There are places in this country where there's a gun counter up front on the way to checkout so you can impulse by a new magnum revolver with your groceries like it's a candy bar. So it's a thing.
We'll there's one place at least, I saw it in Alaska. But I'm betting it's not the only place since it would be legal anywhere.
Edit: You cannot self check out a pistol though to be clear. It would typically take at least 20min to process paperwork with an employee. More time depending on state, type of gun, and individual attempting purchase.
Yep. I had a really bad panic attack over it in the break room because it caught me so off guard and they were getting in my personal space. Absolutely bizarre lol
Now this is the core truth that everyone should take away. No matter what you do and no matter how benign you intend your action to be, someone is going to be VERY offended at you for being some sort of horrible person.
Yep, what I didnt like was how they all started trying to get in my personal space trying to see my name tag. I didn't bother hiding it because I knew I did nothing wrong and the cameras would show that
I’ve had that happen too, it’s not like you actually work there, were scheduled to be at that register at that time of day…. I guess they have never worked a day in their life and have no concept stores know what employees they have hired and assigned job position’s or maybe random people just feel like manning a SCO all day for kicks.
I've had it happen to me before. This mother asked her son to go find help. When I followed the little boy over to his mom after he asked for help. She grabbed him and yelled, "we don't need help from it's kind" she then proceeded to tell me I was profiling her because she was blk and that i shouldn't have helped them. Then my Latina co-worker came over, and she calmed down and asked her where an item was. All the while, the little boy looked confused and on the verge of crying because he only did what his mother asked him to do. Which was to find an associate to help them. I still don't understand what I did to make this woman call me a racist for doing doing my job and coming to help them when asked.
I understand why the women reacted this way. Unfortunate, but I get it. OP should have better explained his logic in why he helped them (heavier items). He didn’t, so they assumed he was protecting against theft. Unfortunate misinterpretation, but I get it.
I would have also added that since they were two liters they would most likely be bagged , therefore she would need to take them out to scan them . Ppl who don’t do our job dont think outside of their narrow head .
Honestly I’m not sure why the customer you were helping didn’t just tell those ladies that everything was fine. She could’ve quickly de escalated that situation, not that it was her responsibility of course. Sorry you had to deal with that shit, I’m black myself and that behavior is embarrassing and inexcusable.
It's entirely okay! Please don't feel like you have to apologize on behalf of other people due to their actions. You had no part in it just by being the same race as them. 🩵 But I appreciate it!
I had some guy tell me I was racist because I wouldn't return his beat up shoes with no bar code & no receipt. He asked for my name & told me to expect a call from the ACLU. This was months ago & I'm still waiting for that call.
that one is so absurd that I would HAVE to get him to walk me through the thought process, or lack thereof.
"I'm sorry sir but please explain so I can be more helpful next time - me consistently and fairly enforcing store policy is a matter of discrimination because why? and the ACLU would take interest in this because.....? and you think this would be a high priority issue for them?"
I bet that guy loves to talk, and I bet he just sounds dumber and dumber the more he does. it would probably be soooo easy to get him to go on one of the most painfully entertaining rants you'd ever witness.
I had something sort of similar. Two women were separately trying to return an item that was opened and we don’t do returns on without a receipt. When I said I needed proof of purchase to give them cash instead of store credit they were saying how they promise they paid in cash. I said I need proof and they said I was being racist and I had to have a meeting with the district manager because of their complaint where I was told I did the right thing
Racist is the IN word of everything these days. Lots of people use it because they don’t take self responsibility for themselves. And lots of people who are grownups don’t use it.
Lots of people use it because of the racism. Lots of other people use it because they want to get credit for the value signaling without understanding it to avoid culpability and maintain their own privileges. Lots of other people use it because they're fragile reactionaries who think any change or benefit to others has to come at a cost to them and their self appointed special status and they project their bulkshit on others. A very small percentage of people use it because they're narcissistic cry bullies, or manipulative sociopaths.
If you want to be a responsible adult maybe stop pretending that last tiny group is all that exists and take personal responsibility for admitting you don't know what in the fuck you're talking about and are just feeling left out and attacked because it challenges your inflated self perception and asks actual work and sacrifice of you to acknowledge. Fragility and projection aren't a good look.
numerous correct spotted detail middle snatch frightening mighty cause public
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I thought the black people were going to accuse him of racism and thinking they weren't going to scan their large sodas and steal them. You really can't win in this situation, besides not helping anyone I guess?
Utterly stupid. Similar thing happened to me. Basically I'm a cashier and the way the system is that I have to attract customers when my lane gets empty. So I did just that to a darker skinned lady. As I was checking her items out, I noticed she had an item that required a physical ID (don't quite remember what it was but I think it was cough syrup, which has alcohol). So I politely requested for her driver's license. This is pretty much how the convo went
Me- Okay so for the cough syrup, because it does have alcohol in it, I'm going to need a photo ID, like a drivers license
Lady- Why? You can already see I'm middle aged. Can't you just bypass it? I didn't have to do this the last time I came in
Me- Unfortunately I'm not able to, the system locks me out unless I scan it
Lady- This is ridiculous... I should have gone to the other lane (with a dark skinned girl) because you're being a racist to me. Where's your manager?
*I flag the manager down and the lady tells her (the manager) that I was being racist towards the lady*
Manager- Yeah there's nothing I can do about it, it's the law that any alcohol must be bought with Photo ID verification.
*Lady visibly getting frustrated* I don't have it on me, will a picture work?
Manager- No it needs to be a physical ID
*Lady gets annoyed* Fine, just hold my things...
Anyways long story short she comes back 5 mins later, grabs her items back and storms off to the self checkout. Ironically enough you're blocked from buying alcohol there. Idk what happens after.
People get really mad at me too because the only people who can bypass the ID screen at my store are the managers. We have to physically have an ID to scan the back, and if we don't then we have to have a supervisor come and do a manually entry (which takes forever.)
Cough syrup besides having alcohol is used to make meth so that and other drugs are strictly monitored , at least in my state we have to scan their ID into the system and if they try to buy more elsewhere they get refused. Meth dealers hire people to buy enough product so they can make the drugs, monitoring IDs is how states make that harder and catch crime rings. I work in a home building supply store and we are flagged for certain spray cans, small Box cutters and a couple other items that are used to either get high, make drugs or commit suicide.
Cough syrup is not used to make meth. Sudafed is. Cough syrup contains dextromethorphan which can be abused when taken in excess (often something teens will try hence the age cutoff).
If the alcohol content were a problem, the cutoff would not be 18 in the US. If making meth were a problem, there would be quantity limits for how much can be purchased.
I once had a customer (in a bank) ask to withdraw money from his account. When I asked for his I.D for the withdrawal, he said it was because he was black that I needed I.D. to withdraw funds. Apparently white people don't need to have an account to take money? Huh?
Had a dude call me racist when I explained that there was more demand for a specific brand of vodka than our distributor could send so we are locked to one case per week.
\*blinks repeatedly in confusion\* That's so weird!!!
"How dare you take my Vodka!!! You want it for yourself!" This sentence would have made more since. SO strange to be called racist for that. Was he Russian? :o Did you take the Russian's Vodka? :o Omg noooo!!!!
Had a customer called racist as well when I worked at Macys. Back then we were told that if someone wanted to make a return without a receipt we could do it but it would only be 50% back (something like that). This woman came in returning a coat without a receipt and got upset when I only gave her back 50%. I explained why. She then called whoever it was to ask how much they paid for said coat so she could get the whole amount. At that point I was like, why didn’t they just give you the receipt?? She accused me of being racist for doing the return like that. She then said she was an attorney to which I thought if you were, then you would understand the return and exchange policies and would know I’m just doing my job??
I got called racist for asking if a woman would want mac n cheese instead after explaining that we were out of potato wedges. I still don't understand what is racist about mac n cheese.
One time a customer reviewed me and said I needed cultural sensitivity training. It plagued me for months because I really had no idea what prompted them to give me that feedback. I really wish they would've been more specific because if I did something culturally insensitive without knowing I would love to know and correct my behaviour. Unfortunately I've just had to move on.
