# I pit the soon-to-be-named racist lady from Danville, VA (Lowe's delivery story) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 10, 2015, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458 "2015-08-10T16:13:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458/141 "2015-08-12T01:14:38Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > I worked big box retail management in the past and while upper management did put you in Catch 22 situations this wouldn’t be one of them. > This is about as cut-n-dry retail management 101 as you can get. > Protecting yourself and your employees from physical altercations, sexual harassment, racial harassment, verbal abuse, etc. will trump “make the customer happy” every time. > After 10 years of tossing people out of the store for shoving me, swearing at me, using racial slurs about my employees, harassing young cashiers did upper management ever, ever come back to tell me “you shouldn’t have done that”. This, exactly this. I worked as a retail store manager starting about 20 years ago and did it for four years. Even back in the '90s, every single employee (most making minimum wage or close to it) had to take training that explained what constituted discrimination and explaining not to do it. Additionally, every single district manager I had who used “the customer is always right” as a guideline, not a rule, adding an “except when…” after it. It really meant, “most reasonable and even some unreasonable demands should be met, but you have to draw the line somewhere.” We would accept merchandise returns that violated our stated return policy if we thought it was worth avoiding the ordeal and an unhappy customer, but we certainly wouldn’t accept demands that were ridiculous or broke the law. If a customer wasn’t happy and escalated to the district manager, the worst that ever happened for a manager action that was justifiable was a chewing out, but most of the time it was simply, “Look, you did the right thing but we’re making an exception to keep the customer happy this time.” In other words, the claim by those bellyaching about the manager being put in a no-win situation is almost certainly bullshit. If a manager got fired for refusing to violate the law, then an unhappy racist customer would be the least of Lowe’s problems. ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458/142 "2015-08-12T01:21:25Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > You mean the slight where the black driver was sent somewhere else, didn’t have to work any harder, got paid the same, AND avoided having to deal with a crabby old racists bitch? > > I also feel sorry for the manager. He was probably in deep doo doo no matter what he did. First, someone already explained how this could lead to a company needing to fire non-white delivery people if they got a reputation for complying to requests like this. Second, it is illegal. Third, believe it or not, some delivery drivers get a commission per job on top of their base pay. Finally, bullshit that he was in deep shit no matter what. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458/143 "2015-08-12T01:46:14Z")
> [@theR](#): > > In other words, the claim by those bellyaching about the manager being put in a no-win situation is almost certainly bullshit. If a manager got fired for refusing to violate the law, then an unhappy racist customer would be the least of Lowe’s problems. Yes, but what do you say about a situation where a customer will get angry at you and call corporate just because they did not get what they want, but leave out the details that make them look bad? This happens all the time in retail, it ends up just being your word against the customer. Every retail establishment is different, and you may have worked for more well run places. Not all places are very well run. Furthermore, everyone saying that the manger had an easy decision is completely ignoring the evidence that this is not a necessarily easy decision as pointed out by **Jackmanii**. Why does that story and his post get ignored so easily? Why are the doctors who made the same decision as a retail manger given a pass? ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458/144 "2015-08-12T02:10:34Z")
The dispatcher was _allegedly_ fired. After all, [**a Jeff Dunham dummy**](http://static1.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.2320089.1439172635!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_635/marcus-bradley.jpg) can’t order anything. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458/145 "2015-08-12T02:25:30Z")
> [@Mr.Nylock](#): > > Yes, but what do you say about a situation where a customer will get angry at you and call corporate just because they did not get what they want, but leave out the details that make them look bad? > This happens all the time in retail, it ends up just being your word against the customer. If you happen to be someone taking customer complaints at the corporate office I’m pretty sure you’re used to customers giving “their” sides of the story. They’re really not interested in he-said she-said arguements. They’re just there working off a script reitterating company policies. In reality the way these “complaints” are routed is any complaint about an employee is bounced back to the store manager to handle. Any complaint about a store manager is bounced back to a district manager. And so on. They in turn will talk to that employee or manager, get their story, get the facts, get any employee witness’ stories, and then take care of it. I’ve never seen in my 16 years of retail seen an employee get canned for something a customer “said” they did unless there was a witness to it or some other kind of evidence. In other words the customers “word” carries very little weight. