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Original poster

This happened to me at the weekend and I feel ashamed I did nothing - Racism

432 replies

Changedusernameforthis2 · 14/05/2025 13:56

I was at a car boot sale at the weekend and there was a large stall there- that was a man and wife- selling 'fill a bag' type stuff - they were a house clearance company avoiding paying dumping fees I think

There was a lady there who was wearing a headcovering, she kept going behind the stall and they kept shooing her out
The man said in a sort of 'I'm muttering but loud enough for everyone to hear' way - he said "They're like rats, it might help if we stop giving them everything"
I was really shocked and just walked off but I feel really ashamed I didn't tackle it

What can I say if I find myself in this position again? I do not want to stand by and let it happen- I feel embarassed of being a coward

OP posts:
Original poster
Changedusernameforthis2 · 14/05/2025 14:37

yes she didn't speak English and wasn't white, or dressed in a western way

OP posts:
Anyotherdude · 14/05/2025 14:36

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User46576 · 14/05/2025 14:36

Changedusernameforthis2 · 14/05/2025 14:31

I won't be gaslit- comparing foreign people to vermin is a well known racist thing

Also, I was there and could see tone, facial expression etc

Was the woman foreign?

User46576 · 14/05/2025 14:35

Ddakji · 14/05/2025 14:23

God, the minimising here! Chasing her away from behind the stall is one thing (and fair enough) but his disgusting comment was clearly about her being a Muslim, as him making a comment about immigration. Clearly. And you all know it.

How do you work that out?

op - you can’t police other people’s speech. Try to be more tolerant. Maybe the man had some sort of racist intent or maybe he didn’t. The woman was clearly out of order. The man made a fairly mild comment not even to you. Why are you being so puritanical that you’re worried about it days later?

Original poster
Changedusernameforthis2 · 14/05/2025 14:31

I won't be gaslit- comparing foreign people to vermin is a well known racist thing

Also, I was there and could see tone, facial expression etc

OP posts:
Original poster
Changedusernameforthis2 · 14/05/2025 14:30

I'm not bleeding my heart out but it was a nasty example of overt racism that I don't want to standby and watch in future- I want to be braver in tackling it

OP posts:
User46576 · 14/05/2025 14:29

LadeOde · 14/05/2025 14:14

What do you think the man was referring to when he said, "They are like rats, it might help if we stop giving them everything"?

Show quote history

Wow @LadeOde - do you have some racist preconceptions?

familylawyer01392 · 14/05/2025 14:29

Changedusernameforthis2 · 14/05/2025 14:28

It was unequivocally a racist - the woman didn't speak English and was dressed in a traditionally Islamic way.

It was clear what he meant- some others looked at each other and left the stall too

Clearly! So many people on this post trying to downplay racism/othering - if you lack critical thinking skills just say that!

HomeTheatreSystem · 14/05/2025 14:29

What a moronic post. You've made assumptions about them "trying to avoid paying fees" and about her, apparently being all harmless going behind the stall, not once, but repeatedly and after it being made clear she was not to go there. You'd be horrified what happens in some places if you get caught trying to steal off a stall. Being called a rat would be the least of it.

Original poster
Changedusernameforthis2 · 14/05/2025 14:28

It was unequivocally a racist - the woman didn't speak English and was dressed in a traditionally Islamic way.

It was clear what he meant- some others looked at each other and left the stall too

OP posts:
MrsMappFlint · 14/05/2025 14:27

indianques · 14/05/2025 14:24

What can I say if I find myself in this position again? I do not want to stand by and let it happen- I feel embarassed of being a coward

You could ask the stall holder if they would like you to grab a security guard. HTH.

Excellent advice!

familylawyer01392 · 14/05/2025 14:27

ElsieMc · 14/05/2025 14:10

SIL at Alton Towers last week with gd 2 and gd 4. Queuing for an adult ride when 3 Muslim lads who had been causing trouble earlier pushed to front of queue. VE day silence was being observed when they started shouting Fuck this get over it, it was years ago.

People were looking at each other when Sil told security who dealt with it. As they marched out they said when they found out who grassed they would seriously hurt them. Obviously in stronger terms.

People are scared to intervene for a multitude of reasons. Bigotry exists in all walks of life.

How did you know what their religion was?

saltinesandcoffeecups · 14/05/2025 14:25

Picklepower · 14/05/2025 14:21

This thread is a prime example of why racists just get away with it. People tie themselves in knots to deny that's what it meant. I love to be so naive, must make life easier

Surprise! People can be racist at the same time as someone from a different race is an asshole.

This sounds like a great example of “2 wrongs don’t make a right”

MrsMappFlint · 14/05/2025 14:25

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indianques · 14/05/2025 14:24

What can I say if I find myself in this position again? I do not want to stand by and let it happen- I feel embarassed of being a coward

You could ask the stall holder if they would like you to grab a security guard. HTH.

Anyotherdude · 14/05/2025 14:23

Oh God! I did a car boot sale - once.
It was years ago, but my overriding memory was of being surrounded by eager bargain hunters before we even stopped the car - it felt like being in a safari park with the car covered in lions, or a zombie movie🤣🤣🤣
Unpacking was a nightmare, and the cheek of some people grabbing stuff from us as we tried to work on putting it out on our table! Never again…
OP if the guy was feeling like I was, I suspect his “they” was aimed at CF punters (which she was behaving like) and not necessarily racially invoked…

Ddakji · 14/05/2025 14:23

God, the minimising here! Chasing her away from behind the stall is one thing (and fair enough) but his disgusting comment was clearly about her being a Muslim, as him making a comment about immigration. Clearly. And you all know it.

MrsMappFlint · 14/05/2025 14:21

This reply has been deleted

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Picklepower · 14/05/2025 14:21

This thread is a prime example of why racists just get away with it. People tie themselves in knots to deny that's what it meant. I love to be so naive, must make life easier

indianques · 14/05/2025 14:20

I agree Op, if she had a head covering it was very racist for the stall holders not to allow their stuff to be stolen. People with headscarves should be allowed to do anything they want. If not we are bigots. 🙄

LadeOde · 14/05/2025 14:19

'Rude people who kept going behind his stall'. Where did you get this from? @op said, a lady went behind his stall.

Picklepower · 14/05/2025 14:19

ScrewedByFunding · 14/05/2025 14:18

Who did I think he was referring to?

Rude people who kept going behind his stall. What did you think he meant?

Show quote history

You really think he said 'it might help if we stop giving them everything' was in reference to one woman who kept going behind his stall? How would that make sense

ScrewedByFunding · 14/05/2025 14:18

LadeOde · 14/05/2025 14:14

What do you think the man was referring to when he said, "They are like rats, it might help if we stop giving them everything"?

Show quote history

Who did I think he was referring to?

Rude people who kept going behind his stall. What did you think he meant?

MrsMappFlint · 14/05/2025 14:16

Well, Gary Lineker has posted a Palestinian anti semantic post referring to Jewish people as rats. Do you think it was connected to this?

It might have been as anti Jewish bigotry is very high at the moment.

LadeOde · 14/05/2025 14:14

ScrewedByFunding · 14/05/2025 14:04

And by this I mean, you say she kept going behind the stall, presumably where their cash and personal belongings were and they were telling her to stop and she wasn't listening.

Granted it wasn't a nice comment but I didn't relate that to race.

Show quote history

What do you think the man was referring to when he said, "They are like rats, it might help if we stop giving them everything"?