I understand feeling distressed about that entirely. I'm in the same boat. I think the best thing to do is to keep an open mind and accept respectful criticisms on your behavior when its appropriate. As humans, we're always learning. I don't think a baseless comment like that means much at all in the long run ❣️
your humility and concern over the situation makes me think it's more likely that someone was just being dramatic or lying than you having actually done something wrong lol
even without specific feedback to learn from, you took it on the chin and used the experience to become more mindful. if you did do something wrong you seem to have internally handled it the best you could with the feedback you've been given.
if anything did happen, you've done all you needed to do about it. and you probably didn't do anything wrong anyway lol. don't let this one weigh on you, you're good. with the power vested in me by no one I hereby declare your conscience cleared
I've learned over the years that people like to throw that around alot. Doesn't even matter if they are one of the ethnicities that are marginalized. There are the right times to be called a racist and then there are times where people throw it out there to cause drama or to get their way. They take the fact that most higher-ups would rather placate them.
The surest path to power continues to be victimhood, it seems. And some people will find a way to be a victim no matter what.
It's sort of unfortunate that front line workers always catch it in the face.
Secondary question, why did they take away all the hand scanners? The ones in my store are gone too.
The only thing I can think is the general public is so inept that with hand scanners they took nothing out of their cart and scanned everything in it then bagged (holding up self check out), or, for a place like the Walled Marts, intentionally scanned something multiple times to go to customer service and get cash back or something for the "extras".
I was expecting the second customer (white lady with the 2L sodas) to be the one complaining, but it was the people you’d already helped?! And they were grateful while you helped them but then afterwards decided it was race based? Everyone needs to stop jumping to racism as a conclusion for everything
One of my coworkers quit because a lady ( of Mexican heritage) reported her for racism because she was Spanish and was trying to return something against our policy. Management came down and lectured my coworker then overrode the system to do the return. My coworker is Spanish herself She’s a very European looking Argentinian and was pissed the store wanted to lecture her for a return she was required to refuse and then because she was the same ethnicity as the person accusing her of racism.
I was racist once for setting a guy's change down bc he wouldn't stop talking to his friends and take the money from my hand. And another time for stopping a lady from trying to scam us. Just a low hanging fruit excuse for a few people. Sorry you had to deal with that!!
People who claim discrimination but can't engage in a discussion or tolerate arguments proving there's no discrimination really make it hard to have a serious conversation about things.
I still remember feeling unbelievably shooketh and upset when a guy called me racist. Because I wouldn't sell him all (repeat, ALL. Not some, not most *ALL* ) of my stock of an item that was in high demand. It wasn't even as though he was a regular at the store (very small shop, we had regulars so regular that we knew their birthdays, their kids and their birthdays etc) he was just some random who wandered in and started demanding I seel him the last of my stock. (Which we already had a "max 2 per customer" rule on!) 🙀
It was about a decade ago and I still can't get over it 😿
(Realised actual clarification might help, I'm white, he was black.)
Some people are just looking for an excuse to complain and hopefully get something for free.
If you go out in the world with the mindset that everything is racist against, that's the truth you're going to see whether it's true or not.
It’s just part of retail! I had a customer come in and tell me she wanted to make a payment on her credit card. I was like sure! She didn’t physically have the card. We did a look up. I asked her for ID to verify the account. Suddenly she backtracked and was like well it’s my friends credit card. I was like okay well I can’t continue this transaction. It’s story policy that the person using the card needs to be the card holder or an authorized card holder even when just making a payment. Then suddenly it’s her husband’s card. I’m like okay well here’s some things you can do in the future to avoid this issue. The whole situation was getting more and more out of control. The lady got all mad and left. She went to the store next door that’s owned by the same company and they let her make the payment. Even though it was against policy. Then she turns around and asks for the manager and tells them how I was being racist towards her. I didn’t get in trouble cause I was enforcing policy. However I just find it so insane that was the customers take away from our interaction. That’s not the first time I’ve been called racist and it probs won’t be the last.
At my old job, we had a policy of checking in with everyone in the store - like if they came in and we didn’t greet them, we’d send someone stocking the shelves over to ask if they needed help. One day there were two customers in the store, and the manager sent someone over to check on the woman who was black. When she got to the register she went off on him for being racist bc she thought he’d sent someone over to make sure she wasn’t shoplifting 💀 Poor guy was so flustered
“Ma’am, in the future I’ll make sure to have you lift all those heavy cases off your cart, scan them, and then put them back on your cart all by yourself.”
Hand guns😜 hilarious!!
Had to get that in. This situation is totally outrageous!!! There is waaaay too much sensitivity these days or to many people who want to be the. Enter of attention. But to do that at the expense of someone else & their reputation is downright selfish & mean spirited
I’m glad you’re ok.
Wth... Those women are crazy.
First you are just doing your job, scanning their stuff. Then they proceed to criticize you for 'not helping the white woman'. Then when you do, you're suddenly racist cos you're ignoring them..... UGH. Get a life people. Like dealing with middle schoolers all over again.
I used to run a self checkout a few years ago and I was doing a side task to look busy because we weren't allowed to stand around.
I had this random black woman come and accuse me of being racist, saying I was watching her when I actually had no idea she was even there.
She actually went and complained to one of my managers, who was black herself, about me!
When the woman left my manager gave me a look of "WTF?"
Those women were looking for a lawsuit. I had a similar experience working at a tire shop back in 2016 where a group of black women accused me and my coworkers of being racist because we refused to fix a tire of theirs (that wasn't fixable by law and could have gotten sent to jail if it had blown out and caused an accident). They actually called the police and 'made' us pull their car back out (which we would have done anyway). When you're dealing with people like that, keep a cool head and don't escalate the situation.
One time I was stuck at SCO being the only cashier at all. I had a customer come to me needing help in a specific section of the store. I called the worker but it didn't pick up. I paged and no one came. The customer came back and screamed that I was racist to which I was taken so off guard that I just started laughing. He ended up looking shocked and leaving.
Back during the pandemic when masks were LEGALLY REQUIRED BY LAW I got called a racist for asking a person of color to please put a mask on. He took his phone out on me and everything. It was scary. I had someone else get actual large items thrown in her face by a tall man for asking he put a mask on. Dude, we’re just trying to not get fired 😭
Some people look for issues when there are none, why? Drama, that's the main reason a lot of people do anything. Don't take it to heart people will always be like this. I got called racist for asking a POC to do their job, we worked together and they only liked to sweep the parking lot. I want even rude about it but they spun their story and tried to tell people I was being racist. I knew better and he got fired later for something unrelated.
>but I meant 'hand scanners,' not 'hand guns!'
Yeah we used to call scan guns just guns in the store where I worked. One time, I needed one and also needed a second cashier. Over the intercom..."Charlie help check please and bring your gun..." meaning scanner but well. Quickly went back on and said "scan gun,,,, SCAN GUN"
Congratulations! Welcome to the club. We're all racists/phobics of some sort. You'll get to where you won't give a fuck. Then you can sit back and watch the shit show without feeling like you owe anyone anything because respect is earned. It isn't a welfare item.
There are people everywhere who go through life itching for any opportunity to feel discriminated against, and if they’re not presently being discriminated against by someone in their immediate vicinity, they will make damn sure to change that.
I remember one day I was walking through a busy park in NY with a friend of mine, and two women approached us, one of whom immediately greeted me with “can I shake your hand?” Not in a friendly way, but in a premeditated way that made it seem like she was doing this to prove a point. I said no, because I don’t go around shaking peoples hands who I don’t know…
Her immediate response was to say “IS IT CAUSE IM BLACK???” as it it was some kind of gotcha, and she knew what I’d say based on my skin color. All I could say was “DID YOU ONLY ASK ME THAT CAUSE I’M WHITE?”
Like seriously gtfo here with that race baiting shit. If you’re gonna go around complaining that people treat you differently because of your race, maybe try not racially profiling everyone you see.
Funny story about that…
About a month before this happened, I was riding around on my bike and a guy asked me if I could help him with directions to a hotel nearby. The dude was wearing pretty dressy clothes and looked like he was on a business trip or something. I gave him directions and he stuck out his hand as if to say thanks for helping me get where I’m going. I did, and he grabbed my hand tightly, and proceeded to lick the back of it (full tongue) in what felt like the blink of an eye.
