I think I just experienced reverse racism at my deli

Ok, so I know you all are going to accuse me of being a race troll, but I'm truly a victim here. I frequent two different delis and I only order a couple of different things. Each time I order them they are off a different price, so I expect wiggle room, but I think they charge me a little more in general because I'm white. Well this evening I was charged a dollar more than usual so I said something about it. I told the cashier it was usually a dollar less, but he didn't care. I have a suspicious feeling they are charging me more because they assume I have money just because I'm white. Has anyone else experienced this? (And no I don't even live in Harlem, but Hell's Kitchen.)

• It's just capitalism at work, OP!

• They don't post prices?

• Go to Starbucks. One price fits all

• OP, it's not reverse racism; the people you piss of are charging you for your white privilege. Romney would be eating $1000 burgers if he were charged for HIS white privilege. Be happy they don't poison you.

• GET OVER YOURSELF, OP!

• OP, you paid $18 to post here at DL just to complain about being ripped off of one buck...

• [quote] I think they charge me a little more in general because I'm white OP - You sound racist and paranoid!

• Of course they don't post prices...have you ever been to deli? You tell the guy, "Egg and cheese on a toasted everything bagel," and two minutes later it's ready for you. The price has varied by a quarter difference in the past, but a dollar is too much. You know the funny thing is in a place like Harlem they don't care that you're white. It's in a place like Chelsea or HK that they seem vindictive to be serving white clientele. And for the record I'm always super polite and say my please and thank yous.

• #firstworldproblems

• Maybe they just hate you because you're a nelly miss THANG, OP.

• [quote] Of course they don't post prices...have you ever been to deli? We have delis in California too, hon. And they ALL post their prices and have menus.

• I'm sorry R11, but you don't have the bodega culture that we have in NYC. And where are you posting from, R9? Burkina Faso? I didn't think so. I can't believe more people aren't sharing similar stories right now. I know I can't be alone in receiving this discrimination. I mean it's not overt racism, but just a chip on these people's shoulders- much like the chip on the shoulders on many Duane Reede/CVS workers.

  OP

• you didn't say bodega, OP. You said Deli. A deli is a delicatessen, not a mom and pop corner store. And really? In Los Angeles we don't have the frickin' bodega culture?

• White peoples' problems. Literally.

• So what are you saying R14? That it is an issue, but I should suck it up and pay more because I can? That doesn't seem fair to me. I've always supported equality, but that mean equality for me too. R13- I've always heard people use deli and bodega interchangeably. Sorry for the confusion.

• Oh come on, OP. This is perfect bait to get the starving Darfur orphan to show himself.

• If it wasn't the owner, sweetie, complain to the owner. If it was the owner, wait until they're closed and egg the shit out of their place and never go back.

• R15, confront them about it if you feel you were unfairly charged. Sheesh.

• [quote] It's in a place like Chelsea or HK that they seem vindictive to be serving white cliente Don't I know it, hon! Many are the times I have wandered down 10th Ave singing, "Nobody knows the troubles I've seen.... "

  Blond%20Narcissus

• What the hell is "reverse racism?" It has nothing to do with whether you are in the minority or the majority. It's either racism or it isn't.

  Irritated%20Hack%20Wordsmith

• There is no such thing as reverse racism. Racism is racism. And OP, it sounds like you're just cheap and paranoid.

• Reverse racism is bullshit. Racism by definition is prejudice Plus POWER. "The deli guy" is not a political faction that is going to change your income level or ability to get a job. "That one time" does not amount to a lifelong system of injustice that restricts or oppresses your life over time. If you get picked on by someone because of your race- go to another deli. You can do that.

• R22- That's not true. Racial slurs are racism, but they don't have to be spoken from a person in power to "count." The definition of reverse racism is when someone who is normally oppressed fights back by attempting to oppress the oppressor. Unfortunately it only hurts race relations. I was brought up to be open-minded and support equality of all people. It's hard when the people who haven't had a fair shake in life won't even meet up halfway. I'm only paranoid if it's not true. The fact is the ARE charging me more.

