to be angry with typical stereotyping of foreigners?

[pinkalicious]

I am fuming.

We are looking to have some work done to our house and had a builder round this morning for some quotes. He gets in and immediately asks me where I am from as 'I dont sound like I am from here'. Fair enough - told him I am African etc.

He goes ahead and says something like this:

"Oh,so you are not on benefits then as you own this house! I hope you and your hubby are not here to take our jobs coz my brother is out of a job!"

I was like WTF? I stayed calm but when he was going, he said, ' Oh you do know how to use a computer dont you coz i want to email the quote?'

I told him to GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!

Did i overeact?

[GetOrfMoiLand]

No.

He sounds like a tool.

[Pterosaur]

Wow, way to get a job mate.

Of course you didn't overreact, that was outrageous.

You're well shot of him.

[Tee2072]

Actually, I think you didn't act strongly enough!

[clevercloggs]

lots of people dont have/cant use a computer

whats that got to do with being foreign

[Psammead]

I suppose the computer question could have been innocent, although he'd have been better off asking if you had an email address or something.

I'd have thrown the fecker out after his first remark though.

I hope you are OK and not too upset.

[TrillianAstra]

He'll be out of a job soon enough too if he talks to potential customers like that.

[Rannaldini]

really?

how very odd

[pinkalicious]

yes the computer question could have been innocent but then again he assumed that i grew up with elephants roaming round our backyard. LOL

[Psammead]

Fool. Everyone knows that elephant prefer fridges and minis to gardens.

[Itsjustafleshwound]

Tell him you want the extension as you are planning to open your own refugee camp!!

Sounds as if he is a paid up member of the BNP ....

[frgr]

"Oh,so you are not on benefits then as you own this house! I hope you and your hubby are not here to take our jobs coz my brother is out of a job"

How horrid. YANBU at all!

YABU on the computer comment though, my mum still doesn't understand the difference between a website address and an email address, and has no interest in learning (she's otherwise very lovely and competant, and works!)... so unless it was said with a sneer or right after the horrid comments about where are you from, i'd assume he just runs into computer illiterates like my otherwise-competent mum a lot

[NinkyNonker]

Really? What an archetype.

[ILikeMilk]

I know how you feel. I wanted to expand the front parking to fit two cars, went to a place that advertised that sort of thing, the bloke could not believe me I actually live in the house I mentioned. Went on and on how it must be too expensive for me and am I sure I do live there or am I sure we indeed bought it and not just renting (and DH is actually british). LOL. People always assume I am Polish for some reason. When I was little my dad got a job for a year in USA and I remember the landlord asking my mum if she knew how to use the fridge or how to flash the loo. Ha ha ha!

[Mymblesson]

so little jobs left

So FEW jobs left.

As English obviously isn't your first language, where are you from? Have you stolen someone's job too, you naughty foreigner?

[TattyDevine]

So you are wrong if you are on benefits
You are wrong if you are working
You can't win then!

Anyone who thinks foreigners shouldn't be coming into the UK and taking jobs, fine, but can you please stop sending Brits to other countries to do jobs as well? Then there might be a few more jobs to go round but then again there will be a fair few more Brits to go around too.

[ILikeMilk]

Well, to be honest I am guilty of stereotyping myself. I lived in Cyprus for a while, and seen alot of British tourists over the years. I thought most brits were fat, wore spaghetti strap tops, huge tatoos or if it is a bloke then a football shirt or a top with a british flag on it (and obviously tatoos). Was pleasantly surprised when I moved here.

[MmeLindt]

There are over 5.5 million British expats living and working abroad. Shall we send them all home then, since they are taking forrin jobs from the locals?

That is the population of Scotland.

[SendSAEtoUsualAddress]

oh lola.

You shot your bolt far too soon. You should have started with saomething like:

"I don't agree with what was said, but everyone is entitled to their opinion"

you then could have progressed to:

"I'm not a racist, I have black friends actually, but I do think that there should be some kind of stocks that foreigners could be put into so that the indigenous people of this great country could throw tomatoes at them"

and THEN, "so many foreigners, so little jobs left"

You are a premature provocateur and therefore not only a twat but also a bit of a bore.

[Deciduousblonde]

No. You are guilty of severe under-reaction pinkalicious!

The first sentence was a bit iffy for starters..and I would have told him to eff off on the second one.

A complete arsehole of a man. I hope he doesn't get much work, the tosser!

[MamaChocolat]

Amazing he was 'from here' himself. All builders I know are Polish. Chuck him out - twat.

[AnnaBubbles]

I am also a foreigner and have actually had very similar experiences. English is not my first language (although I got my masters in the UK, so speak it reasonably well, I think). I am currently on maternity leave, and had a tradesperson over to quote for doubleglazing the conservatory (the recent snows ruined it). The person asked me where I was from and asked me what I did, and when I said I was on maternity leave (I actually work in poverty alleviation for a charity) commented 'oh, so you are another parasite who has come here then?'.

Needless to say, he did not get the job.

(actually, no-one has got the job yet, because was too expensive but that is not the point).

[frgr]

Deciduousblonde, asking someone where they are from is not neccesarily an iffy question, as long as it's not said with a sneer or a grimace/etc

I currently live near the Welsh border, and sound NOTHING like Welsh, brummie, DH or kids - i'm always getting asked where i'm from "originally" by people at work, despite the fact that I was born less than 50 miles away! apparently i have such a neutral accent that they can't figure out of i'm a non-native masking an accent or not! (it's a good thing when dealing with foreign clients on the phone though :))