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458/146 "2015-08-12T02:33:38Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > The dispatcher was _allegedly_ fired. After all, [**a Jeff Dunham dummy**](http://static1.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.2320089.1439172635!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_635/marcus-bradley.jpg) can’t order anything. Is that Walter’s wife? She has been aging like milk. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458/147 "2015-08-12T02:45:24Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > If you happen to be someone taking customer complaints at the corporate office I’m pretty sure you’re used to customers giving “their” sides of the story. They’re really not interested in he-said she-said arguements. They’re just there working off a script reitterating company policies. > In reality the way these “complaints” are routed is any complaint about an employee is bounced back to the store manager to handle. Any complaint about a store manager is bounced back to a district manager. And so on. > They in turn will talk to that employee or manager, get their story, get the facts, get any employee witness’ stories, and then take care of it. > I’ve never seen in my 16 years of retail seen an employee get canned for something a cuomer “said” they did unless there was a witness to it or some other kind of evidence. > In other words the customers “word” carries very little weight. So, where you worked, the customer was always wrong, more or less? And you’re saying that this whole process is something that employees were completely unconcerned about going through? You have worked different places than me, so you say you never have seen such a thing as someone being fired for a customer complaint, I have. And we could go on all day about this, but really the main question forming in my mind is why when doctors do the same exact thing there is no outrage. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458/148 "2015-08-12T02:55:58Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Patients have on occasion demanded white physicians. Incredibly, a few hospitals/clinics have [given in](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/10855575/Racist-couple-demanded-white-doctor.html) to such requests. I really don’t see anything wrong with this. I have preferences about physicians, too. Female. In this order: (1) white female (2) black female (3) other female. In an emergency I wouldn’t be picky, though. Also, there is a store I won’t go back to because I don’t like the looks of one of the salespeople, but I am too polite to say so in the store, i.e., ask for somebody else. So I just don’t go there. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458/149 "2015-08-12T02:58:37Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > I really don’t see anything wrong with this. I have preferences about physicians, too. Female. In this order: (1) white female (2) black female (3) other female. In an emergency I wouldn’t be picky, though. And you consider yourself to be a much more sophisticated person than the subject of this pit thread? ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458/150 "2015-08-12T03:03:29Z")
Well, a delivery person, that’s not a personal relationship. A doctor is. I mean, I don’t care who drops off the package. About physicians, let’s be clear, if I’m unconscious and they’re operating on me, I don’t care as long as they are super competent. If they’re giving me a pelvic and I’m conscious? Female. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458/151 "2015-08-12T03:19:45Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > Well, a delivery person, that’s not a personal relationship. A doctor is. I mean, I don’t care who drops off the package. > > About physicians, let’s be clear, if I’m unconscious and they’re operating on me, I don’t care as long as they are super competent. If they’re giving me a pelvic and I’m conscious? Female. Entering into someone’s home is pretty personal according to some people. And a person being old and elderly just adds to that. You just posted that you prefer white doctors to black doctors, now you are just contradicting yourself by saying all you care about is competence and gender. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458/152 "2015-08-12T03:27:44Z")
> [@Mr.Nylock](#): > > … > > You just posted that you prefer white doctors to black doctors, … So that makes her a racist? I don’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458/153 "2015-08-12T03:40:44Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > So that makes her a racist? I don’t think so. But I’m not sure what difference it would make what color her gynecologist is. Perhaps there will be an elaboration. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458/154 "2015-08-12T03:42:11Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > So that makes her a racist? I don’t think so. Judging someone by the color of their skin makes it racist in my book. Oh, I’m guessing you have the idea, “Well a relationship with your physician _is_ such personal thing, you need to have someone you’re_comfortable_ with.” I can say for certain that when I had major surgery and also when I was choosing a doctor race was not on my radar at all. I’m sure you have some sort of twisted logic to explain how it is not racist - let’s just assume it will too complicated for a simple minded person such as myself to understand. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458/155 "2015-08-12T04:17:12Z")