  OP

• [quote]political faction Hey Patsy! How's tricks? Is Satan being good to you?

• Find. A. New. Deli.

• Apparently what was missing from your upbringing was the part about picking your battles.

• Red Dragon cheese always a dollah more, bitches.

  Delhi Man

• [quote]I can't believe more people aren't sharing similar stories right now. I know I can't be alone in receiving this discrimination. I mean it's not overt racism, but just a chip on these people's shoulders- much like the chip on the shoulders on many Duane Reede/CVS workers. FIGHT THE POWER!

• OP, I drive a car in California. I've been noticing that I've been paying almost a dollar more for gas lately. I think it's because the gas station owners are all conspiring together to charge me more because of my race... I mean, of all the possible explanations for why you'd be getting charged more now - the owner decided to raise prices because the demand is there and he wants to turn a bigger profit, or his margins are tightening because the costs for ingredients or labor or rent are going up, etc., the explanation you turn to is that you're being singled out for your race - you and the millions of other white New Yorkers out there (who are the majority in Hell's Kitchen)? Have you seen anyone else get the exact same thing and be charged less? Or are you just noticing that you're being charged more now for the same item? Guess what, prices rise over time - it's called inflation...

• It's a cunt tax levied against cunts.

• Yeah, we all get reverse racism...so we all get hurt, white and black...but who FUCKING STARTED IT!? So now, we are all suffering...tough shit.

• Why are these awful haters attacking OP for just telling his story? Oh, I can hear the screams from those attacking the OP if it happened to them!

• [quote]Why are these awful haters attacking OP for just telling his story? It's called DL pack mentality. It happens here sometimes. An OP has a gripe, a few people put him down and then the rest join in and kick him to the ground. It's extremely unpleasant. OP's story sounds typical New York to me.

• If you always order the same thing, next time ask the owner or manager the price -- then the time after that, when they are ringing you up, just state the price if they charge something different, e.g., "Joes says it's $4.25." I also hate random pricing when none are posted.

• It's called DL people with common sense. OP can either take it up with someone who has the authority to address the issue (if there is one) or take his business elsewhere. Grumbling to the guy ringing him up isn't going to do squat.

• [quoteThat's not true. Racial slurs are racism, but they don't have to be spoken from a person in power to "count." ]Um No. You're wrong. I'm not doubting your story or that you experienced something uncomfortable, but you don't understand the definition of RACEism. The concept of RACE exists in the first place because a dominate culture -i.e. white in North America- has marginalized the minority races. Whites are a part of that system whether we mean to be or not. It's not our fault but we are privileged by it. Hear are some more pointers, OP: From the link below... [bold]The first thing you really need to understand is that the definition of racism that you probably have (which is the colloquial definition: "racism is prejudice against someone based on their skin color or ethnicity") is NOT the definition that's commonly used in anti-racist circles.[/bold] The definition used in anti-racist circles is the accepted sociological definition (which is commonly used in academic research, and has been used for more than a decade now):[bold] "racism is prejudice plus [/bold]power". What this means, in easy language: A. Anyone can hold "racial prejudice" -- that is, they can carry positive or negative stereotypes of others based on racial characteristics. For example, a white person thinking all Asians are smart, or all black people are criminals; or a Chinese person thinking Japanese people are untrustworthy; or what-have-you. ANYONE, of any race, can have racial prejudices. B. People of any race can commit acts of violence, mistreatment, ostracizing, etc., based on their racial prejudices. A black kid can beat up a white kid because he doesn't like white kids. An Indian person can refuse to associate with Asians. Whatever, you get the idea. C. However, to be racist (rather than simply prejudiced) requires having institutional power. In North America, white people have the institutional power. In large part we head the corporations; we make up the largest proportion of lawmakers and judges; we have the money; we make the decisions. In short, we control the systems that matter. "White" is presented as normal, the default. Because we have institutional power, when we think differently about people based on their race or act on our racial prejudices, we are being racist. Only white people can be racist, because only white people have institutional power. D. People of color can be prejudiced, but they cannot be racist, because they don't have the institutional power. (However, some people refer to intra-PoC prejudice as "lateral racism". You may also hear the term "colorism", which refers to lighter-skinned PoC being prejudiced toward darker-skinned PoC.) However, that situation can be different in other countries; for example, a Japanese person in Japan can be racist against others, because the Japanese have the institutional power there. But in North America, Japanese people can't be racist because they don't hold the institutional power. E. [bold]If you're in an area of your city/state/province that is predominantly populated by PoC and, as a white person, you get harassed because of your skin color, it's still not racism, even though you're in a PoC-dominated area. [/bold]The fact is, even though they're the majority population in that area, they still lack the institutional power. They don't have their own special PoC-dominated police force for that area. [bold]They don't have their own special PoC-dominated courts in that area. The state/province and national media are still not dominated by PoC. Even though they have a large population in that particular area, they still lack the institutional power overall.[/bold] F. So that's the definition of racism that you're likely to encounter. If you start talking about "reverse racism" you're going to either get insulted or laughed at, because it isn't possible under that definition; PoC don't have the power in North America, so by definition, they can't be racist. [bold]Crying "reverse racism!" is like waving a Clueless White Person Badge around.[/bold]