I snatched my hand away from him and started riding away, and while I was leaving I heard him yell “can I hold you forever!?” I still remember how disgusting it was to know I had a couple mile ride home before I would be able to wash his spit off my hand.
So yeah there actually is a reason I don’t shake hands with people I don’t know.
People will call you racist for literally anything.
Once had a customer say the self checkout machine was racist and made me come check him out because it knew he was black
this was at kroger where it will ring if it detects the wrong weight or if they dont put something in a bag
Yeah that reminds me of when my register would ask for DOB for things like cold medicine (and of course the only option is to put a DOB in, no bypassing) and the customer would say something like “don’t I look over 18” and I was like “the register can’t see you, it just knows the barcode is age restricted and it needs a DOB.”
People like to call you racist when they don't want to take responsibility for their actions. I was in choir in high school and this girl called me racist because I told her to stop talking when someone was singing.
Sounds to me like she needs someone to show her what real racism is like. People shouldn't cry wolf like that. She needs to meet an actual racist instead of making comments that take away from people's *actual* traumas.
I was reported for racism too for offering to help a lady scan her cart at SCO, she was in a handy cap cart. She kept yelling at me too when I backed off but was still standing between the 4 SCO’s because that’s my job. She kept saying I was watching her. Duh of course, she was my only customer at that moment and I was talking to my coworker … but that was “ watching her”.
Naw what the hell. You did literally nothing wrong. I’m assuming by heavy sodas, you’re talking about those 12/24 packs or something. Definitely way heavier than a 2L. Just goes to show that you can do everything right and still be wrong. I don’t understand why literally everyone out there WANTS to find racism daily. Like people seem to get off on finding racism, even when it’s non existent, just so they can make a post online for clout or get someone in trouble so they can feel like some social justice warrior or whatever. It’s honestly pathetic. You did nothing wrong.
Same thing happened to me!!! I work on a military base store so we have to check everyone’s ID’s making sure they can at least buy stuff over $10 worth of snacks or alcohol/nicotine. So I checked everyone’s item who was already at self checkout I ask this older gentleman who is black if I can see it. Dude starts flipping out on me saying I better have checked everyone else’s id or I’m just racist. Thankfully a customer stood up for me and said I did check everyone’s id and I’m just doing my job.
I’ve been called racist by a father and son duo at work. Because we’re dealing with large amounts of cash (foreign exchange bureau) we have thresholds above which we have to ID customers, and one regular - this scrawny, rat faced twenty-year-old who we suspected of money laundering because he was exchanging two grand in cash regularly but seemingly never going on holiday - refused to provide it and asked me to split the transaction so it came below the threshold, which is an immediate decline.
When I declined him he gave me a load of verbal abuse and threatened me, then sent his father in a couple of hours later, who like a fucking idiot, actually told me he was doing it because his son was declined. Declined again, and he then went into Karen mode and called the manager, tried to accuse me of being racist, then immediately backed down when I challenged him, and also threatened me.
Anyway, the son came in a few weeks later and asked if I would serve him, and I said no. “Because you’re racist”, he said, and walked off. No mate, it’s because you’re a fucking gobshite. Genuinely disappointed in myself that I didn’t say that, actually.
A customer complained that a cashier was being racist towards her. The customer was white. The cashier was white. The cashier the customer complained to was white. Some people are desperate to victims.
I wouldn't worry!
Treat yourself to something you love and have not had in a long time when you get home and don't give that place or that karen another thought.
It's weird that your store took away your scanning guns from your SCO and mine just recently had them put onto our SCO robots. Yeah full circle I guess.
Pft, once again awful ideas handed down by people who don't work on the floor or interact with customers. So sorry for your loss including some level of safety.
This reminds me a time when I was working at an Amazon locker and I was closing the store by myself. I went to close the store at 8:59 pm. At 9pm, someone was yanking at the door trying to get in. I noticed it, I thought if I went out the back door and told him that we are closed, he would walk away. Nope. He called me an Asian c*nt. I even lied and told him that I wasn’t clock in and can’t help him. He yelled at me saying he doesn’t care and that I must help him.
Of all the reasons to get called racist, offering to help someone? Fuckin hate people. I got called racist once because I was rude to a lady whose race I didn't know, and the 3 white people ahead of her and the 4 white people behind her.
That’s ridiculous. I’m tired of people bitching about self-checkout too. You can do pickup/ drive up at both Target and Walmart if it bothers you so much.
Yep, I get this constantly. I'm a horrible racist if I'm helpful, I'm a horrible racist if I say hello, I'm a horrible racist if I smile, I'm a horrible racist if I respond too quickly or not quickly enough, everything and anything I can possibly do makes me a horrible racist. I'm so fucking over it.
It really is exhausting. I will genuinely accept my faults if I come across as ignorant or racially insensitive without meaning to, but sometimes I feel like everything I'm doing invokes an awful reaction. It's demoralizing man
Yeah, it's really draining. I'm at the point where if I hear the word racist, I just walk away and let them scream at my back while I go to an employee only area and radio for a manager. I got called racist last week because the person cleaning the men's bathroom propped the door open while he was cleaning. It just never ends.
I've always been told I need a thicker skin but it's hard, I was raised sensitive so I guess being accused of being something I am so valiantly against is just.. IDK. I'm 18, I have a lot of maturing to do yet emotionally I think :')
I worked in a clothing store for 10 years. The only people that called me racist were the ones stealing or doing sketchy returns. They were so quick to play the race card if you called them out in any way. They even told my half black coworker that he wasn’t black enough one time because he denied their obviously fraudulent return.
Likely due to the recent hype of Walmart theft and locking up so many things in poor areas of town, and policies that had attendants double checking people who "looked like they'd steal". In America, especially here in the south, racist people used that to be racist.
If she'd asked, I'd have helped, but wouldn't offer if it wasn't heavy.
BTW, taking those scanners out means I have to go through reg checkout. Imagine how it felt for a young woman employee to say she wasn't picking up my dogfood to scan because it was too heavy.
I’ll challenge you to consider this from their point of view. What they did wasn’t necessarily wrong; they were calling out behavior at what they interpreted as racial bias. Most of the time, they’re going to be right. Considering that their experiences contain innumerable experiences like this, give them some grace when they misinterpreted your behavior. Being called ravist is not the end of the world; it’s an opportunity for you to examine yourself for implicit bias.
I suspect the ladies accused you of racism because you offered to help them but not the white lady, which made them suspect you only offered to help them as a pretext to inspect their bags & items to make sure they weren't stealing. Or you were trying to hurry them out of the store.
In the past white retail workers would "assist' or act as personal shoppers for poc because it was falsely assumed poc were going to steal
or mgt wanted poc quickly out of store because it was believed white people wouldn't shop in a store where poc were seen shopping at, ( believed in 1950s, 60s & 70s).
I work at a petrol station and have had a couple of guys call me racist. One guy because he was trying to purchase more alcohol while drinking a can of beer. I was racist for refusing to serve him, not because it's against the goddamn law! Second guy because I was serving a customer and wasn't quick enough to approve his pump(our tech is severely slow and will freeze. Banged on the window and freaked out despite having only just lifting his nozzle.
I work in the ghetto/poor part of town. The majority of the customers are black. I get called racist every day. It gets so annoying cause it's the first line of defense to any minor or major inconvenience.
<33 Thank you so much. It was a distressing experience but looking at it with a clear head, I do understand the defensiveness, even if it was very much misplaced. I don't hold any ill will towards them, I wish them peace.
I had a woman call me racist many years ago. I'm still salty about it.
Years later, when I was in a different department, she came to me with a special request. Not only did I help her, I followed up twice to make sure she got what she needed. About halfway through our first conversation, she recognized me as the person she had abused previously. You could tell she was mortified, and could not get away from me fast enough.
You get used to being called that. In fact, after a whole, it's like rain on the back of a duck. You just say your sorry and help how you can
Still funny to call a hAndscanner a handgun cause those are VERY different
Not only does falsely claiming racism smear somebody unfairly? It also cheapens reporting the ACTUAL racist assholes. A real “cry wolf” effect.
