From reading some of the comments here, I will definitely speak up next time.If you are so truly outraged by what occurred to you, then you would have said something either on the spot, or would have already made a complaint to Dairy Queen corporate or to Visa International."Victim mentality". Whining?Quite frankly, your whining about this situation AFTER the fact did not invite constructive criticism. Rather, as your post indicated, you simply wanted to vent, and as such, you must expect to have your actions called into question, as well.The answer is simple: it really didn't begin to bother me until after we left the store. I have been in situations where I do not have to show ID, even though others may have to (my bank, where the tellers know me by name is a perfect example). Initially, I thought the same dynamic could have been present in this situation.Why didn't you say something THEN?
So I walked in and ordered a blizzard. Grand total: $1.99.
I'm wondering if a black man with a credit card could have sent off a red flag to the cashier in question.
Sorry, but I don't have any respect for people who go against their instincts, and THEN complain about it. That certainly is not the way I operate.
I would have complained then and there, and demanded to speak to a manager.
After I gave it more thought, and really jogged my memory as to the level of intimacy during the conversation between the patron/cashier, then I really began to question things.
FYI: your post was for the most part, helpful. However, whether or not you have respect for me is something I hardly care about, nor is that little tidbit relevant.
Constructive criticism is always welcome.
Snide remarks are not.
A truly proactive individual would have handled the situation on the spot, or, in the alternative, would have ALREADY complained to Dairy Queen corporate, and/or to Visa International, rather than simply "venting" on an Internet message board.
If I feel that my rights have been violated, or that I am being treated in a disparate manner, I handle it. Certainly, this board encourages the sharing of information and experiences, but it appears you have done nothing constructive to address the situation.
The victim mentality just does not play well with me.
Let me give you a little insight. Getting a possible incident of racial discrimination off one's chest is NOT "whining" as you call it, nor is it playing the "victim mentality".
Sorry to break the news to ya, but racism is alive and well in this country. Complaining it about it, even on a public message board is certainly nothing to be ashamed of.
FURTHERMORE...
Everyone "handles it" on their own schedule. Just because you may have assumed the cashier in question treated you in a disparate manner (and would have said something right there), doesn't mean that someone who chose not to is not "handling" the situation.
I have chosen to re-live the events over and over in my mind, to better gain clarity into what really happened. WHY? The answer is simple:
Even implying that someone may have slighted you on racial grounds can have enormous consequences for the person accused of the indiscretion.
Depending on the mood of the store manager, the cashier in question could be fired.
I have worked for years in customer service, and have witnessed first hand employees fired for a letter of complaint -- even if there was no real grounds for the complaint.
THAT SAID...
Racial discrimination comes in all different levels of subtlety nowadays. Rarely do people come outright and put a "No Colored People Allowed" sign on the front door of their establishments (yes, this used to be quite prevalent in case you didn't know).
Nowadays, it's much more subtle. That subtlety could cause me to "see" an act of racism, when the reality of the situation could be a perfectly legitimate explanation.
To give you an example: it's late at night and I'm walking to the corner store for a pack of smokes. A white woman walking toward me on my side of the street, chooses to cross the street. Immediately, my instincts would tell me it's because I'm black. Upon further review of the situation, however, I think to myself...it may be because I'm a man, regardless of the color of my skin. And as we all know, women have to be very vigilant in today's world.
Is that a case of racism? Or a woman who crosses the street for every guy she sees coming in her direction after a certain time of night? In many situations, one will never know the real answer.
Was this just a friendly cashier who recognized a patron? Or a woman who felt that a black man with a credit card must have stolen it?
If someone outright says "I'm sorry, we don't serve black people", your darn right the appropriate action will immediately be taken. A much more subtle incident of possible discrimination..I'm going to think long and hard and really be sure before I make that claim.
And THAT is why I have chosen to really think things over. Sorry I didn't reach my conclusion on your time schedule, but I'm sure you'll get over it.
1. Print the page from the PDF of both Visa and MasterCard and present this to them when they require ID. Be sure to hand write the URLs to these PDFs on the back of each so you can provide your source for the information to the store management.
2. Print the MasterCard Merchant Violation Page and present this to store management.
3. Black out your name and address on the confirmation letter you received from Visa and present that letter the store.
4. Ask the store to show you, in writing, their policy that states ID is required. You have provided them with documentation from the credit card companies that ID is not allowed. Ask them to provide you with documentation their company has produced that says otherwise. Nobody is going to be able to come up with any such documentation because NO retailer has ANY corporate produced materials that state to require ID on a signed credit card transaction.
