WWYD - someone being racist on the street

[bcla]

It was kind of strange because I've seen all sorts of behavior before, but I really haven't seen anything like what I saw tonight.

My kid is enjoying Shake Shack now, and they have a BOGO offer on a ShackBurger until tomorrow. Our closest location is in Oakland in the rapidly gentrifying Uptown area, but it's still Oakland and can be rough around the edges.

There's this guy who seems to be homeless and in a wheelchair looking for handouts right in front of the Shake Shack entrance on the sidewalk. Kind of scruffy with a white beard. As people are going in he's asking for people to bring him something to eat. As people are exiting the door he's asking where the food is that he asked for. Most are ignoring him as is typical. Most panhandlers are used to it.

We're waiting a while since they're really busy with all sorts of orders - especially from food delivery services, so it's taking a while. We're enjoying it and it's a fun, lively atmosphere. I think some LGBT pride event finished as there seemed to be a few drag queens grabbing dinner and everyone is getting along fabulously. We're enjoying our meal but it's time to go home.

As we exit, he's asking various people exiting "Where's my cheeseburger?" But then he focuses on one guy who looks to be of east Asian ancestry and then asks him. When he walks away, he yells at him "Go back to China!" I saw the guy he confronted inside and I'll just say I don't think he was born in China and most definitely was not someone who didn't belong there. But I don't really care how hungry this homeless guy is, and I yell at him "What the *$*# is your problem?" I'm not usually like that in public, but made an exception for this lowlife. He's about to confront me then but I can just walk away faster than he can approach me in his chair. I'm not usually that confrontational, but this idiot just drove me into responding.

It did occur to me that maybe he has a weapon, perhaps just a knife. But the thing is that that I've been to Oakland many times and have never, ever seen anything like this. People tend to mind their own business, or otherwise just get along regardless of background. I wasn't sure if this guy could be removed from the street by police for disturbing the peace or something. Not that Oakland Police has the time for it, but I've been in a neighboring city where I've seen police remove panhandlers who were blocking the street and/or being obnoxious to people who wouldn't give money. Over the years I've seen regular panhandlers who were exceedingly polite and would never yell at anyone who failed to to give a handout.

 

[VandVsmama]

Homeless person? Especially in the SF Bay Area? I wouldn't have engaged and would have walked away as fast as possible from the situation. Most homeless people are very mentally ill. No idea what they can do. And especially in that part of the country, the local police aren't going to come help you unless you've already been physically assaulted. So, no thanks!

Glad you got out of there ok.

 

[Karin1984]

Really depends on the situation what I do or say. But yeah, I agree with above, a lot of homeless people have mental illnesses. You do not know how they will respond.

Safest thing to do is to stay out of it and see if you can help the victim.

 

[Jangles]

Different country, different culture, but I would have spoken to the gentleman in the wheelchair, enquired about his situation, asked him what he wanted to eat and bought him some food (before he was racist). After his racist comment, I would have empathised with the person he shouted at and told the chap with a disability that his comment was racist.

The fact that the person in a wheelchair could beg for food coherently and positioned himself outside a restaurant, suggests to me, that he had awareness that he was being racist and I don’t think mental illness is available to him as an excuse. I am not sure where the line is, when a person’s mental illness is so severe that their behaviour can be excused, not in the truly criminal sense, but on the facts presented by the OP , I don’t consider that the chap in a wheelchair was ‘there’. Terrible explanation…. I need my morning coffee.

 

[Karin1984]

Different country, different culture, but I would have spoken to the gentleman in the wheelchair, enquired about his situation, asked him what he wanted to eat and bought him some food (before he was racist). After his racist comment, I would have empathised with the person he shouted at and told the chap with a disability that his comment was racist.

The fact that the person in a wheelchair could beg for food coherently and positioned himself outside a restaurant, suggests to me, that he had awareness that he was being racist and I don’t think mental illness is available to him as an excuse. I am not sure where the line is, when a person’s mental illness is so severe that their behaviour can be excused, not in the truly criminal sense, but on the facts presented by the OP , I don’t consider that the chap in a wheelchair was ‘there’. Terrible explanation…. I need my morning coffee.

Mentioning mental illness wasn't as an excuse for racism, more about the unpredictability that comes with it and that being assaulted, with or without a weapon is something to keep in mind.

 

[MamaMermaid]

Oh boy...

 

[Dakota731]

It’s sad when people have to be harassed and possibly attacked just trying to have lunch. In our city the police would come and the perpetrator would be removed and taken to a shelter or food bank. Unless they were being violent then they would go to jail. But I guess it depends what part of the country you live in. There are some cities where they are accepting and encouraging this type of behavior. Though I don’t see who these type of soft on crime policies benefit - they aren’t helping the communities and they certainly aren’t addressing the issues.
In San Francisco kids have to walk through open air drug den to get to school. This is our country today
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/worl...school-shocking-video-shows-report/ar-AAZqa4W

 

[kanerf]

I work in Washington D.C and find it very depressing to see all of the tents, lean-tos and huge piles of trash brought here by the homeless. There is seldom a corner that does not have someone begging on it with a sign pointing out why you should help them. The worst part is that quite often many of these folks hop on the metro and go home at the end of the night. They are not homeless, just professional beggars.

 

[DeeBee3]

It's a terrible situation and I'm glad you made it out without injury to you or child. I grew up going in and out of NYC and my main rule is talk to no one unless they directly speak to you. You have to keep moving to get to your job or school, etc. I don't roll my windows down and talk to anyone at an intersection. It's just dangerous and it always has been.

