I stopped in my local supermarket to pick up some “stuff” the other evening and ended up at a checkout stand being run by a young man I’d never seen before. I’ve been trading at this store 4 or 5 times a week for the past 15 years so I know everyone by face if not name. No big deal.
When I get to the register I ask for a pack of smokes. The young man asks in broken English. “Can I see some identification?”
OK,this kid doesn’t understand English very well so I switch into Spanish. “You want to see what?”
I will never see 50 again and am not “well preservered” at all. WTF?
“I will not sell you cigarettes unless I see your ID.”
OK,through my astonishment, I think. 1. He’s not blind. 2.We’re not having a problem with language. 3. Since he rang up some very questionable items (Coors Light) on a Lone Star Card (foodstamps) for a young lady at her request (all done in Spanish),he’s not new or stupid about running a register.
I look around for the Candid Camera or something similar but all I see is this kid with the “No sabe” look on his face. Again I say You’re serious?" Again,he says “Yes”
My astonishment turned to anger in a flash. Using every restraint I could muster I reached across the counter and took the smokes without slapping that look off his face. I walk to the next checkout and ask a girl I knew. "Are you going to sell me these smokes. “Sure” she replied.
Realising that the whole store was watching this little episode and feeling the urge to do something really stupid, I left the other items and walked out of the store.
I drove all the way home (14 miles) and was still so PISSED!. I drove back to the store and confronted the asst. manager about the affair and got no explanation. I didn’t press the issue but asked when the manager would be on duty.
That was 2 days ago and I’m still not sure I can discuss this with the manager without getting pissed.
I realise that to get any kind of decent answer I must be calm and polite but DAMN . I’ve tried to analyse my day to see if there might have been another event that helped to push me “over the edge” like that but no luck. DAMMIT I"M STILL PISSED! That sucks.
Maybe I misread, but I fail to see where racism factored into the equation. I can understand that it would be annoying to be asked for identification when you are obviously of age, but I still don’t understand your (seemingly) sudden conversion to anger over it.
By your own account, you say that you’ve been visiting this store for quite some time and that most of the cashiers / employees know you. Did you not have your I.D. with you at the time? If not, did you call for a manager to approve the sale?
I wasn’t there so I can’t pass judgement, but from what you’ve posted it sounds like you acted out irrationally over what to me seems like a new guy just trying to do his job. Maybe you could clarify a bit more? I’m just not getting where the brunt of your anger is focused.
Why didn’t you just show him some I.D. and take it as a compliment like most people do in that situation? Maybe the store just got busted for selling to minors and just ordered the cashiers to card everybody every time to ensure that it will never happen again and prove to the authorities that they are doing their best to comply. I have seen that happen to several stores before.
Well, if it’s my choice I think you’re just a generic idiot. So a checker you don’t know checks for your ID on something that requires an ID to purchase? And you get upset because you are a “regular customer?” And you feel you look old enough not to have to follow the rules?
Just give him your fucking ID, asshole.
Sounds like this guy is new to the job, as far from intelligent as it is possible to be, and doesn’t realise that “checking everyone’s ID” practically means “check everyone under 30ish”, not people old enough to be the fathers of legal age smokers (if not the grandfathers).
Irritating, but I guess one must pity him, perhaps he has come from some special scheme to help people with educational problems or something.
I’m pissed that the food stamps wetn to buy Coors Light. Ugh. She could at least but some real beer. I might have a chat with the manager about that as well, food stamps aren’t intended for even good beer.
I just thought of something else that may excuse this guy’s mental faculty - maybe the shop has had a problem with shoplifters, or has been asked by the local police to look out for certain individuals (perhaps of your demographic) wanted in connection with crimes/hold ups/robberies in shops?
Sheeez…I wish someone would ask to see my ID again…
istara: And maybe, just like a lot of stores in my area, the cashier is required to card everyone they don’t know already is of age, no matter how old the customer appears to be.
As a white girl living in a Hispanic neighborhood, I fully sympathize about clerks who give better service in Spanish than English, but I doubt you will get any apology or improvement by talking to the manager. Let it go.
Thanks Neurotik. Kind’a comforting. Like putting on an old pair of boots. Are you a cop?
I’ve been the not-so-proud owner of a very volatile temper (hereditary I’m told) and have worked really hard to keep it in check. It’s embarassing,stupid and even painfull at times. I cannot for the life of me figure out how the “Asshole” leaped out and went right over the edge. And worse, why’s it still bugging me 3 days later.
It’s bugging you just like it bugs the rest of us when people follow direct yet stupid or unnecessary orders rather than common sense.
Maybe it was the other way around? I was born and raised on the border (West Texas) and learned TexMex at the same time I learned English. It’s sometimes interesting to see the reactions when meeting Spanish people for the first time (Hey,the juero speaks Spanish.) but this is the first resentment I’ve encountered. It might have pissed him off to realise he’d just been busted on the food stamp deal.
On another note, the store policy is "Gotta be 18. Gotta ask for ID if you look under 28. It’s on each register.
Figured them out long ago,herd mentality or just too lazy to think sum’s up that crowd. Either way their ignorable unless you’re bored and want to pick on them
Read neck,
your temper is hereditary, but so what?
“Common sense” doesn’t exist it’s just our way of describing our wishes for others’ behavior. Whenever you expect someone to behave a certain way just because you would like them to, well, you’re setting yourself up for a pissed off talk with a manager and a 14 mile drive home with no groceries.
switching to spanish was probably taken as an insult, condescending.
and the spanish word for someone with light colored skin and hair is spelled : Guero
Could be. I generally refrain from speaking Spanish to clerks who are behaving as though it were a secret code. I’ll sweetly wish them goodbye sometimes, just to see the faces drop. Nobody likes to be caught being rude/wrong. Maybe is was surprise, cleverly disguised as resentment.