I NO LONGER FEEL "SAFE" AT THIS WALGREENS!…read more
This is not about the service I received in the Greek town location. It's about what happened after I left the store. This occurred approximately 14-hours ago (12:30-ish am/2/3/24). It was around mid-night that I decided to walk down the street a few blocks to Walgreens. I only purchased cereal and milk... and a small bag of popcorn. For the record, hopefully everything inside the store was caught on the security cameras.
While shopping in the aisles, I had spoken to a police officer who was shopping, thanking him for his service. They do a job that you couldn't pay me enough to do. Anyway, after walking slowly through the store (I walk slow due to health problems), I paid for each item then stepped aside to make room for the next customer while I looked at my receipt and put the items in my own (blue & white) shopping bag. It's made of a sort of sturdier than paper cloth.
I got myself together and finally exited the store at a slow walking pace. By the time I reached the traffic light at the end of the block (going north at Monroe), I stopped to open my bag of popcorn. I was struggling to open the bag, due to health problems). Suddenly, a slightly taller than me, heavy-set male approached me from behind, demanding in a threatening tone to show him what's in my bag. I initially thought I was being robbed. I slowly turned around asking, "Why? (trying to stall and access)".
The street was dark, isolated, and no traffic. Where's a cop car when you need one? Hey. There's a cop inside the Walgreens. That said, the guy kept demanding I show him what's in my bag. Was I being mugged? I asked, "Who are you?" He seemed to get frustrated not answering my question and demanded I show him the contents of my bag. Now, I really think I'm getting mugged. I still asked him, "Why?" He got even more frustrated and said, "Just open your bag!" Once again, I asked "Why?" Was this a hungry homeless person?,,, Retarded?... I mean, mentally challenged. Should I scream?
I suddenly thought to myself... Is this a Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman moment (Feb 26, 2012) when a non-Black guy (hiding a gun on his person) stalks a lone African-American male in a dark, isolated area with no witnesses to start a physical altercation (fight) after which said non-Black guy pulls out the gun he was hiding, to murder the African-American male... Then claim he feared for his life, shooting in self-defense of the altercation he started with a guy who was minding his own business?
He then said something like. "There's a box in your bag". A box? I turned to look inside my bag to see what box he was referring to. Before I knew it, he reached inside my bag and grabbed my box of cereal (Cheerios) and walked off real fast in the direction of the Walgreens. Did I mention, I don't walk fast? I walked back to the store to tell the police officer inside (provided he was still there) and the Walgreens that I had just been robbed by a hungry homeless person. He took my box of Cheerios and ran off. I still had the milk. I was willing to risk it sounding funny,
By the time I reached the front entrance, the young woman who waited on me at the cash register met the guy just outside the store. She was talking to him. Oh... Is this moron a Walgreens employee who didn't have the sensed to identify himself as such? He was not wearing a Security uniform, and he was not the police. When I got there, the cashier was so apologetic. She told me that after my very slow departure from the store, an alarm went off. Really? It must've been silent because I didn't hear any alarm... and I was walking slow as a snail.
I asked, "This is what sent this moron (still standing there for some reason) stalking down the street behind me?"... Oh... I get it now... He was treating me like I was a CRIMINAL. He expected me to blindly do as he said while refusing to answer my basic questions ("Who are you?" and "Why do you want to see what's in my bag?") Had I realized that, this would've ended with me cussing him da'hell out on the street... and probably escalating. Why didn't anyone tell the cop inside the store? Why send an inexperienced, over-excited, don't know anything employee who is not even law enforcement to assault me?
OK. Now I can't help this. Was it because I'm black?
Although the cashier apologized, this incident is still with me. For all I know, I was targeted, it was done one purpose, and I'm not convinced it won't happen again.
Anyway, I just thought I should document this incident somewhere, in case incidents like this happen all the time to black people at this Walgreens location... or any others.
