I had one of the most humiliating experiences I have ever had at this Chamberlin's…read more
I was checking out groceries when I noticed my rewards points were lower than expected, so I was simply trying to understand what happened.
A customer behind me kept huffing and acting impatient. I asked if she was okay and if there was an issue because her behavior was making me uncomfortable. She became hostile and told me to mind my business. I responded because I have every right to address someone being rude to me.
This is where it started feeling discriminatory. The employee immediately took her side, apologized to her several times, and told me I could not talk to "her customers," even though I was also her customer.
I was the Black woman in a situation where almost everyone around me was white, and it felt like they had already decided I was the problem. It gave me a segregation era feeling, like I was supposed to accept a white woman being rude to me, stay quiet, and know my place. I was not raised to make myself smaller or kiss up to white people to keep the peace.
When I asked for the employee's name so I could speak with management, I raised my phone to get her name tag. She reached over the counter and pushed my phone AND my hand downward while the phone was in my hand. Her hand touched my hand while she did it. I immediately smacked her hand away and said, "Don't touch my phone."
Then she threatened to call the non emergency police number on me. There had been a verbal disagreement, but SHE crossed the physical boundary. I did not know what she would do next, so I got her hand away from me. As a Black woman, her threatening police after that felt like she was trying to weaponize law enforcement against me.
Another employee stepped in, honored my $10 reward, and calmed things down. I appreciated her, but it did not erase what happened.
After I left, I still felt humiliated, ganged up on, and discriminated against. That is why I called police. I wanted it documented and almost did not call because I feared I would end up being treated like the criminal.
Even when I called, I felt discouraged. I was told there was no telling how long an officer might take and that if I wanted court and paperwork, that was my choice. It felt like they were making the process sound like a burden.
The officer went inside and spoke with the store first even though I called. When he spoke with me, I felt like he was already taking their side. His tone was intimidating and snappy. I showed him my video; he looked at it quickly and went back inside. He later said the store's video showed she touched my phone but not my hand. I disagree. I was holding the phone. She pushed my phone AND my hand downward together.
Then I was told the employee was "choosing not to press charges" against ME because I smacked her hand away, almost like I should be grateful. I did not see that as a favor. She reached into my space first, pushed down my hand and phone, and I reacted by getting her hand away.
I called police because I felt something wrong had been done to me, yet I walked away feeling like what happened to me was minimized and I had somehow been turned into the potential criminal.
Then Chamberlin's decided to trespass ME after I called police. That is fine. I had no intention of returning.
I had never had a problem here before and thought the employees were nice. This showed me a different side once the conflict involved a white customer, a white employee, and me as the Black customer.
I cannot tell anyone what was in every person's mind. I can tell you what happened and how it felt. The disparity between how I was treated and how everyone else was treated was impossible to ignore. They received sympathy, credibility, and the benefit of the doubt while I was treated like the aggressor for standing up for myself.
That is why this felt discriminatory to me. People deserve to know how I was treated, especially Black customers.
Also the regional manager who later came to deal with the situation when I called the cops never came out to speak to me. Never got my side of the story, didn't care. I can get vitamins cheaper online. I was supporting a small business. I didn't know this is how they would treat me. I got a 30% off discount of vitamins elsewhere. They're a small store, constantly out of stock of items. I don't need the discrimination. I don't need the weird vibes. I just don't need any of it.