> [@Mr.Nylock](#): > > I can say for certain that when I had major surgery and also when I was choosing a doctor race was not on my radar at all. When I had emergency surgery at the US Army Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany, the doctor operating looked and sounded exactly like George Hamilton in _Love at First Bite_. Didn’t bother me a bit. I’m fairly certain race wouldn’t’ve played a big part either. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458/156 "2015-08-12T04:20:39Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > My parents eloped across the Ohio river to KY to get married. > (long and pathetic story) While there, they encountered a woman sitting on her porch who started chatting with the newly weds. > > In the course of explaining how things worked, she commented to the effect: > “Every once in a while, you just lynch a n\*\*\*\*r and it keeps the rest in their place”. > This was stated in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. > This was 1938. Yes, KY was one of the slave states which did not join the CSA. Maryland was another. In 1966, my dad has his first “grown-up” job selling insurance in his hometown of Rocky Mount, North Carolina. He often tells the story of calling on a client at his home, and getting into a discussion of James Meredith, who had just been shot in Mississippi during his one-man March Against Fear. The client was incredulous: “Can you believe they shot that nigger with birdshot? Everybody knows, if you’re gonna shoot a nigger, you shoot him with buckshot.” \* Dad says that’s when he knew it was time to leave North Carolina. He very soon after moved to Cleveland, where my Mom was from. - Dad swears the quote is verbatim. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458/157 "2015-08-12T04:20:40Z")
Hey, I have a lot of weird qualifications for medical personnel. I can’t really explain them. I have a couple of friends who are doctors, and I’m sure they’re competent, but I wouldn’t voluntarily go to them. However, if I ended up in their ER, okay fine. My next-door neighbor is a dentist, and by all reports he’s a really excellent dentist, and I need a new dentist, but I’m not going to him because I would feel weird. If he were a used-car salesman and I was in the market for a used car I would absolutely go to him. Like I said, I can’t really explain this. I’m not a racist. I don’t know what it is though. “Twisted logic” maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458/158 "2015-08-12T04:36:09Z")
The twisted logic of racism… Look it’s not the worst racist act in the world, but what you’re doing is on the bad side of the racism scale. If you’re uncomfortable you’re uncomfortable. Select whatever doctor you want. But be honest that what you’re describing is an example of racism. A lot of people prefer the company of their own race in social situations. Heck I probably would if ask I knew was the prospective social partners’ races. This is racism but pretty innocuous in the long run in most cases. I’d understandable to feel some hesitation at extending yourself culturally like that. But you’re talking about choosing professional services offered by highly trained people. Race should be completely irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458/159 "2015-08-12T04:38:26Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > Hey, I have a lot of weird qualifications for medical personnel. I can’t really explain them. I have a couple of friends who are doctors, and I’m sure they’re competent, but I wouldn’t voluntarily go to them. However, if I ended up in their ER, okay fine. My next-door neighbor is a dentist, and by all reports he’s a really excellent dentist, and I need a new dentist, but I’m not going to him because I would feel weird. If he were a used-car salesman and I was in the market for a used car I would absolutely go to him. Like I said, I can’t really explain this. > > I’m not a racist. I don’t know what it is though. “Twisted logic” maybe. “I don’t have racist views, I just don’t want a black doctor”. . . . durpadurpadurp. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458/160 "2015-08-12T05:05:18Z")
I can kind of understand from just a personal preference and comfort aspect someone might say they prefer a doctor of the same race/ethnicity as themselves. If you were choosing a primary care doctor that you would see semi-frequently over the years, it might be easier to bring up or ask embarrassing medical questions to a Doctor you assume has a similar cultural background (possibly mistakenly) to your own. I wouldn’t call a black guy that had a preference for a black doctor or a Jewish or Indian man/woman seeking a doctor that was Jewish or Indian racist if it was just their personal preference and wanted someone they think they can relate with on some level if it makes them more comfortable. Now if only a doctor of some other race or ethnicity is available and they outright refuse to be seen by them that to me would be what makes it racist. I’m a white guy and my primary care doctor is a white guy and on some psychological level it makes me more comfortable to talk to him about my bout of diarrhea than the female Asian doctor. But when I had my jaw surgery I had no problem being operated on by a black doctor because I knew he had tons of experience and was one of the more skilled surgeons in the area. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-soon-to-be-named-racist-lady-from-danville-va-lowes-delivery-story/727458.md?page=9)