Valet parking?

[jcp123]

I'd kinda prefer being invisible in a retail establishment. I don't care for associates walking up to me and asking if I need help...

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by Cobb

You dont have to be black to get that treatment. Everyone tries to make it a black/white thing. I use to work on cars and a junkyard wearing dirty coveralls off after work to shop. I couldnt get a salesmans attention at circuit city with the way I was dressed.

I liked my one piece coveralls, however they made me invisible in retail environments.

^This. It's all about your appearance. I've gone on parts runs and errand running in the middle of jobs so I'm in grubby work clothes and I'm The Invisible Man- cashiers and whatnot either pretend I don't exist or wish I didn't. Go into the same places later all cleaned up and they're as nice as can be.

[user removed]

Only valet parking here I have experienced is hospitals and casinos.

One I remember is standing at the door of the casino and watching a very old man (80-90 plus) using a walker to get to his car about 125 yards in the parking lot. I guess he considered the slot machines to be a better investment.

As far as people mistaking me for an employee or otherwise in retail establishments. It rarely ever happens. Being not much of a shopper, my typical visit to a retail establishment is for a specific purpose, typically done as quickly as possible.

The exception would be the antique mall, where the wife and I go to walk when it's raining or just too cold. I think the last thng I bought there wasadremel tool that was so old the bodyof the tool was bakelite, probably nothing bought in the last 10 visits.

I do like standing liberty quarters and occasionally pick one up if the price is decent.

regards
mech

[jamesqf]

As far as shopping goes, Amazon is the great equalizer :-) (And eBay, NewEgg, AbeBooks...)

But it's not just retail where it happens. I think the funniest was last winter at the library. It was just after I took a fall off the horse, so my arm's in a cast, and I'd cut up an old coat & sweatshirt to fit over it. This woman somehow got it into her head that I was a homeless person, and followed me out the door trying to persuade me that there were all sorts of shelters I could go to, assistance I could get...

[Fat Charlie]

And there's always camelcamelcamel to equalize the equalizer.

Most work uniform "suits" are clearly uniforms. They're just close enough to suits that they could be described that way... if you really want to. I think Obama's point was that his skin made him invisible no matter what he was wearing- that black skin could make even a good suit look only "suit-like" because as a black, he obviously wasn't a customer.

But I didn't see the clip of him saying it and I haven't discussed his motives with him, so I could be reading it wrong. It seems reasonable to me, though.

[Xist]

Originally Posted by nemo

Here valet parking is quite common malls, restaurant, casinos and even hospitals have valet parking. I avoid valet parking.

One of the nearest malls to me has valet parking. I honestly do not know if others do, but have any of you heard of Scottsdale, Arizona? I imagine there is all kinds of places with valet parking. The last hospital at which my sister worked had valet parking. Brian Regan had a bit about that:

I just recently had to go to the emergency room. I had some stomach virus thing. I almost called an ambulance. It's weird I mean considering calling an ambulance for yourself. Y'know. You call an ambulance for other people right? What are you suppose to say about yourself? "Can you come get me? Yeah I don't feel so good. Just come on in and I'll be lying on the floor." Just looking at the phone going "I don't know how to do this." I don't know what to do and it was at night so I drove myself to the emergency room. That's a nice relaxing drive. "No... after you." "Merge. Everybody merge. I'm only imploding." I pull up at the entrance to the emergency room, no valet parking. If that's not the biggest oversight in our solar system. If there was ever a time when you want to go "Can you park this cause I need to collapse immediately." But no I'm circling around the parking lot. "Can I park there? I think I'm going to die." 'I'm dying too.' "OK, go ahead. I'll go up a couple of levels." I don't care if your driving yourself or someone else to the emergency room you still want to get out and run in with them. Are you suppose to drop somebody off and go park a car? "OK you go in! Tell them you're shot! Ask them if they validate."

The video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP4zgb9H3Cg

[Xist]

Originally Posted by mcrews

read what michelle said about being 'asked for help' at Target.
Had nothing to do w/ being black.

I read something about that. It was one of those things where I wondered how it got into my news feed. I did not understand why she mentioned it in the first place or why anybody shared it, and at least the part that I read did not include anything like "People still discriminate against me and I am the First Lady!" It just had the boring story.

Originally Posted by jamesqf

That was part of my point about reality disconnects, or maybe it's more just an obliviousness to how lots of other people live. There's the blanket assumption that being a "professional" means that you naturally go to the sort of upscale hotel, restaurant, or whatever that would have valet parking. Now what with conferences, business meetings, and the like, I've been to a few such places over the years, but they're far from being my natural habitat. So what does that say about a person who can & does frequent such places, yet claims to be a victim of discrimination?

I also can't help but wonder about my chances of even being allowed into many such places, if I went as my normal self. Not high, I think.

Oh, yeah: maybe even better than the being mistaken for an employee trip is the one where you stop to offer some one a hand, and they try to tip you.

I guess that I have not ever been a professional. I have had a few jobs where I needed to dress the part, but few people respect teachers, and nobody respects substitute teachers.

I have had people try to tip me, not because they thought that I was an employee, though. I have had people ask for help in stores and I always think that it is weird because I am not dressed like the employees, but I help if I can.

I believe this is the relevant video. For some reason, YouTube videos are not working for me. I have tried four browsers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG1qrQ778m0

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

But I didn't see the clip of him saying it and I haven't discussed his motives with him, so I could be reading it wrong. It seems reasonable to me, though.

Fair enough. Thread over?

Originally Posted by Xist

It was one of those things where I wondered how it got into my news feed.

Google 'Strasbourg Goose'

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

I think Obama's point was that his skin made him invisible no matter what he was wearing- that black skin could make even a good suit look only "suit-like" because as a black, he obviously wasn't a customer.

Well, if his skin made him invisible, then no one would be handing him the car keys :-)

But yes, I do understand that that was the point he thought he was making. My point was that if the same thing happens to us white folks, as it has to me (and to others here), then how can it be due to skin color?

[jcp123]

Speaking of humorous Chinese discrimination...my brother has a good friend who is Chinese. Her parents own a store in San Francisco...she can't take him in there because he will be summarily kicked out, according to him, accompanied by shouts of "you white people steal!"