to refuse to serve a man with a weird skin condition?

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Now, before I get jumped on, I am putting myself into the shoes of this shop assistant who refused to serve my sisters FIL. Here's the scenario:

FIL has a badly disfigured face. He also has a flakey skin rash thing on his hand. He was buying something in a well known chain store and just about to hand over his money when the woman at the till said, "Sorry, I can't serve you". He's a bit deaf, thought she had said something else, asked her to repeat it. Again she refused to handle money from him. It was because of his hand.

FIL, starting to feel a bit anxious about this now, noticed the big queue behind him and felt really embarrassed. They all started to back away from him.

He asked to see the supervisor. She came along, saw what the situation was and responded. She said the woman on the till had every right to refuse to serve him.

FIL left the store, wobbly with embarrassment and rage, but frozen in stiff-upper-lipness.

Was she right to refuse him? Can you believe she did this, and her supervisor backed her up?

littlelamb, there isn't necessarily any connection or link between excema and molloscum, it's just that people with excema often have broken/cracked skin, which allows the passing of "germs"/contagious diseases (like molloscum) more easily.

DS1 had pretty bad excema as an infant.

FWIW, "contagious" means a disease that is passed on through touch.

Fucking disgraceful discrimination. I can't believe that this kind of mentality still exists in this day and age. It reminds me of how they outcast people with leprasy in biblical times, the only difference is the year.

The ignorance of humanity will never die unfortunately.

I would write a letter to the store manager then contact head office as well. Absolutely outrageous!!

Absolutley disgusting. I do hope that your FIL complains. Even if it is just to spare another person the same embarrassment.

omg just read that ,think no i know if was me I would be jumping up and down .

I cant believe that NO-ONE in the queue behind him got involved-I bloody well would .

I would have stepped in too.

Your poor FIL.

Jesus....absolutely ridiculous. The store should be ashamed of itself. Your poor FIL.

God, your poor FIL. How humiliating for him

I'd have the store managers head on a plate

IK
magine if doctors and nurses refused to 'serve' someone with an infectiious/contagious disease .

where is the compassion???
The poor guy must have felt so belittled it is disgusting.
If she was very worried she could have just washed her hands afterwards and let him have his dignity.
Ironic though, think how dirty money is, and she handles it all day....

What a bitch! I'd complain to the store manager at the very least, or the CEO of the company! That is DISGUSTING and totally out of order!

Very unfair on the FIL. He should definitely complain as its discrimination.

On another point - it amazes me that staff in bakeries wear gloves to handle the cakes and then take money off people with the same gloved hands.

A point worth mentioning to the awful shop staff in this case - that the money she handles probably contains far more bacteria and risk of infection!

BTW Lindenlass, good point but doctors and nurses treating infectious (or none infectious) diseases would (hopefully) wear gloves so they don't have the direct skin to skin contact to pick up the infection.

If your FIL is reluctant to complain, could you do it on his behalf? I really don't think they should be allowed to get away with this. Horrible and illegal.

Absolutely bloody disgusting attitude

In the current climate I suspecta call to HQ mightwell get them a bollocking for refusing to take money(!) but yes also refer them to the DDA

How awful, please encourage him to complain, and if you give us a clue as to the name of the shop, we'll all complain too!

This is truly appalling. You should complain, name and shame, sue, whatever but please don't just let it drop.

Please find out what the shop was and then tell us.

That's bloody awful. Poor, poor man; as if he doesn;t feel bad enough.
An absolute disgrace to treat someone like they did the lepers in biblical times.
Contact the local and national newspapers (they will LOVE this story) and of course, write to head office.

Even better, get the name of the CEO of the company and ask to sepak to him PERSONALLY. Then follow up with a letter and let him/her know you are taking it further.
Tis has made me REALLY angry.

Disgraceful, poor man

seems so odd

i think i would have paid for his shopping for him if i had been in the queue, money is filthy normally

i suppose maybe the queue thought he was being refused for another reason? that he was known to the shop or something so didnt want to intervene?????

Poor man, he must have felt so humiliated by this. Just shocking.
Please don?t let this just drop though. Great opportunity to highlight this issue (educate and prevent it happening again to somebody else) as well as get a much deserved apology for your sister?s FIL.

I certainly would complain to HO would even consider getting in contact with my local paper its disgusting!