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Just because I am pigmentally-challenged, it does NOT mean that I side, sympathize or condone racism in ANY way. This morning being a prime fucking example.
I decided to take today off to make it a four day weekend because the weather is supposed to be nice and because my brain is crispy-fried and I need to take vacation days here and there anyway. I thought it would be a good idea to schlep over to the laundromat in the morning to get that task over with. Normally I go on the weekend because they're open 24 hours and I get there about 5. On Fridays they open at 7 so I was there a few minutes after and there were already several people doing their thing. Not too crowded, fortunately, so I joined the washing-drying gang.
After I put the quarters in to start the washers, I headed to the deli next door to get a breakfast sandwich and coffee. The cheerful latino dudes served me with a smile (pointing out their ethnic persuasion since I'm working up to a general point) and I enjoyed my well-made breakfast while sitting back at the laundromat.
The issues started once I was putting items in the dryer. Two cute little middle-aged Latinas were doing plenty of laundry and were loading up several dryers. They exercised Proper Laundromat Manners by using both the top and bottom dryers instead of hogging just the top ones. Muchly appreciated since that meant I had a nice little four-block of dryers all together. There were still many dryers that neither one of us were using and in walks a skinny old white dude that radiated that subtle sort of crazy. You know the type - he's going to manage to make you uncomfortable somehow. He didn't disappoint since he practically flailed away from the Latinas like he thought the tiny ladies were going to stop their cheerful chattering in Spanish to pull a switchblade on him. Naturally he gravitated toward me - the harmless middle-aged chunky white lady. Greeeeeat.
He asked if I was using the dryer next to mine and I shrugged and said "nope" and kept doing my own laundry thang. The fact that I responded in English, even though it wasn't anywhere close to the equivalent of a verbal hug somehow said to him that I wanted him to keep blabbing at me of which the most I gave was an errant and dismissive "mmhmmm". Ughhhhhh. He felt the need to tell me that his dryer was broken so he HAD to come to the laundromat. I guess he wanted me to know that normally he wouldn't set foot in such a skeevy poor and OMG!MOSTLYBROWN people place. I wasn't about to offer up the fact that I go there regularly. I was mentally telling him to "goooo awayyyy"
Once I tossed in enough quarters and started my dryers, I picked up my newspaper and purse and headed across to the other side of the laundromat to the tables and chairs to hopefully read in peace. Crazy Dude got breakfast and naturally sat at the table next to me with his own paper and proceeded to try to strike up a conversation. I barely looked up and aside from one "mmm," didn't acknowledge his presence.
I got "saved" by the black lady that sat at another table next to us and was having a happy conversation with someone on the other end of her bluetooth. It made CD go quiet. Ahhhhhh, temporary bliss. I headed back after a while and started folding my laundry at record speed but clearly not fast enough as I got regular visits from CD who put enough quarters in a dryer for his preshuz speshul towels to go for about a completely unnecessary hour and a half (I'd hope they spontaneously combust if it wouldn't inconvenience everyone else)
Anyhoo, CD seemed to finally get the hint when I stopped responding all together and wandered away. Alas, I found that Fridays must be Crazy Racist Day at that laundromat so note to self: no more Fridays. Some other crazy middle aged white dude came stalking into the laundromat and bellowed out whether anyone had seen a phone. Everyone there (probably about oh, 10 or so of us now) shrugged and mumbled no and went back to our clothing. He proceeded to give the side-eye to anyone non-white and stomped around looking for his lost phone and grouchily ranting about it.
Then he came back about five minutes later and came RIGHT up to me and asked if I had a cell phone. I lied and said the battery was dead and turned back to my folding. He started ranting about IF someone stole his phone, how he was going to be in jail since he was going to go off on them. Then I actually clenched my fists when he said "Yeah, there's too many spics and spooks in here today." I was FURIOUS but I kept it in check and muttered about it being Crazy Racist Day at the laundromat. Mentally, I was ranting.
Asshole, just because I'm white, it doesn't mean that I give a shit about your LOST phone. NO ONE stole it, not the sweet little Latina ladies who gave me a smile when they caught me rolling my eyes at CD, not the black lady that was talking on her bluetooth and then went silent and frankly, looked frightened that you might attack her and certainly not the lone black dude that was dutifully pre-treating his clothing and didn't look up since I'm pretty sure he thought you were going to go after him as well. You fuck right the hell OFF.
The racist jackass proceeded to go up and browbeat the quiet Asian laundry attendant who gave him the laundromat phone to make a phone call. I was kind of hoping she would have lobbed it at his cranium. Luckily for me I was done folding my stuff and could vacate the premises before I gave into the urge to pick up a laundry cart to bludgeon the asshole with.