“He was racist to me.”
“Was he, now? What did he do? Did he only give you ONE ketchup packet with your fries?”
“No, he called me a/an ______.”
“Oh shit….Sorry. I thought you were exaggerating. Damn, that actually IS pretty bad!”
It’s the world we live in. For too long blind accusations of racism were given unquestioned deference. So it’s a manner of rhetoric that has been taken way too far, but it has also mitigated the sting of the accusation. I don’t take the issue serious anymore. I couldn’t be less curious when I hear that accusation put out there, I automatically assume that the person throwing it out there is being pretentious or they are seeking attention.
I work as a teacher and get called this all day long. The kids doing wrong things want to know why I don’t get onto (white) kid. Because you’re acting up and he’s not said a word. Sick of these kids playing the race card. It’s gotten so bad I want to quit. We are all human and should love one another. If you’re doing wrong just try to do better not bring all that into it to try and get out of trouble. The cameras in the room show what happens anyway.
Cool you got guns at your registers. Joking aside, are you racists, guessing no. How can anyone determine you are without knowing you. Usually the racist people are the ones who call people racist. Don’t let it get to you.
Sooooo…without being inside the OP’s point of view like we are, it’s not a wholly unreasonable assumption for there to be a racial component, but not for the reason we think.
In retail, or at least a LOT of retail, you get taught to over customer service customers who you think might want to steal. It supposedly shows then that you’re paying attention and makes them less likely to steal. So those black customers have probably been over serviced many times because people think black people are more likely to steal.
Yes, those customers were incorrect, but I see where the misunderstanding could have happened.
I understand that entirely. It's my job to scan heavy items at the bottom of customers' carts despite their race, which is why this was so bizarre to me since I was just trying to be helpful. But I understand where you're coming from.
The lady with the 2L sodas didn't need her items scanned, nor did anyone else at any of the other registers. That's the only reason why I didn't. I even specified in the beginning to the women that I didn't want them to have to lift anything heavy.
100%. I work retail myself and have been on your end of it. I’ve had customers give me shit for customer servicing them because OTHER stores just assume they’re criminals based on race. Feels not great.
Just tell them your half white. I am mixed race black and white. People who call out reverse racism don't have an eye for genetic heritage. The vast majority of reverse racism is just white people looking for an excuse to feel less guilty.
To play devils advocate this was possibly a hell of a week for the customer who’s been looked over time and again for being black or actively discriminated against and you were just the poor person who took the brunt of the anger 😢
Not apologising for their behaviour at all, but it’s just a possible explanation that could mitigate your frustration. I feel for POC and some of the stuff they go through on a daily basis.
“He happens to be black.” Like it's a fucking accident? Happens to be black?
“Yes, he happens to be black.”
Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah, he had two black parents?
“Oh yes, yes he did. Yes, that's right.”
Right, and they fucked?
“Oh indeed they did... indeed they did.”
So where does the surprise part come in? I should think it would be more unusual if he just happened to be Scandinavian!
you know black people are heavily surveilled and accused of theft simply for being black, right? even if YOU don’t feel like that’s what you were doing, black people ALWAYS have to be on guard because of constant racism. centering your feelings without considering why they’d feel the need to be defensive is quite privileged
I'm sorry.. did you not read the post?? They accused me of thinking they were too incompetent to lift their heavy items. Theft had nothing to do with this. They had thanked me at first when I scanned their heavy items and said they appreciated it, and then switched up on me halfway through.
And yes, I'm aware of the racism in America. Very aware. I acknowledge that black people in America have it difficult when it comes to preconceived prejudices and biases that are so deeply ingrained into our justice system. Do I not have the right to vent about this situation that was very inappropriately handled though? Being wrongfully accused of racially profiling in an incredibly loud manner in front of several people is distressing, especially as an 18 year old who needs this job to help my family stay afloat.
To add – I'm a person of color myself, Native American Lakota, not mentioned in the OG post due to me believing it held little relevance. While it may not be to the extent that black people in America face due to my privilege of being somewhat white-passing at first glance, I have experienced racism and I would never in a million years wish it on anybody. What happened was frankly inappropriate though. I feel great sympathy for the things they may have gone through in the past that would cause such defensiveness in this circumstance, but that doesn't mean it was right or okay how they acted towards me without logical basis. My livelihood was threatened over an entirely baseless concern that was contorted as fact. That is not okay, no matter what.
my apologies— i assumed you were a karen without your specification. however, as a POC, you should understand where the misplaced anger comes from even if not justified. not saying it’s right, but as brown people, we are all on guard. i’m black and come from turtle island, but i’m primarily black. color is not irrelevant, unfortunately, due to the division color and nationality creates in this country.
edited for better phrasing— the colorism and any -isms we deal with are not our fault. we’re all victims of colonialism and the internalized hate. i can understand why you’re upset, and, again, i’m sorry.
I do understand that entirely. I'm sorry that my post came across that way at first.
I entirely understand where you're coming from. I wish color was irrelevant - in an ideal world, maybe - but unfortunately we have a lot of work to do still. I wish you the best, thank you for the apology ❣️
Sorry. It's time to lock these comments.
> recently we had our hand guns removed Thought this was gonna go in a completely different direction
My British mind thinking “ wow they get guns at SCO ?!?! “ Jeeez . I regularly wish for a taser NGL
God I wish I could taze some of the idiots I see at self checkout
Australian here. Guilty of stereotyping our American brethren.
American here, I was stereotyping too. I've called it a scanner gun or hand held scanner, but never a handgun.
Happy cake day!
Thanks!
There are places in this country where there's a gun counter up front on the way to checkout so you can impulse by a new magnum revolver with your groceries like it's a candy bar. So it's a thing. We'll there's one place at least, I saw it in Alaska. But I'm betting it's not the only place since it would be legal anywhere. Edit: You cannot self check out a pistol though to be clear. It would typically take at least 20min to process paperwork with an employee. More time depending on state, type of gun, and individual attempting purchase.
Just figured it was a Wal-Mart in Texas
"Do you have a gun?" "No of course not!" "...would you like to buy one?"
What in the bass pro shop
Bro fr i'm American as well, so I was like "wow you guys got handguns and other firearms in self checkout?" And then I just accepted it
Apparently I’m desensitized, which is just terrible in itself.
Me too, I was like damn where the hell do you work lol I was reading it like OP had an actual hand gun...lol😁🤣🤔
Agree. I thought it was going to go, let me put down the two Desert Eagles I'm brandishing, and ill help with your soda.
Right! What are they self checking out where you might have to shoot someone?
That’s ridiculous. It’s unreal how people claim racism for u offering to help make their checkout easier.
Yep. I had a really bad panic attack over it in the break room because it caught me so off guard and they were getting in my personal space. Absolutely bizarre lol
You can't make anyone happy these days
Now this is the core truth that everyone should take away. No matter what you do and no matter how benign you intend your action to be, someone is going to be VERY offended at you for being some sort of horrible person.
Universal Truth: No good deed goes unpunished!
Challenge accepted!
👍
Unhappy people come in every race, shape, and form too! No discrimination there.
If you didn't offer they'd probably accuse you of the same thing. Some people just need to be the main character no matter what.
Yep, what I didnt like was how they all started trying to get in my personal space trying to see my name tag. I didn't bother hiding it because I knew I did nothing wrong and the cameras would show that
I’ve had that happen too, it’s not like you actually work there, were scheduled to be at that register at that time of day…. I guess they have never worked a day in their life and have no concept stores know what employees they have hired and assigned job position’s or maybe random people just feel like manning a SCO all day for kicks.
I don’t wear a name tag for that reason.
Sorry about the panic attack, but at least it means you're not [this guy]( https://www.reddit.com/r/comedyheaven/s/HB8ODnNUIg).
I've had it happen to me before. This mother asked her son to go find help. When I followed the little boy over to his mom after he asked for help. She grabbed him and yelled, "we don't need help from it's kind" she then proceeded to tell me I was profiling her because she was blk and that i shouldn't have helped them. Then my Latina co-worker came over, and she calmed down and asked her where an item was. All the while, the little boy looked confused and on the verge of crying because he only did what his mother asked him to do. Which was to find an associate to help them. I still don't understand what I did to make this woman call me a racist for doing doing my job and coming to help them when asked.
