff that happened 200 years ago. Are you seriously saying there is no discrimination against blacks in society any more?

We all understand there is still racism in the world,as for me i don`t care about the color of someone skin,but jusk like there are white supremacist fuckheads there is is blacks or "African Americans" as some want to be called all whites racists because of a minority of retards.

Darth Wong wrote: It's not just stuff that happened 200 years ago. Are you seriously saying there is no discrimination against blacks in society any more?

There is no discrimination against women either.
There is no discrimination against younger or older people, depending on the situation.

Right. I know that discrimination runs rampant. But, discrimination goes both ways. What about those shirts that say "It's a black thing, you wouldn't understand?" How do they know I wouldn't understand? So many people are so shortsighted.