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AIBU?

to think that yes, you actually were racist...

59 replies

pamplem0usse · 27/02/2013 20:11

john Lewis...
Massive muck up with order...
Guy who I spoke to on Saturday didn't call back on Sunday as promised.
Spoke to a manager who said 'I dont mean to be racist Mrs Fostee but did the person you spoke to have an Indian accent?

John Lewis only have British call centres.

WWYD

OP posts:

Report

Fakebook · 28/02/2013 11:52

No I don't think he was being racist, but when you start off a sentence with "I'm not being racist, but..." It does normally mean you're about to say something racist. He must have thought he was saying something racist or wrong to start off a sentence like that.

Like I said before, he could've just said "did he have an Indian accent?" and that wouldn't have been racist. I wonder what the OP would've made of that.

I'm not a daft bugger either, thanks.

midwivesdeliver · 28/02/2013 11:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cassarick · 28/02/2013 11:37

Fakebook - because everybody is scared witless if they say ANYTHING, some daft bugger (like you) will complain that they are being 'racist'. We are ALL running scared!

NamelessHereForEvermore · 28/02/2013 11:36

So was he, in your opinion, Fakebook, being racist? Your post isn't clear on that. I expect the reason he said it like that was precisely because of people like the OP who devote their lives to finding racism where none exists.

Cherriesarelovely · 28/02/2013 11:32

Because he realises that it is a bit sensitive and that some people, like OP, might perceive it as racist I suppose.

Fakebook · 28/02/2013 11:31

If he wasn't being racist, the why did he say "I don't mean to be racist, but..." He could've just said "did he have an Indian accent?" Or "did he have an Irish accent?" That's not racist, that's just trying to get to the bottom of who OP spoke to.

docket · 28/02/2013 11:30

yabu!

Cherriesarelovely · 28/02/2013 11:28

No I don't think that is racist. It's like someone trying to identify my DP by saying "a black lady". She IS a black lady!

Pigsmummy · 28/02/2013 11:26

Yabu

fromparistoberlin · 28/02/2013 10:45

think YABU

would you have said same if asked for Scottish or French accent?

dont sweat it OP

DeWe · 28/02/2013 10:42

Well replace it with "did the person you spoke to have a Newcastle/Cockney/B'ham accent?" and would you think "racist"?

SoleSource · 28/02/2013 10:41

Are you that bored?

LadyBeagleEyes · 28/02/2013 10:38

Did he have an Indian accent though, Op?
[nosy]

EssexGurl · 28/02/2013 10:33

Not racist - just trying to identify the person. Would you say that if they had asked if they had a Scouse accent or a Welsh accent? I always make a note of who I talk to so I can give a name if I complain. Without a name, how else are they going to find out who it was you are complaining about?

WorraLiberty · 28/02/2013 09:47

FFS I'm beginning to think a disturbingly high proportion of people have no idea what the word 'racist' actually means.

Look it up in the dictionary OP and educate yourself.

skratta · 28/02/2013 09:44

Definitely not racist. He was just looking for an identifying factor, to see who messed up in the call centre (therefore trying to help you) and because it was over the phone, the only thing you could describe would be accent (and therefore, in some cases such as an Indian accent, what they look like) and male/female voice, but sometimes that can be a bit hit or miss. If they asked you if they had a Scottish accent, would you consider it racist.

Yes, a bit odd that he prefaced it with 'I'm not racist, but...' But maybe it's because of exactly this situation!

Orwellian · 28/02/2013 08:57

YABU. Not racist at all. If he had said "was the person you spoke to a woman" would you think he was sexist? He was probably trying to find out which call centre you had spoken to.

BinksToEnlightenment · 28/02/2013 08:37

I don't understand why mentioning people's accents is racist.

NamelessHereForEvermore · 28/02/2013 08:09

What if he'd asked if the employee had a French accent? Would that be racist?

Well no - of course not - because 'French' is NOT a race.

YAB ridiculous OP and perhaps spending a little time with a dictionary until you've figured out exactly what 'racist' means will ease the terrible burden of worry from what passes for your mind.

firesidechat · 28/02/2013 07:58

Can't see how that was racist. He was probably trying to track down who you spoke to and, because it was a phone conversation, an accent was the only identifying feature.

As for the "I don't mean to be racist" this was probably a result of over sensitivity to mentioning race at all. Poor man was just covering his back.

ThingsThatMakeYouGoHmmmmmmmmm · 28/02/2013 00:21

Absolutely, Error. Problem is, you are spot on.

This is what is happening. And it makes me sad.

Owllady · 27/02/2013 23:53

I tend to agree with errorerror
someone who is racist says I am not racist I once had a friend from pakistan
and then says something racist

I overheard someone in the school playground the other day who said the man who bought sars into the country came in from a flight from pakistan so they were obviously one of those indians

which is racist. I didn't know whether to laugh (and point out the geography) or cry

OutragedFromLeeds · 27/02/2013 23:49

'WWYD'

Phone John Lewis back and ask if they could include an extra large grip with your order.

ErrorError · 27/02/2013 23:49

That long winded ridiculous sentence was supposed to illustrate how ridiculous the issue is. Not making fun of the OP, but clearly she thought it was important enough to make a thread about when most people wouldn't have given it a second thought.

Owllady · 27/02/2013 23:49

i am from the west midlands and i can understand scottish accents

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