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Exiting Costco While Black
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Anonymous
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Left the College Park Costco with DH and DD an hour ago. We spent a long time leaving because the two door monitors were meticulously checking the receipts of the customers ahead of us (both African American). Every item was checked against their receipts. Then, their personal bags were checked.
My husband had our cart and I had my daughter in her stroller. I finally went past the monitors and out the door. They didn't check me at all -- of course I could have had an item in her ample stroller basket. Did I mention I'm white? Another white customer did the same. Just took his item and walked past the checkers. Nothing said to him. From my vantage point outside the checkpoint, I observed them meticulously checking all black customers. My husband and an Asian customer came up. Got a quick visual check and a black check mark on their receipts -- and then waved through. I said to my husband -- "They were practically strip searching the black customers, and then they waved you through." He replied: "You noticed that too." |
Anonymous
| How naive and confused you are, OP. Don't you know racism is dead? |
Anonymous
| If you're annoyed enough to post on a message board, why didn't you ask the clerks working there? Or talk to a manager? |
Anonymous
| It's still shocking, though, isn't it? Particularly because if it's that institutionalized, some manager at Costco must have specifically instructed employees to do this. |
Anonymous
| Holy crap. Honestly, I have never seen anyone checking anyone's receipt like that at any store I have ever been to, and if I saw that, I would certainly never shop there again. But I know I am fortunate enough to be able to afford to make that choice. I have also never shopped at a Costco. Surely this was unusual -- they don't all do that, do they? |
Anonymous
| At BJs they almost always ask for the receipt, and spend maybe 5-10 seconds comparing it to the contents of the cart, and out you go. I've never seen anyone either waved through without a check or virtually strip searched. I'd say something if I noticed what you did, OP. |
Anonymous
| Were the door monitors white? |
Anonymous
| We go to Costco a lot, and I've not observed this happening, though to be honest I didn't specifically look out for it (i.e., monitoring which specific customers are checked with more scrutiny). But in general, the pace of moving through seems to be very fast. |
Anonymous
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And the black customers were likely followed and monitored in the store as well. Raise your hand if you have ever stood next to a black mom at the jewelry counter waiting for a sales person to have the sales person ask you (white) if you needed help first. Raise your other hand if you have said, "Oh this lady was before me." Find a friend and raise her hand if in response to, "May I see that pair of earrings, please?" the sales person said, "Oh those are VERY expensive? Are you sure?"
I can't tell if the OP is expressing shock or outrage. |
Anonymous
| OP that is so ridiculous. If I were them I would've turned around and returned it all. And then complained like hell to management (politely of course). I've been shopping at Costco for many years and have yet to see anything like that. And I do know exactly what the PP is talking about in regards to being written off just for walking into a store while being Black. That and I cannot walk into a Bed Bath & Beyond, Staples, Giant, etc, without customers assuming that I work there. Doesn't matter if I'm holding my purse, pushing a cart. It happens so often I don't even get offended anymore. If I can answer their question I do. If not, I tell them to ask someone that works at the store. Strangely, this has not once happened to my White husband. |
Anonymous
| Speak up to a manager. It's not too late. Call and ask for a manager or write or speak to one next time you go in. |
Anonymous
I'm white and I get asked all the time if I work there. It doesn't matter if I have my down jacket on. I must look like I work everywhere, except nice stores. |
Anonymous
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I shop at that Costco all the time (it's the closest) and I always have my cart checked like that. Always. Most of the employees there are Black or Latino and I doubt that the checking of their items was racially motivated. Most likely they purchased movies or small electronics and they were lost in cart somewhere. I have had that happen to me on more than one occasion.
If you really feel that you weren't reading too much into it, then by all means, call the manager and complain. |
Anonymous
People always assume I work in the retail establishments where I shop. All I have to do is walk two or three steps from my cart and children and the customers seem to flock to me. Like the PP, I'm white, and it doesn't happen in the really nice stores. |
Anonymous
Maybe y'all get asked because you have a friendly face. 
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