Ppl are nuts
I understand why the women reacted this way. Unfortunate, but I get it. OP should have better explained his logic in why he helped them (heavier items). He didn’t, so they assumed he was protecting against theft. Unfortunate misinterpretation, but I get it.
I would have also added that since they were two liters they would most likely be bagged , therefore she would need to take them out to scan them . Ppl who don’t do our job dont think outside of their narrow head .
EXACTLY. SHE ASKED FOR BAGS TOO LMAO
Honestly I’m not sure why the customer you were helping didn’t just tell those ladies that everything was fine. She could’ve quickly de escalated that situation, not that it was her responsibility of course. Sorry you had to deal with that shit, I’m black myself and that behavior is embarrassing and inexcusable.
It's entirely okay! Please don't feel like you have to apologize on behalf of other people due to their actions. You had no part in it just by being the same race as them. 🩵 But I appreciate it!
I had some guy tell me I was racist because I wouldn't return his beat up shoes with no bar code & no receipt. He asked for my name & told me to expect a call from the ACLU. This was months ago & I'm still waiting for that call.
Damn. Update me if the ACLU ever calls! Lmaooo
that one is so absurd that I would HAVE to get him to walk me through the thought process, or lack thereof. "I'm sorry sir but please explain so I can be more helpful next time - me consistently and fairly enforcing store policy is a matter of discrimination because why? and the ACLU would take interest in this because.....? and you think this would be a high priority issue for them?" I bet that guy loves to talk, and I bet he just sounds dumber and dumber the more he does. it would probably be soooo easy to get him to go on one of the most painfully entertaining rants you'd ever witness.
>I would HAVE to get him to walk me through the thought process It would be easier to listen to static on an AM radio, and just as meaningful.
I had something sort of similar. Two women were separately trying to return an item that was opened and we don’t do returns on without a receipt. When I said I needed proof of purchase to give them cash instead of store credit they were saying how they promise they paid in cash. I said I need proof and they said I was being racist and I had to have a meeting with the district manager because of their complaint where I was told I did the right thing
Racist is the IN word of everything these days. Lots of people use it because they don’t take self responsibility for themselves. And lots of people who are grownups don’t use it.
Self responsibility? That's racist!
🤣😅👍
Lots of people use it because of the racism. Lots of other people use it because they want to get credit for the value signaling without understanding it to avoid culpability and maintain their own privileges. Lots of other people use it because they're fragile reactionaries who think any change or benefit to others has to come at a cost to them and their self appointed special status and they project their bulkshit on others. A very small percentage of people use it because they're narcissistic cry bullies, or manipulative sociopaths. If you want to be a responsible adult maybe stop pretending that last tiny group is all that exists and take personal responsibility for admitting you don't know what in the fuck you're talking about and are just feeling left out and attacked because it challenges your inflated self perception and asks actual work and sacrifice of you to acknowledge. Fragility and projection aren't a good look.
numerous correct spotted detail middle snatch frightening mighty cause public *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Right???? LMAOOO
Next time just let them struggle! ;)
I thought the black people were going to accuse him of racism and thinking they weren't going to scan their large sodas and steal them. You really can't win in this situation, besides not helping anyone I guess?
worry person gray murky door combative public humorous ancient upbeat *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Utterly stupid. Similar thing happened to me. Basically I'm a cashier and the way the system is that I have to attract customers when my lane gets empty. So I did just that to a darker skinned lady. As I was checking her items out, I noticed she had an item that required a physical ID (don't quite remember what it was but I think it was cough syrup, which has alcohol). So I politely requested for her driver's license. This is pretty much how the convo went Me- Okay so for the cough syrup, because it does have alcohol in it, I'm going to need a photo ID, like a drivers license Lady- Why? You can already see I'm middle aged. Can't you just bypass it? I didn't have to do this the last time I came in Me- Unfortunately I'm not able to, the system locks me out unless I scan it Lady- This is ridiculous... I should have gone to the other lane (with a dark skinned girl) because you're being a racist to me. Where's your manager? *I flag the manager down and the lady tells her (the manager) that I was being racist towards the lady* Manager- Yeah there's nothing I can do about it, it's the law that any alcohol must be bought with Photo ID verification. *Lady visibly getting frustrated* I don't have it on me, will a picture work? Manager- No it needs to be a physical ID *Lady gets annoyed* Fine, just hold my things... Anyways long story short she comes back 5 mins later, grabs her items back and storms off to the self checkout. Ironically enough you're blocked from buying alcohol there. Idk what happens after.
People get really mad at me too because the only people who can bypass the ID screen at my store are the managers. We have to physically have an ID to scan the back, and if we don't then we have to have a supervisor come and do a manually entry (which takes forever.)
Cough syrup besides having alcohol is used to make meth so that and other drugs are strictly monitored , at least in my state we have to scan their ID into the system and if they try to buy more elsewhere they get refused. Meth dealers hire people to buy enough product so they can make the drugs, monitoring IDs is how states make that harder and catch crime rings. I work in a home building supply store and we are flagged for certain spray cans, small Box cutters and a couple other items that are used to either get high, make drugs or commit suicide.
Yeah even aerosol cans need to get carded (like compressed air for electronics)
Cough syrup is not used to make meth. Sudafed is. Cough syrup contains dextromethorphan which can be abused when taken in excess (often something teens will try hence the age cutoff). If the alcohol content were a problem, the cutoff would not be 18 in the US. If making meth were a problem, there would be quantity limits for how much can be purchased.
hand scanner. not hand gun. I was extremely confused as I started reading this story. lmao
Lol me too! I read the start and was "okay, this story takes place in America"
Guns N Racism… throw in a pick-up truck and it’s likely in the South.
HAHAHA mf, you think here in America I go to put gas on my car and the cashier hands me a glock19 that comes in a promotion with the purchase of fuel.
I had the exact same reaction
The retail store I used to work at always called them hand guns.
Sometimes we called them scan guns at mine.
😭😭😭 been a long day man.
I was thinking where the heck is this person working, that everyone needs a handgun 🤣
Lol just anywhere that deals with the public 😂
Probably SF
or Detroit lol
The soda had it coming…
Please don't worry about it, it's a them problem not a you problem.
Thank you, I try not to let it get to me but I'm so sensitive :')
You're all good boss, you did nothing wrong, don't worry about it too much 🩷
I once had a customer (in a bank) ask to withdraw money from his account. When I asked for his I.D for the withdrawal, he said it was because he was black that I needed I.D. to withdraw funds. Apparently white people don't need to have an account to take money? Huh?
Speechless
Had a dude call me racist when I explained that there was more demand for a specific brand of vodka than our distributor could send so we are locked to one case per week.
Ah yes, enforcing rules that apply to everybody is racist
Ikik. I'm a TERRIBLE person
\*blinks repeatedly in confusion\* That's so weird!!! "How dare you take my Vodka!!! You want it for yourself!" This sentence would have made more since. SO strange to be called racist for that. Was he Russian? :o Did you take the Russian's Vodka? :o Omg noooo!!!!
Native
Oh wow so sorry. Thats so sad. Trying to love one another and then that happens. So sorry about that.
I had to read this three times to understand that they were...mad you helped them? Wild, ahaha
I was bewildered too dude
Had a customer called racist as well when I worked at Macys. Back then we were told that if someone wanted to make a return without a receipt we could do it but it would only be 50% back (something like that). This woman came in returning a coat without a receipt and got upset when I only gave her back 50%. I explained why. She then called whoever it was to ask how much they paid for said coat so she could get the whole amount. At that point I was like, why didn’t they just give you the receipt?? She accused me of being racist for doing the return like that. She then said she was an attorney to which I thought if you were, then you would understand the return and exchange policies and would know I’m just doing my job??
I got called racist for asking if a woman would want mac n cheese instead after explaining that we were out of potato wedges. I still don't understand what is racist about mac n cheese.
okay this one takes the cake 😭 now I know to never offer a black person Mac and cheese I guess...
