Okay, I may be paranoid here... (racial question)

[Kim&Chris]

I wouldn't consider it a racial issue. I'm white and I was once asked a housekeeping question at a resort. It has nothing to do with race - - people are just in a hurry & don't think before they speak.

 

[auntpolly]

Needless to say this bugged the living stink out of me.
--Robinrs

Just wanted to say that I've never heard this expression and I like it and I'll be stealing it --- thanks!

About the lady, people suck, what could I say. We used to joke about my DH, then boyfrend, in college, because he just didn't have much money and his clothes weren't that great and if we were at a gas station, people were asking him to pump their gas, if we were at KMart, people were asking him to carry things out to their car, and if we were at a salad bar, people were asking to refill the potato salad. He used to say, "Right away m'am, and then walk away with me. Lots of times people are just clueless.

 

[tiff211]

Depends on how she said it "was she snotty" or did she ask nicely? I would have said something like "No, but I was just going to ask you the same thing" Gotta hit them with the one two! LOL!!

Funny thing is I am thinking of my past hotel stays within the last few years and I don't think any of the housekeepers that I saw were Black. Mostly Hispanic and White.

 

[Buckalew11]

There obviously is something wrong with it if it bothers you so much.

Sorry but

I guess I know Robin too well.


Robin, maybe being sensitive to this comes from living in the South. Don't get me wrong, living in the South is wonderful but there are still a lot of racial tensions that are alive and well. I have heard many, many stories. Sometimes I think minorities are too sensitive and many times I think they are justified.

 

[yeartolate]

I think you should let it roll off your back.

I am a middle aged white woman and get asked on occasion if "I work here".


Racism certainly exists, and it is ugly. But I am seeing alot of assumptions of racism, particularly in the workplace. Better to let it roll of your back than spend your time trying to decide if something was racist or not.

 

[minkydog]

I've been asked more than a MILLION times about directions or etc in different places.... this is not the point at all. It's the fact that she assumed that I was a housekeeper. NOT that there's anything WRONG with that...
I was not approaching her, I was going to my room and passing her in the hallway.

I guess there is something wrong with being a housekeeper. Not being black myself, it didn't occur to me that this would be offensive, but I get it now. You don't want to be identified by a stereotype as a domestic worker. i get it.

 

[scraptoons]

I don't think it's racial. It's brain on vacation.

My husband and I get that all the time, 4 days ago when we were at a miniature golf place!

For the record, we are whities and we had our small kids with us.

Duh! Who brings three whiney kids to work?

I used to work retail in my single gal days. I was convinced that even the nicest and smartest people loose their brain cells when they walk into the door.

Have a great day!

 

[In a hurry]

There obviously is something wrong with it if it bothers you so much.

It is the assumption that is the issue. We spent 2 weeks in Florida this winter and on numerous occasions I was stopped (in my shorts, baby, family in tow) and was asked or it was assumed that I was working for housekeeping. I shake my head, and try to shake it off. (One sweet little girl thought I ws a CM in Mexico, though!)

Prejudice exists in this day and age. Sad but true.

I went last year to help two friends of color buy a vehicle. We were all well-dressed, professional looking folk. Two dealerships lost their business because none of the salespeople standing around not working could be bothered with us. Now, you have to understand that one of them is the best eye surgeon in town, and her husband is a psychologist, and dean at the college. They bought matching SUVs at the dealership that approached us to help. It is frustrating, and it does taint my view on occasion.

dznygirl, do you just want to explain to them that you wear the smock as a fashion statement?

 

[blondewithbrains]

I think some people leave their brains at home when they go on vacation.

 

[Marseeya]

I would be offended and I think people's answers here would depend because people just don't know how it is to live like a person of a different race. Has anyone seen the show Black.White? Even the African American guy that was made up to look Caucasian admitted that was the first time anyone serviced him for golf shoes.

Robin even states

I'm not discounting the experience of others, but she was dressed in vacation wear, not standing near a sign near the pool and not wearing similar housekeeper clothes or looking like an employee of a store. She looked like she was on vacation and the person assumed she was a housekeeper.

I get people knocking on our door at home asking me if I am the housekeeper.

Robin wasn't asked if she works there - the person assumed she was a housekeeper. I guess most folks want to be politically correct here and tell us that it doesn't exist and to not make anything out of blatant racism, huh?

That's stretching a bit. Just because some of us don't believe THIS incident is racism doesn't mean we don't believe it exists.

 

[sajetto]

I have many times been asked if I work places that I don't. I tend not to think of it as a race issue.

Same here. I can't tell you how many times I've been in Belk, SteinMart, or Bed Bath and Beyond and someone has asked me if I worked there.

I very BRIEFLY worked in housekeeping at a Holiday Inn in high school. Let me tell you, that job requires A LOT of physical labor! However, all of us were white, so I don't think that a black woman in a hotel automatically rings housekeeping.

