Store manager Christopher,…read more
We stopped by with our son, who wore his motorcycle gear, balaclava and all, as one might wear a shield against a windy day. We had only intended a brief visit, to sip a drink, browse a few books and mostly remained together, a small family wandering among your shelves. (max visit time 15 minutes)
Yet one of your employees, your assistant who passed by our son while he was momentarily alone, muttered under his breath, not once but twice, that the face covering must come off. He did not stop. He did not speak directly. He did not address us, the parents. There was no "excuse me," no polite guidance. ONLY muttered judgment. It was a small thing, but in it was a certainty: our son, a minor, had been profiled and treated disrespectfully.
When our son brought this to our attention, we were at the café. The same employee continued from a distance, his tone sharp, dismissive, cocky even, claiming he had "told him twice" to remove it. Told him? Excuse me, are you his guardian? And then he declared that wearing a mask to hide your identity in any store is a felony in Virginia. That, by any measure, is inaccurate. The law requires proof of intent of wanting concealing one's identity. Something our son (Wearing ALL his motorcycle GEAR without helmet), calmly browsing with his parents, was clearly not doing.
The entire encounter...the indirect comments, the lack of professionalism, the misapplied law, was wholly inappropriate for a minor accompanied by his parents. Staff may be reminded that customers even minors, deserve respect, clarity, and honesty. A little courtesy goes a long way.
The statement regarding Virginia law was, quite simply, wrong. It was tossed out as if this law were a blanket statement "felony to wear a mask in a store." In truth, the law is far more subtle, far more sensible than that. It speaks of intent, of committing theft, assault, or some other misdeed while hiding one's face. Simply wearing a mask, with your parents by your side, wandering among books, or shielding yourself against the wind, does not, and never could, meet that standard. And even a store policy, no matter how strict, cannot turn an innocent action into a crime, nor justify rudeness, muttered commands, or the singling out of a child. To claim otherwise is to misunderstand the law entirely.
In Virginia, there is no sweeping law that declares wearing a mask in a store a felony. Laws about concealing one's identity do exist, yes, but they are narrow, precise, and bound by circumstance. They speak not of ordinary people, browsing quietly with their families, but of those whose intent drifts toward mischief or crime.
-Customers who prefers facts to fiction
