Walked into Tescos last night...

[Le_Petit_Lapin]

I'm sure its not.

Never been asked before and I frequent this particular store on a regular basis.

So the obvious conclusion is that its because this particular security guard is racist.

Not something like....ooh I dunno....the rest of the security guards slacking? Maybe its just a new policy?

No, its must be because this particular guard is suspicious about black people....and he singled you out, and you felt oppressed and under the chains of slavery, blah blah blah...

 

[Pug]

I'm a 38 year old 6 foot 1 black male so I clearly have a propensity to rob convenience stores at the end of my road,

lol, least you can giggle about it

 

[^TANK^]

Welsh?

Hey Steady!!!, this is a family forum..

 

[markweatherill]

Actually mike gunnz, your avatar makes you look rather pale-faced.

 

[antijoke]

It's quiet sad that you are:

38
A social worker
Father of two
Going to an education class

and still acting like a complete ****!

 

[^TANK^]

It's quiet sad that you are:

38
A social worker
Father of two
Going to an education class

and still acting like a complete ****!

Gent?

 

[Kazz]

If there ever was a single reason to post this picture, this is it

 

[Street]

black guy in ''it must be because hes racist'' shocker

Some people like to call the race card too much!

I was in the beer shop not long ago and the woman refused to serve a girl because she was clearly underage. The girl responded by calling her racist etc.. At least the OP didn't respond like this!

In response to the OP.. I've been told to take my hat off, hood down loads of times when going into shops. Its just so the security cameras can get a good look at you in case you did do something wrong!

 

[mike gunnz]

Some people like to call the race card too much!

I was in the beer shop not long ago and the woman refused to serve a girl because she was clearly underage. The girl responded by calling her racist etc.. At least the OP didn't respond like this!

In response to the OP.. I've been told to take my hat off, hood down loads of times when going into shops. Its just so the security cameras can get a good look at you in case you did do something wrong!

People who hide behind accusations of racism in response to perceived slights are as despicable as those who actually perpetrate acts of racism in my opinion. Nevertheless I interpreted being asked to remove my hood as an assumption on the security guard's part that I may engage in act of theft, which I think is unacceptable. If they have me on camera stealing or attempting to steal then by all means prosecute, until then, leave me alone, is kind of how I see it.

Edit/ If he thought that I presented a 'risk' he could have discreetly observed me without me ever knowing, without talking to me and certainly without any need to make such a request.

 

[gurusan]

straight gangsta yo

 

[Le_Petit_Lapin]

Nevertheless I interpreted being asked to remove my hood as an assumption on the security guard's part that I may engage in act of theft, which I think is unacceptable. If they have me on camera stealing or attempting to steal then by all means prosecute, until then, leave me alone, is kind of how I see it.

No, you assumed he had a racist view of black people as you said in your original post:

I was, offended but unsurprised. I'm a 38 year old 6 foot 1 black male so I clearly have a propensity to rob convenience stores at the end of my road

You imply that because you are black the security guard is more likely to think of you as a thief, not because you are wearing a hoodie.

And I'd rather that the security guard prevented crime, as opposed to fixing the problem after the event. Prevention is better than cure and all that.

 

[Cyanide]

I went in to our local Tesco's petrol station in my motorbike helmet once. They refused to serve me so rather than taking it off I torched the place. Served them right.

 

[drunkenmaster]

Find a disturbing number of replies are either, just do it because someone asks you for no real reason, or you're confirming the stereotype because you don't want some two bit guard telling you what to do.

The fact that he inwardly was angry towards someone who was stereotyping him as a criminal is a completely normal response, we all get angry with being treated badly, theres different levels of anger and different ways to express it. He didn't actually thump the guy, nor did he rob the store, in which case he clearly didn't confirm the stereotype.

LIkewise, not wanting to put your hoodie down, presumeably when its very cold and you're only going inside for a minute isn't terrible behaviour, nor is not doing what someone else wants you to do.