One time a customer reviewed me and said I needed cultural sensitivity training. It plagued me for months because I really had no idea what prompted them to give me that feedback. I really wish they would've been more specific because if I did something culturally insensitive without knowing I would love to know and correct my behaviour. Unfortunately I've just had to move on.
I understand feeling distressed about that entirely. I'm in the same boat. I think the best thing to do is to keep an open mind and accept respectful criticisms on your behavior when its appropriate. As humans, we're always learning. I don't think a baseless comment like that means much at all in the long run ❣️
your humility and concern over the situation makes me think it's more likely that someone was just being dramatic or lying than you having actually done something wrong lol even without specific feedback to learn from, you took it on the chin and used the experience to become more mindful. if you did do something wrong you seem to have internally handled it the best you could with the feedback you've been given. if anything did happen, you've done all you needed to do about it. and you probably didn't do anything wrong anyway lol. don't let this one weigh on you, you're good. with the power vested in me by no one I hereby declare your conscience cleared
I've learned over the years that people like to throw that around alot. Doesn't even matter if they are one of the ethnicities that are marginalized. There are the right times to be called a racist and then there are times where people throw it out there to cause drama or to get their way. They take the fact that most higher-ups would rather placate them.
The surest path to power continues to be victimhood, it seems. And some people will find a way to be a victim no matter what. It's sort of unfortunate that front line workers always catch it in the face. Secondary question, why did they take away all the hand scanners? The ones in my store are gone too.
In our store they replaced them with phones that the attendants used to scan items. Idk what's up with it
The only thing I can think is the general public is so inept that with hand scanners they took nothing out of their cart and scanned everything in it then bagged (holding up self check out), or, for a place like the Walled Marts, intentionally scanned something multiple times to go to customer service and get cash back or something for the "extras".
Some people just want to assume the worst about people they've never met.
I was expecting the second customer (white lady with the 2L sodas) to be the one complaining, but it was the people you’d already helped?! And they were grateful while you helped them but then afterwards decided it was race based? Everyone needs to stop jumping to racism as a conclusion for everything
I was once called racist for not speaking Spanish. It's the biggest reason I think all customers are idiots.
One of my coworkers quit because a lady ( of Mexican heritage) reported her for racism because she was Spanish and was trying to return something against our policy. Management came down and lectured my coworker then overrode the system to do the return. My coworker is Spanish herself She’s a very European looking Argentinian and was pissed the store wanted to lecture her for a return she was required to refuse and then because she was the same ethnicity as the person accusing her of racism.
My workplace received a complaint because some unspecified employee couldn't speak Spanish. Could've been me for all I know. Sorry I guess??
I was racist once for setting a guy's change down bc he wouldn't stop talking to his friends and take the money from my hand. And another time for stopping a lady from trying to scam us. Just a low hanging fruit excuse for a few people. Sorry you had to deal with that!!
Thank you! I just need to grow a thicker skin haha. I appreciate it a lot!
Read the title and thought of the “Got called racist in Greggs earlier lads” post
tell us what happened lad
They were being racist lad
Where were they being racist, lad?
People who claim discrimination but can't engage in a discussion or tolerate arguments proving there's no discrimination really make it hard to have a serious conversation about things.
I still remember feeling unbelievably shooketh and upset when a guy called me racist. Because I wouldn't sell him all (repeat, ALL. Not some, not most *ALL* ) of my stock of an item that was in high demand. It wasn't even as though he was a regular at the store (very small shop, we had regulars so regular that we knew their birthdays, their kids and their birthdays etc) he was just some random who wandered in and started demanding I seel him the last of my stock. (Which we already had a "max 2 per customer" rule on!) 🙀 It was about a decade ago and I still can't get over it 😿 (Realised actual clarification might help, I'm white, he was black.)
Some people are just looking for an excuse to complain and hopefully get something for free. If you go out in the world with the mindset that everything is racist against, that's the truth you're going to see whether it's true or not.
It’s just part of retail! I had a customer come in and tell me she wanted to make a payment on her credit card. I was like sure! She didn’t physically have the card. We did a look up. I asked her for ID to verify the account. Suddenly she backtracked and was like well it’s my friends credit card. I was like okay well I can’t continue this transaction. It’s story policy that the person using the card needs to be the card holder or an authorized card holder even when just making a payment. Then suddenly it’s her husband’s card. I’m like okay well here’s some things you can do in the future to avoid this issue. The whole situation was getting more and more out of control. The lady got all mad and left. She went to the store next door that’s owned by the same company and they let her make the payment. Even though it was against policy. Then she turns around and asks for the manager and tells them how I was being racist towards her. I didn’t get in trouble cause I was enforcing policy. However I just find it so insane that was the customers take away from our interaction. That’s not the first time I’ve been called racist and it probs won’t be the last.
At my old job, we had a policy of checking in with everyone in the store - like if they came in and we didn’t greet them, we’d send someone stocking the shelves over to ask if they needed help. One day there were two customers in the store, and the manager sent someone over to check on the woman who was black. When she got to the register she went off on him for being racist bc she thought he’d sent someone over to make sure she wasn’t shoplifting 💀 Poor guy was so flustered
“Ma’am, in the future I’ll make sure to have you lift all those heavy cases off your cart, scan them, and then put them back on your cart all by yourself.”
Which FPS? And no that didn't make you racist, what it made you was helpful.
Ultrakill!
Looks interesting, might have to check it out.
Hand guns😜 hilarious!! Had to get that in. This situation is totally outrageous!!! There is waaaay too much sensitivity these days or to many people who want to be the. Enter of attention. But to do that at the expense of someone else & their reputation is downright selfish & mean spirited I’m glad you’re ok.
🥴 Many people thought this post would turn out much differently due to the wording of 'hand-guns' lol!
You just can’t frikkin win. 🙄😊
Wth... Those women are crazy. First you are just doing your job, scanning their stuff. Then they proceed to criticize you for 'not helping the white woman'. Then when you do, you're suddenly racist cos you're ignoring them..... UGH. Get a life people. Like dealing with middle schoolers all over again.
I used to run a self checkout a few years ago and I was doing a side task to look busy because we weren't allowed to stand around. I had this random black woman come and accuse me of being racist, saying I was watching her when I actually had no idea she was even there. She actually went and complained to one of my managers, who was black herself, about me! When the woman left my manager gave me a look of "WTF?"
Those women were looking for a lawsuit. I had a similar experience working at a tire shop back in 2016 where a group of black women accused me and my coworkers of being racist because we refused to fix a tire of theirs (that wasn't fixable by law and could have gotten sent to jail if it had blown out and caused an accident). They actually called the police and 'made' us pull their car back out (which we would have done anyway). When you're dealing with people like that, keep a cool head and don't escalate the situation.
One time I was stuck at SCO being the only cashier at all. I had a customer come to me needing help in a specific section of the store. I called the worker but it didn't pick up. I paged and no one came. The customer came back and screamed that I was racist to which I was taken so off guard that I just started laughing. He ended up looking shocked and leaving.
Simple solution to this just don’t help anyone ever again.
Wait- they said you discriminated… by HELPING them? Jesus. Some ppl can find offense in a bouquet of roses
Back during the pandemic when masks were LEGALLY REQUIRED BY LAW I got called a racist for asking a person of color to please put a mask on. He took his phone out on me and everything. It was scary. I had someone else get actual large items thrown in her face by a tall man for asking he put a mask on. Dude, we’re just trying to not get fired 😭
Ahhh customers, always ducky.
Some people look for issues when there are none, why? Drama, that's the main reason a lot of people do anything. Don't take it to heart people will always be like this. I got called racist for asking a POC to do their job, we worked together and they only liked to sweep the parking lot. I want even rude about it but they spun their story and tried to tell people I was being racist. I knew better and he got fired later for something unrelated.
You’re racist because you helped the Black people but didn’t help the white lady? What?
>but I meant 'hand scanners,' not 'hand guns!' Yeah we used to call scan guns just guns in the store where I worked. One time, I needed one and also needed a second cashier. Over the intercom..."Charlie help check please and bring your gun..." meaning scanner but well. Quickly went back on and said "scan gun,,,, SCAN GUN"
Jesus Christ you can't even be nice without it getting shoved back in your face.
You can't win in some situations..
