(Back story )
So it was a warm Sunday afternoon, we just got home had lunch and headed off to Costco to do our bulk shopping before coming back to point cook to do our weekly grocery shopping as we headed back my partner realised that Dunnings road was still under road works so we decided to go to sanctuary lakes off point cook road which was new to us as we normally go to point cook shopping centre as it has all 3 (coles, woollies and Aldi), despite living in Seabrook .
As mentioned earlier it was Sunday afternoon and so Coles was pretty busy .we started in the flesh green isle then worked our way to the other side .when we got to the personal/grooming isle my partner noticed that the Bonds socks were half price. ( we are both suckers for bonds socks ). As I was sorting out what I wanted, my partner told me that she forgot something and that she needed to go to the Deli and left me next to the Bonds with the trolly.
I was standing there for a good 5 minutes as I assumed that she needed to get a ticket. I noticed to staff members on the other side of the aisle looking at me and whisper to one another, I didn't think anything and I continued on my hard decision -.
The two staff members walked from the other end of the aisle and came and stood next to me continuously looking at me while doing nothing but rearrange groceries. That's when I realised that maybe they thought I was going to steal something and a few seconds later my partner arrived and in two seconds noticed how I was uncomfortable before blurting out in a loud voice ." are they here to watch you steal?' ( my partner in a previous life had been an undercover /recovery agent for coles so she knew the tactics).
We left the Isle after choosing a pair each and contuse shopping .an Isle later I heard over the P.A a familiar voice (the same guy who was standing next to me ) "Security to monitor the cameras". I felt a chill and told my partner we should leave. She was not easily chased off so she said that we should finish what we came to do as we are not doing anything wrong.
(DISCLAIMER: I am a person of colour and my partner is Caucasian) growing up I was told to avoid situations like this and just leave as if it escalates, chances are that no matter what happens I cannot be given a fair platform once the authorities were involved.
Anyway -back to my story.. every aisle we went to one of the two staff were next to us monitoring what we were doing. Including watching us as we paid.
As I explained it was Sunday and we came from church and so we were in our Sunday best( we were dressed smartly) so it's not like we didn't look as we fit in.
We had other groceries and stuff from other shops -so obviously we did have some money to pay for what we needed.
We had never been there -hence no prior occurrences/encounters in that coles.
I have been racking my mind all evening what I could to change the incident and the feeling of embarrassment but I thought it's best I warn other People of colour to avoid this Coles and just go to any other around the area as to avoid the same feeling.
Sometimes we cannot change racial bias and that is sad.
Have a great day all and happy shopping .just not here. read more