Was this woman racist or am I thinking too much about this?

[BlondeGinger]

I'm not sure if I've got the wrong end of the stick here or if a woman in my office was racist to one of my colleagues earlier.

We have access cards to get in and out of the office and my colleague was coming back from lunch at the same time as another lady (she doesn't work on our team but in another one, sometimes in our office). She has to walk past our bank of desks to get to her own and from the amount I've seen her around, she must have also seen my colleague and I at some point.

Anyway, so my colleague gestured for other lady to go through the door first after using her card to open it. Other lady then says to colleague "I'm sorry but I've never seen you before in my life, how are you able to get in here? Can I please see your ID? I'm sure you'll understand me asking you what with everything going on in the world at the moment." My colleague showed her ID and said that she recognised her from the team she works in, did she not recognise her since she walks past her every time she's in? Other lady just said "no" and walked off through the door.

For context, my colleague is a lovely Indian lady and other lady is approximately 80 and very sour faced.

My colleague came back and told me all this and it was clear that IF this woman was being racist, it had completely gone over her head, as she just thought how strange she'd been to ask since she walks past us every day and hadn't recognised her.

AIBU to think this woman was racist to my colleague with the "everything going on in the world" comment and asking for ID, even though my colleague had a pass and used it to open the door? Or am I overthinking this? Should I have a word with our manager?

Sorry for the lengthy post!

Your colleague was being a total arsehole with a generous pinch of racism.

I would say possibly, yes. Racism is not just confined to slurs and attacks against people. Casual racism, especially based on stereotypes and prejudice, definitely exists. Checking her ID specifically and addressing her in quite a derogatory way would make me think so.

Yes I think she probably was being racist but not in a way you could make anything of - without coming across as jumping at shadows. Tbh I'd definitely turn it back at her next chance you get "just show me your id - what with everything going on in the world..."

Oh and keep am eye for a pattern. If there isn't one, fair enough, if there is, complain.

It's quite clear she was alluding to your colleague potentially being tied to terrorism so yes at the very least prejudiced and racist IMO.

Nobody can possibly say if she was racist or not (obviously doesn't stop plenty of you all though). There are any number of alternative reasons: like she actually didn't recognise her, like her eyesight is poor, like she was confused.....being 80 is quite possibly highly relevant!

In my office there's posters everywhere saying not to let anyone through without ID if you don't know them. It's standard practice to ask to see ID and not a problem to show it either.

Person gets asked to show ID in an environment where showing ID can be required. Nothing that the courts are going to prosecute for is there? YABU

Lamb - but it was the Indian colleague using her own pass to let in the octogenarian employee who was not showing one, not vice versa.

We have heightened security in our building.

We've been warned that security will ask for ID cards and all passes should've be displayed for them.

Also we are to ensure others do not tailgate us thro barriers if it happens we have to report it.

However colleagues have no business demanding ID cards.

Not racist.

You are making assumptions throughout your post. You're assuming that the lady is racist, as she asked for the ID of someone she did not recognise in the workplace, and the person who had to show it is a different colour. The next assumption stems from the remark she made referring to things going on in the world. How do you she wouldn't have said the same to someone who was white? You are then assuming the lady is around 80 years old, and that because she is apparently 'sour-faced,' that must mean she's racist. If I was still working when I'm that age (which is highly possible with the increases in pensionable age), I'd look fucking pissed off and be depressed, never mind merely looking sour-faced.

You should be pleased that the '80' year old is very thorough in her work.

Take someone else along who's white and really doesn't work there. If she ignores them or doesn't say the same thing, you know she's being racist. If she does say pretty much same thing ... probably not. All that's going on in the world .... like being ruled by a bunch of war criminal psychopaths in suits?

Overthinking

Yes, I would say there was more than neutral security caution in asking only the Indian woman, and behind the 'everything going on' comment. Especially Given that she had a card, and was alongside / with someone the woman did recognise.

'Asian-looking' people get this a lot.

She sounds racist to me.

We are told at work that if we see someone we dont know and they dont have their id displayed. Or do have an id and we think they shouldnt be where they are, we should gentle challenge them.

This womans motivations could be racist. Or she could be just doing what a lot of employers ask, as above.

You arent ever going to know.

She's 80? Are you exaggerating?

Actually, from personal experience, this is exactly how insiduous racism works. I used to be asked tor passes when white colleagues didn't. I'd get blanked when saying hello or left out of coffee/lunch get togethers.

We are encouraged to challenge people at security doors and not let on anyone without a pass.

It's basic common sense

BigBiscuts: yes, challenge everyone, irrespective of race, or no one.

The issue here is that only the lady described as Indian was challenged.

Though the OP is quite confusing about who is who and who walks past who etc.

For context, my colleague is a lovely Indian lady and other lady is approximately 80 and very sour faced

You are being ageist.

Tbf though i dont know everyone who ealks past my desk. There are plenty of people that i haven't recognised when introduced and its turned out they work in the same office.

My desk is fairly near the door, so nearly everyone walks past. But i am usually engrossed in yet another spreadsheet.

I've been asked for my ID multiple times for security reasons and part of my job is checking ID.

I don't think it was racist, just a security measure.

The world has tightened up on this due to recent events.

The issue here is that only the lady described as Indian was challenged

And that might be because the challenger is racist or it might be that she didn't recognise her but did the other one. No-one knows.

OP, there is a certain whiff of unconscious bias here at play and I agree that it is rather odd to single her out considering she had a pass anyway.

But this is MN so racism is basically just a bogeyman that lives in the heads of brown people.

Things like this are insidious and as I've said on about a million other threads with a similar theme; racism doesn't need to involve a gathering of the KKK to be considered racism.

But this is MN so racism is basically just a bogeyman that lives in the heads of brown people

Completely untrue and totally unfair. And fucking rude to boot.

No I think she was being racist and unacessarily rude, just for the "with everything going on in the world comment", as she singled out the OP's friend, (who had just opened the door with her personal key card, so no reason to think she didn't work there).
Rude colleague probably did think she was being security conscious but there was definitely racist undertones.

OP, I admire your friend for not shouting after her. "Most people just say Thank You!! "