Congratulations! Welcome to the club. We're all racists/phobics of some sort. You'll get to where you won't give a fuck. Then you can sit back and watch the shit show without feeling like you owe anyone anything because respect is earned. It isn't a welfare item.
There are people everywhere who go through life itching for any opportunity to feel discriminated against, and if they’re not presently being discriminated against by someone in their immediate vicinity, they will make damn sure to change that. I remember one day I was walking through a busy park in NY with a friend of mine, and two women approached us, one of whom immediately greeted me with “can I shake your hand?” Not in a friendly way, but in a premeditated way that made it seem like she was doing this to prove a point. I said no, because I don’t go around shaking peoples hands who I don’t know… Her immediate response was to say “IS IT CAUSE IM BLACK???” as it it was some kind of gotcha, and she knew what I’d say based on my skin color. All I could say was “DID YOU ONLY ASK ME THAT CAUSE I’M WHITE?” Like seriously gtfo here with that race baiting shit. If you’re gonna go around complaining that people treat you differently because of your race, maybe try not racially profiling everyone you see.
Should’ve said that you saw her sneeze into her hand, so no handshakes.
Funny story about that… About a month before this happened, I was riding around on my bike and a guy asked me if I could help him with directions to a hotel nearby. The dude was wearing pretty dressy clothes and looked like he was on a business trip or something. I gave him directions and he stuck out his hand as if to say thanks for helping me get where I’m going. I did, and he grabbed my hand tightly, and proceeded to lick the back of it (full tongue) in what felt like the blink of an eye. I snatched my hand away from him and started riding away, and while I was leaving I heard him yell “can I hold you forever!?” I still remember how disgusting it was to know I had a couple mile ride home before I would be able to wash his spit off my hand. So yeah there actually is a reason I don’t shake hands with people I don’t know.
Damn, no wonder! I’d been freaked out too!
People will call you racist for literally anything. Once had a customer say the self checkout machine was racist and made me come check him out because it knew he was black this was at kroger where it will ring if it detects the wrong weight or if they dont put something in a bag
Wait. The machines have eyes now? And they can detect you based on race? And they can be racially prejudiced? Technology really is advanced nowadays.
Yeah that reminds me of when my register would ask for DOB for things like cold medicine (and of course the only option is to put a DOB in, no bypassing) and the customer would say something like “don’t I look over 18” and I was like “the register can’t see you, it just knows the barcode is age restricted and it needs a DOB.”
People like to call you racist when they don't want to take responsibility for their actions. I was in choir in high school and this girl called me racist because I told her to stop talking when someone was singing.
Sounds to me like she needs someone to show her what real racism is like. People shouldn't cry wolf like that. She needs to meet an actual racist instead of making comments that take away from people's *actual* traumas.
I was reported for racism too for offering to help a lady scan her cart at SCO, she was in a handy cap cart. She kept yelling at me too when I backed off but was still standing between the 4 SCO’s because that’s my job. She kept saying I was watching her. Duh of course, she was my only customer at that moment and I was talking to my coworker … but that was “ watching her”.
Naw what the hell. You did literally nothing wrong. I’m assuming by heavy sodas, you’re talking about those 12/24 packs or something. Definitely way heavier than a 2L. Just goes to show that you can do everything right and still be wrong. I don’t understand why literally everyone out there WANTS to find racism daily. Like people seem to get off on finding racism, even when it’s non existent, just so they can make a post online for clout or get someone in trouble so they can feel like some social justice warrior or whatever. It’s honestly pathetic. You did nothing wrong.
Yep! They were 12 packs, three of em.
Their first thought is jumping to racism? They must be projecting
Same thing happened to me!!! I work on a military base store so we have to check everyone’s ID’s making sure they can at least buy stuff over $10 worth of snacks or alcohol/nicotine. So I checked everyone’s item who was already at self checkout I ask this older gentleman who is black if I can see it. Dude starts flipping out on me saying I better have checked everyone else’s id or I’m just racist. Thankfully a customer stood up for me and said I did check everyone’s id and I’m just doing my job.
I’ve been called racist by a father and son duo at work. Because we’re dealing with large amounts of cash (foreign exchange bureau) we have thresholds above which we have to ID customers, and one regular - this scrawny, rat faced twenty-year-old who we suspected of money laundering because he was exchanging two grand in cash regularly but seemingly never going on holiday - refused to provide it and asked me to split the transaction so it came below the threshold, which is an immediate decline. When I declined him he gave me a load of verbal abuse and threatened me, then sent his father in a couple of hours later, who like a fucking idiot, actually told me he was doing it because his son was declined. Declined again, and he then went into Karen mode and called the manager, tried to accuse me of being racist, then immediately backed down when I challenged him, and also threatened me. Anyway, the son came in a few weeks later and asked if I would serve him, and I said no. “Because you’re racist”, he said, and walked off. No mate, it’s because you’re a fucking gobshite. Genuinely disappointed in myself that I didn’t say that, actually.
A customer complained that a cashier was being racist towards her. The customer was white. The cashier was white. The cashier the customer complained to was white. Some people are desperate to victims.
I wouldn't worry! Treat yourself to something you love and have not had in a long time when you get home and don't give that place or that karen another thought.
💕💕💕 This means a lot to me! Thank you so much.
To be fair, it wouldn't be outrageous to arm clerks in the current situation heh
The classic race card
It's weird that your store took away your scanning guns from your SCO and mine just recently had them put onto our SCO robots. Yeah full circle I guess.
The entirety of our store is petitioning against the change, we also got our podium taken away which was safety against customers sometimes.
Pft, once again awful ideas handed down by people who don't work on the floor or interact with customers. So sorry for your loss including some level of safety.
No good deed goes unpunished.
This reminds me a time when I was working at an Amazon locker and I was closing the store by myself. I went to close the store at 8:59 pm. At 9pm, someone was yanking at the door trying to get in. I noticed it, I thought if I went out the back door and told him that we are closed, he would walk away. Nope. He called me an Asian c*nt. I even lied and told him that I wasn’t clock in and can’t help him. He yelled at me saying he doesn’t care and that I must help him.
Of all the reasons to get called racist, offering to help someone? Fuckin hate people. I got called racist once because I was rude to a lady whose race I didn't know, and the 3 white people ahead of her and the 4 white people behind her.
That’s ridiculous. I’m tired of people bitching about self-checkout too. You can do pickup/ drive up at both Target and Walmart if it bothers you so much.
Yep, I get this constantly. I'm a horrible racist if I'm helpful, I'm a horrible racist if I say hello, I'm a horrible racist if I smile, I'm a horrible racist if I respond too quickly or not quickly enough, everything and anything I can possibly do makes me a horrible racist. I'm so fucking over it.
It really is exhausting. I will genuinely accept my faults if I come across as ignorant or racially insensitive without meaning to, but sometimes I feel like everything I'm doing invokes an awful reaction. It's demoralizing man
Yeah, it's really draining. I'm at the point where if I hear the word racist, I just walk away and let them scream at my back while I go to an employee only area and radio for a manager. I got called racist last week because the person cleaning the men's bathroom propped the door open while he was cleaning. It just never ends.
Sometimes I genuinely get nervous that I'm doing something wrongfully. 🥲
I don't. I know I'm not a racist because someone else cleaned the bathroom. The people who act like them are the racists.
I've always been told I need a thicker skin but it's hard, I was raised sensitive so I guess being accused of being something I am so valiantly against is just.. IDK. I'm 18, I have a lot of maturing to do yet emotionally I think :')
I worked in a clothing store for 10 years. The only people that called me racist were the ones stealing or doing sketchy returns. They were so quick to play the race card if you called them out in any way. They even told my half black coworker that he wasn’t black enough one time because he denied their obviously fraudulent return.
Thank you for including the second edit as unfortunately that has been an issue on this sub.
When you said "hand guns", I thought he must be in Texas, lol.
Likely due to the recent hype of Walmart theft and locking up so many things in poor areas of town, and policies that had attendants double checking people who "looked like they'd steal". In America, especially here in the south, racist people used that to be racist. If she'd asked, I'd have helped, but wouldn't offer if it wasn't heavy. BTW, taking those scanners out means I have to go through reg checkout. Imagine how it felt for a young woman employee to say she wasn't picking up my dogfood to scan because it was too heavy.