Even in the suburbs where I am now, there has been a sharp increase in people asking for money at intersections or on really busy small highways. It's so dangerous for them to be standing in the middle of a median, but they are all over now. Definitely connected to the timing of covid, give or take. And I do not live anywhere near a large city although it's "commutable."

 

[luvnwdwgal]

I wouldn’t have said a word and kept on walking.

 

[HopperFan]

I don't remember what happened (witnessed road rage or something) but I was with my adult son (a teacher, who has had a student head to his class with a gun). As we observed whatever he said to me "Don't ever engage with anyone anymore, move away. EVERYONE is now a potential danger, with a gun, out to do harm." We do live in a state that allows guns everywhere - and it has curtailed where we go now.

In that thought, I would have taken his picture. I would gone into the Shake Shack OR called when I got home to ask for the management contact information. I would have contacted them (and regional), sent photo and said that this man was aggressively harassing every single customer, and they need to contact authorities about how to handle having him move on. I'd probably say I don't feel safe returning to give my message strength. I would use as a teaching opportunity for my child on (1) the man's racism (2) how to protect yourself and move away (3) options for letting those involved know (4) and when appropriate making sure the victim of a situation are okay.

The worst part is that quite often many of these folks hop on the metro and go home at the end of the night. They are not homeless, just professional beggars.

We have this problem here. Every shopping center parking lot, medians etc you see well dressed folks with handwritten signs with some sob story asking for help. Sometimes they have kids in strollers next to them. Stay around long enough you see them cross over and get in a nice car. Many of these folks are actually working for someone and hand over much of the money. If I want to help I donate to a local agency that helps folks get on their feet. I would never give cash to the panhandlers.

 

[bcla]

Really depends on the situation what I do or say. But yeah, I agree with above, a lot of homeless people have mental illnesses. You do not know how they will respond.

Safest thing to do is to stay out of it and see if you can help the victim.

For the most part there was no physical danger. But my sensibilities don't include just walking away from a clearly racist remark against someone who did nothing wrong. I'm actually feeling kind of bad for using that kind of language around my child, but not for chewing out a lowlife who was clearly out of line. The strange thing is that I was even considering giving this guy some snack foods before I entered, but I had removed my stash from my bag.

I'd be interested if he might say something to a black customer exiting the place to "Go back to Africa!" if he wasn't given something. That could have gotten rather interesting.

I used to work in a downtown area where there was one particular homeless guy panhandling. He was never confrontational and I think I even gave him a dollar or two on occasion. And 20+ years later he's still there, but still just there but not yelling at anyone. And one neighborhood seemed to have an exceedingly polite panhandler who had a standard pitch he would give to everyone asking them to consider giving him a little something after “you take care of your own business”.

 

[ronandannette]

Different country, different culture, but I would have spoken to the gentleman in the wheelchair, enquired about his situation, asked him what he wanted to eat and bought him some food (before he was racist). After his racist comment, I would have empathised with the person he shouted at and told the chap with a disability that his comment was racist.

The fact that the person in a wheelchair could beg for food coherently and positioned himself outside a restaurant, suggests to me, that he had awareness that he was being racist and I don’t think mental illness is available to him as an excuse. I am not sure where the line is, when a person’s mental illness is so severe that their behaviour can be excused, not in the truly criminal sense, but on the facts presented by the OP , I don’t consider that the chap in a wheelchair was ‘there’. Terrible explanation…. I need my morning coffee.

Yes, just so. I’ve done that quite frequently if the person is actually asking for food and not money. (I never give money.) This of course is predicated on the fact that it’s quite unlikely the person is armed and dangerous. That issue wouldn’t even really cross my mind. Now if he was ranting or being abusive, I would just carve a wide swath and get on with my business. One could call the police here to report it, but I doubt I would.

Outside fast food places and big-box stores it’s becoming quite a common location to see people begging these days and I often wonder how they get there as it’s often in outlying neighbourhoods. I hesitate to label them all “homeless” because that may not be the case and we actually have a surplus of shelter beds in our city during the summer months.

If I’d have heard the racist slur, I think I probably would have addressed the person it was aimed at and tried to comfort him, rather than pick a pointless fight with the miscreant that said it.

 

[jo-jo]

Why was he in the wheelchair? Sounds crass, but was he missing limbs? Could he have gotten out of wheelchair and chased you down?

I mean at disney, every time , DH goes to the rest room, I sit in the chair or scooter for 10 mins while he is gone.

 

[soccerdad72]

Just walk away - never engage them.

 

[TCRAIG]

I would have said something but left out the *$*#*

 

[GoingSince1990]

Unfortunately the likelihood of you being injured or killed is vastly greater than the likelihood of persuading the ranting racist to see the error of his ways and to become an enlightened and tolerant person. So don’t even try.

 

[MICKIMINI]

Seriously, don't open yourself up to danger in this situation. Trying to intervene could put you in a very bad way. The best thing to do is get away from this person/area as fast and safely as possible.

This is how people get killed in road range incidents...don't take the bait.

 

[China Expat]

These racist comments are hurled around everywhere these days.

 

[TAX GUY]

Maybe the asian guy aid something to the wheelchair guy on his way in? Maybe, get a job you bum and buy your own food, or something similar? Maybe wheelchair guy was retaliating, who knows.

As for WWYD? I'd probably mind my own business and keep going. Other than some hateful words, it wouldn't cause me to interject into someone else's conversation. If something was said like that directly to me, my wife, my son or the party I'm with, then absolutely I would say something.