 

[RadioNate]

I've been asked a million times at a million different places if I "worked there."

I've never seen it as racial. I guess that's because I don't see a hispanic woman at a hotel and automatically think 'housekeeper.' Or a black woman and think ???? See I can't even really come up with anything sterotypical.

I can see why it might bother you but I'd let it go.

 

[auntpolly]

It is the assumption that is the issue. We spent 2 weeks in Florida this winter and on numerous occasions I was stopped (in my shorts, baby, family in tow) and was asked or it was assumed that I was working for housekeeping. I shake my head, and try to shake it off. )

Oh, man, I think we all have to agree that this could get old! I really think the thing to do is say yes, you'll deliver their towels (or whatever) right away! It would be really funny if they complained to management about you. (But m'am, she's the guest in 206!!!!)

 

[Tinks]

I don't know....I guess I try not to think the worst of people right off the bat. I certainly don't think it was a racial issue; it was confusion, to be sure. I've had it happen to me and I've done it to others. It happens.

Rather than using your best James Earl Jones voice and flashing the card to the better room, maybe you could have smiled and said, "No sorry, maybe there's a number you can call for housekeeping? Check your phone?"


Just a thought.

 

[In a hurry]

Oh, man, I think we all have to agree that this could get old! I really think the thing to do is say yes, you'll deliver their towels (or whatever) right away! It would be reallyfunnt if they complained to management about you. (But m'am, she's the guest in 206!!!!)

That is the first time I about choked reading on this board! That would be too too funny! My husband will hoot!

Thank you Aunt Polly for the laugh of the day!

eta: I'll even promise a towel animal!!!

 

[Robinrs]

There obviously is something wrong with it if it bothers you so much.

That was a quote from Seinfeld... of COURSE there was something wrong with it because it DID bother me, and still does.

I actually posted this to get a better idea of how other races thought about this. Every single Black person I told was HIGHLY offended and disgusted. Then they told me about the time it happened to THEM. I wanted to know if it happened to others and feel better to know that it has.

Thanks everyone, this is interesting.

 

[ducklite]

I had a lady try to hand me a pile of clothes in JC Penney's a few weeks ago and ask me to put them in a fitting room for her. I guess my shorts, t-shirt, sandals, and pocketbook wasn't enough of a giveaway. Even after I told her I didn't work there she still didn't seem to get it.

My guess is that it was an honest mistake by someone who was in vacation mode and just not thinking. It happens a lot in this area--I swear people come here and just lose their minds.

Anne

 

[auntpolly]

eta: I'll even promise a towel animal!!!

Yeah Robin! Promise them a towel animal next time!!! I can think of a couple of naughty gestures the towel animal could be making, too!

(Check out my website funwithtowelanimals.com )

 

[Kitka]

I think it's easier to say that the OP is getting worked up over nothing when you're not a minority. I have been mistaken for an employee at many places (esp. Target the day I wore my red t-shirt and khakis to work and stopped there on lunch LOL!) but it never crosses my mind that they may assume that because of my skin color and their ingrained pre-conceived notions as I'm white.

If I wasn't, I'm sure it would bother me too, just because that possibility is there. I don't think anyone of us can say if that woman is a racist or not - could be, could not be. But still....

In any event, I'm sorry you had a moment of whatever that was ruin your giving moment, what a great gesture that to have offered to switch rooms!

 

[minkydog]

Prejudice exists in this day and age. Sad but true.

I went last year to help two friends of color buy a vehicle. We were all well-dressed, professional looking folk. Two dealerships lost their business because none of the salespeople standing around not working could be bothered with us. Now, you have to understand that one of them is the best eye surgeon in town, and her husband is a psychologist, and dean at the college. They bought matching SUVs at the dealership that approached us to help. It is frustrating, and it does taint my view on occasion.

And unfortunately I don't think this experience is isolated. We went out of town this weekend, took the kids on a train ride(first time!). We ducked into a little soda shop for some ice cream--it was so cute, like something out of the 50's. My DD13 was so excited to sit on the stool at the soda counter.

No one would wait on us. Not only that, they refused to make eye contact after the initial look. We sat there for about 10 minutes, feeling more uncomfortable. They knew we were there--we were close enough,I could have reached over and slapped the watiress on the butt.Was it racial? no, the 3 waitresses were white, we're white. Was it economic? I don't think so. We were dressed nicely,looking oh so middle class.

It had to be my mentally ******** son. He's a sweety, but he grunts and drools and looks...well, ********. After 10 minutes of being ignored, we left & crossed the street to a competitor who not only was happy to serve us, but gave DS an extra scoop of ice cream for smiling so nicely.

We get this a lot(most people are not this obvious ) Those people don't know me or my lovely family. They don't realize how incredibly shallow & small-minded they are. I don't take it personally. I just take my business elsewhere.