So, I have to take a dump yesterday.......

[rawaction]

at work, so I got to the bathroom on my floor (3rd floor in 4-floor building), and there's somebody in 1 of the 2 stalls already taking a dump. Not wanting to [expletive] next to someone else in a small bathroom, I take the elevator upstairs to the 4th floor men's restroom.

 

*background info* our staircase is locked (fire hazard) in the building, so you have to take the elevator everywhere. And the 4th floor is being remodled, so I figured I'd be alone up there, as opposed to the 2nd floor which has the most people employed in the building and happens to be the level with the vending machines.*

 

So, I get off the elevator and this white haired lady is glaring at me thru the glass doors and windows of her company's receptionist desk. So, I'm like whatever, and I go do the do. I get out, and remembering that the 3rd floor stairway door is propped open by napkins wedged into the wall (which it has been for about 3 weeks), I take the stairs down.

 

Well, I get back to work and about 15 minutes later, a co-worker comes to me and says, "hey, I was told to tell you not to use the 4th floor bathroom anymore". So, I'm thinking, so that's why the old lady was looking at me funny. I'm assuming it's because of the remodling, so I'm like ok, I didn't know we weren't supposed to be up there (remodling on opposite side of the building).

 

So, I tell another co-worker that I was told I couldn't use the bathroom upstairs and she told me she wasn't aware of any rule saying we couldn't.

 

*Background info* the co-worker I told this to is a white woman, married to a black man and they have 3 bi-racial boys....one of whom was called the "n" word just minutes ago and beat up the kid who said it. While I was in the bathroom, I guess she got a text from her son saying the boy's mother was pissed because her son got a bloody lip. So, she was already riled up*

 

So, she goes upstairs and asked if people were allowed to use the 4th floor restrooms. The white haired lady says, "oh, you have to ask her, and points to her co-worker." The co-worker says, "yes." So, Paula (my co-worker) says, "so what's the problem then?" She says she is completely calm the whole time and only asks that question. And the lady responds, "oh you mean the INCIDENT earlier" (since when is taking a dump an incident?). Then she goes on to say, that I was suspicious looking because I took the stairs down and had the door propped open with napkins. And then she points out that they had been robbed 3 times in the past few months. :shock:

 

*background info* there was a cleaning crew in the building a couple months back that was very shady looking (young guys), and a black guy was caught on camera in their office. If it's the guy I remember, he was about 19-22, light-skinned and had cornrows. I'm 29, dark and balding. And by the way, this was all done after hours when everyone was off of work.*

 

*more background info* It was dress-down Friday and ST. Pat's day, so I'm wearing jeans and my green Notre Dame jersey in the spirit of the day*

 

So, Paula comes and tells me, (I never knew she was going to confront this lady) what happened. So, I get pissed. This white-haired lady assumed that I was gonna rob them, the moment I stepped off the elevator, hence the look. Even after I went to the restroom, she must have retraced my steps and found that the 3rd floor door was propped open. So, I'm debating on whether to confront this woman, but I don't. I'm a pretty calm person, but no matter my demeanor, it still would have been a big black man confronting an aging white woman. So, I didn't want to go to her office and make a scene.

 

But at 5:00, I get off work and I'm waiting in the lobby for my g/f who is picking me up. The white-haired lady comes out of the elevator with another woman and a guy. I couldn't hold my frustration, so I calmly said, "I don't appreciate being treated like a criminal in the place where I work." She says, "Nobody's treating you like a criminal. We don't have a problem with you using the bathroom. But we do have one with you putting napkins in the door to prop them open." So, I explain to her that the napkins had been there for 3 weeks and I didn't do it in anyway whatsoever. And that she had no reason to assume 1. that I did it and 2. that I was gonna rob the place. So, she stormed out and I called her a "racist bitch".