  http://stuffwhitepeopledo.blogspot.com/2009/09/wonder-how-to-define-racism.html

• Thank you, professor. Your social construct is enlightening and entertaining, and yet, as is often the case, unrelated to real life practices.

• Wow, R36. All that nonsense over an idiot posting about "reverse racism" when he paid a dollar more for his egg sandwich at some deli on 46th Street. Get over it!

• It redeemed the thread, R37. Here, take something pretty:

  http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rFWlbp4J8J4/Tjfvt8h5W0I/AAAAAAAACKc/8N3Wp3WK8Rc/s1600/kiss+love+_0005.jpg

• Thanks r 36. I understand tha racism is systematic. However, how much more institutional power do you want? A black man is POTUS.

• Oh please, r40. Just stop embarrassing yourself.

• R33 is as old as she is fat.

• It's political crap, r39. People can jump up and down and shout that their new definition for the word is the true and only meaning. But the old meaning still applies: racism is the belief that race determines traits and behavior and that this makes a race or races superior to other races. Mistreating people on the basis of their race indicates racism.

• I can relate to your situation, OP. I recently dined in an Indian restaurant where I experienced a bit of attitude. Even though I was the only one there, they were in the back chatting cheerfully on a cellphone. I had only the retro decor to look at, and everything is retro. When they served me, they were frowning a bit.

• At my local Subway sandwich shop, when I get a soup with my sandwich, sometimes I am charged $1.49 for it (the combo price) but other times I am charged $1.99 (the standalone price). But I haven't figured out if it's racism, sexism, or homophobia. Probably all three, right?

• This happens to me all the time at my work cafeteria. However, there is a new cashier practically every other week, so they make a lot of mistakes. I think OP is expecting too much from a cashier. I agree he should have spoken up to the owner/manager about the price difference.

• R42, smells as bad as she looks.

• I just don't buy the whole "whites have all the institutional power" assumption built into R36's manifesto. In my city, most of the institutions discussed are not "white dominated" - power is shared among many groups. Police are mixed, government bodies are mixed, the media are mixed. I suppose the major corporations in the area have predominantly white CEOs, but those people don't have a direct effect on the day-to-day governmental and social interactions in which racism or prejudice can be manifested. So absent that dominance by one race, either there is only prejudice, or it is possible that a white person can be the subject of racism.

• [quote]And really? In Los Angeles we don't have the frickin' bodega culture? NO! NO ONE HAS ANYTHING COMPARABLE TO WHAT MANHATTAN HAS!

  this post only makes sense when read in 1978

• When an unarmed white man, walking through his own neighborhood is shot and killed by a black man...and the black man is not held for murder, then I might believe things are kind of equal...

• I've got no doubt there's been discrimination here. I suggest you contact the justice department.