Yesterday I was shamed...

[B00]

I've often mentioned that I have a teensy weensy bit of racism that I really really try to supress, as I'm really not proud of it, however sometimes at work it comes crashing to the fore.

Yesterday at work I was busy filling shelves when as asian lady with a very bad grasp of english pottered up to my with a shopping list in her hand. She pointed to "thin sliced bread" which was on the list and with teeth gritted I took her to the aisle and passed one to her. Then she pointed to the next item on her list "frozen fish" and at which point I thought "sod this I'm not doing your eintre shopping for you"and pointed in the general direction of the freezers. I was muttering to myself "why in Gods name come shopping when you can't even read sodding shopping lists"...etc...etc...

Would I have had this attitude if it was a little old white lady who was struggling? No, I'm big enough to admit I wouldn't- it was purely the fact this lady was asian that made me very very unhelpful.

Later in the day I found out this lady was shopping for an elderly white neighbour who couldn't leave the house due to snow ice etc and it was her list she was working from, so obviously she'd hardly any idea what to buy.

I was bitterly ashamed of myself, and I still am, I really hope this was a lesson to me.

Why Am I posting this? I've no idea really, I fully expect to get vilified for my horrfic attitude- one which I fully deserve, but this is still praying on my mind.

[Bobbisox]

It takes a big person to do what you have just done BOO
Bobbi ♥

[B00]

It's not big at all, i'm still very very ashamed of my horrible attitude. Like i said, im not sure why i even posted this- guess its still playing alot on my mind.

[NoMercy]

Who was this Asian lady - a neighbour of the little old white lady?

[B00]

Yeah, it was her next door neighbour. One of the girls who works with me told me long after the event.

[Sqad]

BOO......LOL.....I love you.

[Bbbananas]

I for one am not going to villify you Boo - good on you for posting such honesty. And, if I am honest, I would probably have had much the same reaction. I am no racist, but current events in particular have made me more sensitive towards tactless, ungrateful, whingeing, grabbing, 'foreigners'. It's a harsh unfair world we live in at least you have the grace to feel shame xx

[joggerjayne]

I must remember to shop in your shop, BOO ...

I quite like to be shown where things are ...

... until you get miffed and send me packing, and then I'll find someone else to carry on with.

=0)

[Bobbisox]

you are "big" BOO, by posting this, a lot of people wouldn't of, you are posting it for feedback both positive or negative, although I would say the majority will be positive

[Teleph0ne]

She was probably being paid to look after the old lady and it is typical of the people providing the carers to employ someone who is not capable of comunicating with the person they are caring for. Thats the thanks you get for paying tax and NI all your life!

[pericat]

You should not be vilified BOO - good for you for admitting what we are all capable of and what we all do from time to time. I find I am very impatient with people on the phone (to my husbands business) who cant speak english properly. Is this racism or general intolerance ?

[B00]

Lol Jayne- we'll we do tend to get a lot of regulars, alot of whom are elderly, so yeah we do get items for them off the shelves, and get chairs for them if they're particularly doddery.

[jno]

we never really know people, do we? That's the main reason for not pigeonholing them. You can't tell from their colour (or clothing or religion or anything else) whether they're nice or not, so I find it's best not to judge. We're perfectly entitled to feel irritated by people who aren't nice, but I think we should wait until we're sure.

But I wouldn't worry about it. You've found out something you didn't know, which can still happen at any age. You've always struck me (who's never met you) as a sensible person, ready to learn and that's all anyone can expect of you.

[jno]

Teleph0ne, it's not about you, okay? Stop moaning about paying taxes and read what B00 said.

[B00]

Yeah you're right jno. I'm just embarrassed that I immediately dismissed this lady due to her colour and lack of English.

[joggerjayne]

I like Waitrose.

You ask where one item is located, and then they ask "Will there be anything else?"

Before you know it ... they've done you shop for you !

[Bbbananas]

As peri says - it's not so much racism that most of us are guilty of from time to time - more intolerance and jumping to quick conclusions.

[B00]

jno- I assumed that telep0ne was taking the pi$$.....was they not?

[Bobbisox]

On a lighter note BOO, you did say it would come back and bite you on the ar$e one day in here, I'm sure sqads will get his healing balm out of mothballs and and liberally apply it to that area..LOL
Bobbi ♥

[TheJigsaw]

Teleph0ne (Tue 11:09 05/Jan/10)
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She was probably being paid to look after the old lady and it is typical of the people providing the carers to employ someone who is not capable of comunicating with the person they are caring for. Thats the thanks you get for paying tax and NI all your life!

So its not possible it was just a neighbor doing helping another telephone?

What a shaollow way to think.

[NoMercy]

So I suppose the kind Asian lady was doing all she could to be helpful to her neighbour. Just goes to show that there is good and bad in every society. Don't beat yourself up, Boo. Anyone who says they have never discriminated is a liar. We don't do it conciously, and when we become conscious of being discriminatory, we are shocked at ourselves.