What if the security guy had said, would you mind stripping naked so we know you don't have a weapon, end of the day its a request, not a demand or a requirement, he didn't want to, where did he act like a **** as someone put it?


THeres also a huge difference between an old guy on his own(older anyway) in a hoodie, on a very cold night, and a group of 12-25 year olds in hoodies acting suspiciously.

Why no stores have ever thought of just putting a camera at face level right infront of the door which would make it far easier to get a decent pic of everyones face I don't know.

 

[NVP]

Ha ha ha why you gotta take it so personally?! Weren't like he dropped the N-bomb or said somthing bout yo momma.

Either he was racist but only had enough balls to ask you to remove your hood, or he was just doing his job... either way you undermined him making him look foolish, now wouldn't you feel bad if he wasn't a racist and you cost him his job for allowing you to walk around the store with your hood up?

Allow all this racism **** these days, unless it's truly horrific or physically harmful just let it roll off your back, don't secretly resent people, just ignore them and get on with your day to day.

I was followed around a co-op by new security staff two/three weeks after I'd stopped working there (I worked there for two years straight)... it wasn't purely because I'm Indian, or 6'5", or had gold chains on, or smelt of an illegal substance... it was the combination of the everything... yes race plays a factor but everything else also adds to the suspicion.... so forgive security for doing their job.

 

[Guest2]

Actually mike gunnz, your avatar makes you look rather pale-faced.

His signature makes up for it though. Might need re-wording to

Macbook Pro. 13"

 

[drunkenmaster]

No, you assumed he had a racist view of black people as you said in your original post:



You imply that because you are black the security guard is more likely to think of you as a thief, not because you are wearing a hoodie.

And I'd rather that the security guard prevented crime, as opposed to fixing the problem after the event. Prevention is better than cure and all that.

You couldn't be more wrong, on really everything you said. From what I recall it was someone else making a joke about being black so he must be racist who first brought it up.

Everyone else in the thread has the sense to realise the security guard was assuming the hoodie might equal trouble, not the colour. He merely described how he looked after mentioning he was offended....... for being considered a potential thief merely based on his hoodie.

Its doubtful a security guard from distance spots a guy in a hoodie walking in and can see he's black, he can see the hoodie though and thats what they asked him to put down, its not like the guard asked him not to be black while in the store.

As for prevention being better than a cure, yes and no, I don't want to live in a society where I'm assumed to be a criminal for no good reason whatsoever and have anything effected by it.

Infact personally I took his description of his height, age and colour to mean he's not your average chav in a hoodie, nor looks like your average chav in a hoodie, so being treated like an average chav in a hoodie is what caused him offence.

I neither act, nor dress like an average chav, if for some reason I was wearing a hoodie and had it up, I'd be offended if someone mistook me for a thieving chav, wouldn't you?

 

[Le_Petit_Lapin]

THeres also a huge difference between an old guy on his own(older anyway) in a hoodie, on a very cold night, and a group of 12-25 year olds in hoodies acting suspiciously.

Because people over the age of 25 never rob places?

 

[mike gunnz]

So the obvious conclusion is that its because this particular security guard is racist.

Not something like....ooh I dunno....the rest of the security guards slacking? Maybe its just a new policy?

No, its must be because this particular guard is suspicious about black people....and he singled you out, and you felt oppressed and under the chains of slavery, blah blah blah...

These things are never obvious mate. And because policies, in any walk of life, are put in place does not mean they are not open to challenge.

 

[Le_Petit_Lapin]

You couldn't be more wrong, on really everything you said. From what I recall it was someone else making a joke about being black so he must be racist who first brought it up.

Er no, it was the OP in his original post actually.

 

["andy"]

what are you smoking DM ? .

OP clearly thinks the security guard victimized him because he was black. why else would he be so offended ? and why would he even bring up colour at all ?

infact he even says it sarcastically here

I'm a 38 year old 6 foot 1 black male so I clearly have a propensity to rob convenience stores at the end of my road, therefore the security guard was fully justified in launching a pre-emptive strike