Going to try to put that unpleasantness behind me and try to have a better weekend. It saddens me to know that folks with more pigment are undoubtedly going to have a much harder time than I will today - and most other days because of jerkoffs like that. :(
I decided to take today off to make it a four day weekend because the weather is supposed to be nice and because my brain is crispy-fried and I need to take vacation days here and there anyway. I thought it would be a good idea to schlep over to the laundromat in the morning to get that task over with. Normally I go on the weekend because they're open 24 hours and I get there about 5. On Fridays they open at 7 so I was there a few minutes after and there were already several people doing their thing. Not too crowded, fortunately, so I joined the washing-drying gang.
After I put the quarters in to start the washers, I headed to the deli next door to get a breakfast sandwich and coffee. The cheerful latino dudes served me with a smile (pointing out their ethnic persuasion since I'm working up to a general point) and I enjoyed my well-made breakfast while sitting back at the laundromat.
The issues started once I was putting items in the dryer. Two cute little middle-aged Latinas were doing plenty of laundry and were loading up several dryers. They exercised Proper Laundromat Manners by using both the top and bottom dryers instead of hogging just the top ones. Muchly appreciated since that meant I had a nice little four-block of dryers all together. There were still many dryers that neither one of us were using and in walks a skinny old white dude that radiated that subtle sort of crazy. You know the type - he's going to manage to make you uncomfortable somehow. He didn't disappoint since he practically flailed away from the Latinas like he thought the tiny ladies were going to stop their cheerful chattering in Spanish to pull a switchblade on him. Naturally he gravitated toward me - the harmless middle-aged chunky white lady. Greeeeeat.
He asked if I was using the dryer next to mine and I shrugged and said "nope" and kept doing my own laundry thang. The fact that I responded in English, even though it wasn't anywhere close to the equivalent of a verbal hug somehow said to him that I wanted him to keep blabbing at me of which the most I gave was an errant and dismissive "mmhmmm". Ughhhhhh. He felt the need to tell me that his dryer was broken so he HAD to come to the laundromat. I guess he wanted me to know that normally he wouldn't set foot in such a skeevy poor and OMG!MOSTLYBROWN people place. I wasn't about to offer up the fact that I go there regularly. I was mentally telling him to "goooo awayyyy"
Once I tossed in enough quarters and started my dryers, I picked up my newspaper and purse and headed across to the other side of the laundromat to the tables and chairs to hopefully read in peace. Crazy Dude got breakfast and naturally sat at the table next to me with his own paper and proceeded to try to strike up a conversation. I barely looked up and aside from one "mmm," didn't acknowledge his presence.
I got "saved" by the black lady that sat at another table next to us and was having a happy conversation with someone on the other end of her bluetooth. It made CD go quiet. Ahhhhhh, temporary bliss. I headed back after a while and started folding my laundry at record speed but clearly not fast enough as I got regular visits from CD who put enough quarters in a dryer for his preshuz speshul towels to go for about a completely unnecessary hour and a half (I'd hope they spontaneously combust if it wouldn't inconvenience everyone else)
Anyhoo, CD seemed to finally get the hint when I stopped responding all together and wandered away. Alas, I found that Fridays must be Crazy Racist Day at that laundromat so note to self: no more Fridays. Some other crazy middle aged white dude came stalking into the laundromat and bellowed out whether anyone had seen a phone. Everyone there (probably about oh, 10 or so of us now) shrugged and mumbled no and went back to our clothing. He proceeded to give the side-eye to anyone non-white and stomped around looking for his lost phone and grouchily ranting about it.
Then he came back about five minutes later and came RIGHT up to me and asked if I had a cell phone. I lied and said the battery was dead and turned back to my folding. He started ranting about IF someone stole his phone, how he was going to be in jail since he was going to go off on them. Then I actually clenched my fists when he said "Yeah, there's too many spics and spooks in here today." I was FURIOUS but I kept it in check and muttered about it being Crazy Racist Day at the laundromat. Mentally, I was ranting.
Asshole, just because I'm white, it doesn't mean that I give a shit about your LOST phone. NO ONE stole it, not the sweet little Latina ladies who gave me a smile when they caught me rolling my eyes at CD, not the black lady that was talking on her bluetooth and then went silent and frankly, looked frightened that you might attack her and certainly not the lone black dude that was dutifully pre-treating his clothing and didn't look up since I'm pretty sure he thought you were going to go after him as well. You fuck right the hell OFF.
The racist jackass proceeded to go up and browbeat the quiet Asian laundry attendant who gave him the laundromat phone to make a phone call. I was kind of hoping she would have lobbed it at his cranium. Luckily for me I was done folding my stuff and could vacate the premises before I gave into the urge to pick up a laundry cart to bludgeon the asshole with.
Going to try to put that unpleasantness behind me and try to have a better weekend. It saddens me to know that folks with more pigment are undoubtedly going to have a much harder time than I will today - and most other days because of jerkoffs like that. :(