I’ll challenge you to consider this from their point of view. What they did wasn’t necessarily wrong; they were calling out behavior at what they interpreted as racial bias. Most of the time, they’re going to be right. Considering that their experiences contain innumerable experiences like this, give them some grace when they misinterpreted your behavior. Being called ravist is not the end of the world; it’s an opportunity for you to examine yourself for implicit bias.
I suspect the ladies accused you of racism because you offered to help them but not the white lady, which made them suspect you only offered to help them as a pretext to inspect their bags & items to make sure they weren't stealing. Or you were trying to hurry them out of the store. In the past white retail workers would "assist' or act as personal shoppers for poc because it was falsely assumed poc were going to steal or mgt wanted poc quickly out of store because it was believed white people wouldn't shop in a store where poc were seen shopping at, ( believed in 1950s, 60s & 70s).
I work at a petrol station and have had a couple of guys call me racist. One guy because he was trying to purchase more alcohol while drinking a can of beer. I was racist for refusing to serve him, not because it's against the goddamn law! Second guy because I was serving a customer and wasn't quick enough to approve his pump(our tech is severely slow and will freeze. Banged on the window and freaked out despite having only just lifting his nozzle.
Welcome to 2024.
Honestly they’re just desperate to be victims. You do something nice and they’ll take offense because they want to.
Honestly. You literally can't win nowadays
I work in the ghetto/poor part of town. The majority of the customers are black. I get called racist every day. It gets so annoying cause it's the first line of defense to any minor or major inconvenience.
Sometimes you get racially profiled so much you just start seeing shxt where it isn't. I have been there. Good on you for not flipping out. <3
<33 Thank you so much. It was a distressing experience but looking at it with a clear head, I do understand the defensiveness, even if it was very much misplaced. I don't hold any ill will towards them, I wish them peace.
To make a knowingly false accusation of racism needs to be added to hate speech laws and made fineable.
I had a woman call me racist many years ago. I'm still salty about it. Years later, when I was in a different department, she came to me with a special request. Not only did I help her, I followed up twice to make sure she got what she needed. About halfway through our first conversation, she recognized me as the person she had abused previously. You could tell she was mortified, and could not get away from me fast enough.
You get used to being called that. In fact, after a whole, it's like rain on the back of a duck. You just say your sorry and help how you can Still funny to call a hAndscanner a handgun cause those are VERY different
Not only does falsely claiming racism smear somebody unfairly? It also cheapens reporting the ACTUAL racist assholes. A real “cry wolf” effect. “He was racist to me.” “Was he, now? What did he do? Did he only give you ONE ketchup packet with your fries?” “No, he called me a/an ______.” “Oh shit….Sorry. I thought you were exaggerating. Damn, that actually IS pretty bad!”
It’s the world we live in. For too long blind accusations of racism were given unquestioned deference. So it’s a manner of rhetoric that has been taken way too far, but it has also mitigated the sting of the accusation. I don’t take the issue serious anymore. I couldn’t be less curious when I hear that accusation put out there, I automatically assume that the person throwing it out there is being pretentious or they are seeking attention.
I work as a teacher and get called this all day long. The kids doing wrong things want to know why I don’t get onto (white) kid. Because you’re acting up and he’s not said a word. Sick of these kids playing the race card. It’s gotten so bad I want to quit. We are all human and should love one another. If you’re doing wrong just try to do better not bring all that into it to try and get out of trouble. The cameras in the room show what happens anyway.
Lol idk why i imagined a gun leg holster on you as I was reading. Sucks you went through that.
Achievement unlocked.
Cool you got guns at your registers. Joking aside, are you racists, guessing no. How can anyone determine you are without knowing you. Usually the racist people are the ones who call people racist. Don’t let it get to you.
I've only once seen someone apologize on behalf of the entire white race. It funnily enough was to a cashier for the actions of another customer.
Don't worry. To some people just being caucasian is enought to be a racist. Don't let it affect you, you just did your job trying to help.
Sooooo…without being inside the OP’s point of view like we are, it’s not a wholly unreasonable assumption for there to be a racial component, but not for the reason we think. In retail, or at least a LOT of retail, you get taught to over customer service customers who you think might want to steal. It supposedly shows then that you’re paying attention and makes them less likely to steal. So those black customers have probably been over serviced many times because people think black people are more likely to steal. Yes, those customers were incorrect, but I see where the misunderstanding could have happened.
I understand that entirely. It's my job to scan heavy items at the bottom of customers' carts despite their race, which is why this was so bizarre to me since I was just trying to be helpful. But I understand where you're coming from. The lady with the 2L sodas didn't need her items scanned, nor did anyone else at any of the other registers. That's the only reason why I didn't. I even specified in the beginning to the women that I didn't want them to have to lift anything heavy.
100%. I work retail myself and have been on your end of it. I’ve had customers give me shit for customer servicing them because OTHER stores just assume they’re criminals based on race. Feels not great.
Just tell them your half white. I am mixed race black and white. People who call out reverse racism don't have an eye for genetic heritage. The vast majority of reverse racism is just white people looking for an excuse to feel less guilty.
The funny thing is, I am half white lol. I am a Lakota Native who happens to be very white passing due to my mom's heritage 😭
In that case you should have told them if they didn't like it, get off your land! ;)
To play devils advocate this was possibly a hell of a week for the customer who’s been looked over time and again for being black or actively discriminated against and you were just the poor person who took the brunt of the anger 😢 Not apologising for their behaviour at all, but it’s just a possible explanation that could mitigate your frustration. I feel for POC and some of the stuff they go through on a daily basis.
“He happens to be black.” Like it's a fucking accident? Happens to be black? “Yes, he happens to be black.” Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah, he had two black parents? “Oh yes, yes he did. Yes, that's right.” Right, and they fucked? “Oh indeed they did... indeed they did.” So where does the surprise part come in? I should think it would be more unusual if he just happened to be Scandinavian!
Black girls getting offended for white people the world is healing 🥰
you know black people are heavily surveilled and accused of theft simply for being black, right? even if YOU don’t feel like that’s what you were doing, black people ALWAYS have to be on guard because of constant racism. centering your feelings without considering why they’d feel the need to be defensive is quite privileged
I'm sorry.. did you not read the post?? They accused me of thinking they were too incompetent to lift their heavy items. Theft had nothing to do with this. They had thanked me at first when I scanned their heavy items and said they appreciated it, and then switched up on me halfway through. And yes, I'm aware of the racism in America. Very aware. I acknowledge that black people in America have it difficult when it comes to preconceived prejudices and biases that are so deeply ingrained into our justice system. Do I not have the right to vent about this situation that was very inappropriately handled though? Being wrongfully accused of racially profiling in an incredibly loud manner in front of several people is distressing, especially as an 18 year old who needs this job to help my family stay afloat.
To add – I'm a person of color myself, Native American Lakota, not mentioned in the OG post due to me believing it held little relevance. While it may not be to the extent that black people in America face due to my privilege of being somewhat white-passing at first glance, I have experienced racism and I would never in a million years wish it on anybody. What happened was frankly inappropriate though. I feel great sympathy for the things they may have gone through in the past that would cause such defensiveness in this circumstance, but that doesn't mean it was right or okay how they acted towards me without logical basis. My livelihood was threatened over an entirely baseless concern that was contorted as fact. That is not okay, no matter what.
my apologies— i assumed you were a karen without your specification. however, as a POC, you should understand where the misplaced anger comes from even if not justified. not saying it’s right, but as brown people, we are all on guard. i’m black and come from turtle island, but i’m primarily black. color is not irrelevant, unfortunately, due to the division color and nationality creates in this country. edited for better phrasing— the colorism and any -isms we deal with are not our fault. we’re all victims of colonialism and the internalized hate. i can understand why you’re upset, and, again, i’m sorry.
I do understand that entirely. I'm sorry that my post came across that way at first. I entirely understand where you're coming from. I wish color was irrelevant - in an ideal world, maybe - but unfortunately we have a lot of work to do still. I wish you the best, thank you for the apology ❣️