 

*background info* I consider myself a Christian, and despite the things I type, I never verbally swear. My best friend of 19 years has never heard me swear. My girlfriend heard me for the first time yesterday, when I told her what I called the lady. And I don't raise my voice very often. Only twice in a 4 year relationship with my g/f.*

 

So, my g/f seeing how upset I was and not one to back down from a good confrontation, gets out the car and confronts the 3 who were still in the parking lot. The white-haired lady immediately walks away, so my g/f talks to the other girl and guy. The guy pulls out his phone and says, "Hey, I'll call the police if there's gonna be any violence." "We just came up here to pick her up because she was afraid something was gonna happen."

 

So, lets count.

 

1. Assumed I'm gonna rob them at 3:00 in the afternoon.

2. Assumed I put napkins in the door.

3. Assumed I was gonna get violent and called for protection to escort her out of work, despite the fact that I had never even said a word to this woman in the 9 months I've worked at this place.

4. Assumed that I would risk my job (which I'm sure pays more money than her job) just to mess with her.

 

My g/f goes on to tell them that I have never robbed anyone in my life, and that they had a better chance of her getting violent than they would with me. Still the lady insists her friend felt threatened and still hangs onto the notion that I'm the one that put the napkins in the door, despite me telling her otherwise.

 

5. Assumed I was a liar.

 

It really pisses me off that I am a soon to be 30-year old, college graduate from a major university with a degree in business, and people still look at me and see a threat.

[UK1679666180]

I'm surprised she didn't call security, you shouldn't be too surprised by it though. The older generation is definitely more racist than ours and the next generation will be less racist than ours.

 

You handled it as well as you could've.

 

The only time I ever offended anyone was at UK and I bumped into my old roomate (who is white) and I said "What's up bro?" and someone (who is black) overhead it and got offended by it. Wasn't meant as anything negative as that's how I greet close friends and still do sometimes. I knew my intentions weren't a form of mockery, so it never bothered me.

[Tim]

I can't even imagine how much that must suck.

[moochpuppy]

The only threat I see you as Raw, is a threat to kick my ass again in fantasy baseball. It's too bad in this day and age you still have to put up with [expletive] like that.

[BigbadB]

All of this could have easily been avoided if you just stop going poop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:D

 

I don't think this attitude will ever change. The United States isn't run in a way that would bring the races closer together. And it is sad.

[stitchface]

All of this could have easily been avoided if you just stop going poop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:D

 

I don't think this attitude will ever change. The United States isn't run in a way that would bring the races closer together. And it is sad.

 

 

I think it will slowly get better. But growing up in almost all-white town I saw a lot of racism being passed from generation to generation.

[goonys evil twin]

That's a lot of background information.

 

That sucks. I have a couple friends who we joke with on topics like this, but I doubt I could handle it with such a calm demeanor if it happened to me.

 

I think this stuff will continue to get better. The baby boom generation was raised by pre-civil rights era parents. I have older relatives, and friends with older relatives who still harbor some pretty disturbing feelings on race. More recent generations have been raised in completely different environments. I think racism is decreasing each time an old bigot dies. It'll never disappear, but it'll keep decreasing for a while.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Gotta hand it to you, raw. You handled that pretty calmly.

[rawaction]

saw the woman on Wednesday. I go to catch the elevator downstairs after work and she's on her way down from the 4th. She sees me waiting on the elevator and she literally runs behind the other woman on the elevator. I never even moved. I just let them close the door and wait for the next one.

 

My other idea was to stand in her personal space and just stare at her.

[stitchface]

saw the woman on Wednesday. I go to catch the elevator downstairs after work and she's on her way down from the 4th. She sees me waiting on the elevator and she literally runs behind the other woman on the elevator. I never even moved. I just let them close the door and wait for the next one.

 

My other idea was to stand in her personal space and just stare at her.

 

wow, you are too kind. I would have got on and stood right next to her. I would also be using that 4th floor bathroom every chance I get.

[abuck1220]

white people. :roll:

[Guest]

white people. :roll:

 

Adam.. that is racist! :) Just kidding, Raw, that totally sucks! I live in Detroit of all places, with a very high black population and see it here. It's not cool, and very sad! You have handled the situation well.