Thread by @GailSimone

Okay, so this happened. I realize this is a tiny thing in comparison to the out-and-out dangerous levels of racism out there, but it was still gross and infuriating and upsetting.

And obviously I am not a victim of racism, we were just kind of witnesses to something.

Second, I realize this is going to sound a little on-the-nose but it happened, and @rocketspouse and I made a point of memorizing every word, because it was just so...gross and random.

Everyone involved in this story was super-white, including us, remember.

Now, as most of you know, we live in the boonies, the closest town is very small and the few stores that sell supplies and groceries are out of a lot of things. With a second lockdown coming up, we went to the nearest actual city to do some shopping, taking all precautions.

I stress, it was no big deal. Keep distance, wash and sanitize hands, wear a mask. It's not much to ask. But we went shopping and were at a chain grocery/department store that is very big here in the Pacific Northwest. We'd been shopping a lot and kept noticing...

...that every bigger store we went to required masks BUT that there were always people who had worn them to access the store and had pulled them down over their noses so their noses, sometimes mouths and even chins, were exposed. We never saw anyone ask them to adjust.

Working retail already sucks, it shouldn't be some worker's job to be the health police AND try to teach empathy and reality to angry weirdos, but here we are.

What was weird is, every one of these mask-down people behaved like a jerk.

Every.

One.

This may be something everyone who deals with the public is already experiencing, we don't know, we have been very isolated. But it was obvious. These people walked around huffing and puffing, with sour faces, ordering clerks and checkers around like complete asses.

One older woman with silver blond hair, her husband dressed a little like a biker with an American flag mask (again, I know this sounds on-the-nose, but it happened and we were surprised) was just a douche to every clerk every time we saw her. She literally...

...was snapping her fingers at workers engaged in other things to make them come help her.

I imagine people working at big stores know what I'm talking about, or maybe it was just us that particular day.

But the masks-down people were LOOKING for confrontation, we felt.

I can't stand people being rude to anyone doing their job, it's just such trash behavior. But we both noticed it all day and remarked on it to each other.

SO we go to this store, the last one on our list, and as we go in, they have a display of masks for sale, and we are low.

So we are getting some for our family because, you know, not wanting to spread viruses to ourselves or others.

Up from behind comes a little family pushing a cart. Maybe late twenties.

Reminder that I live in a very redneck-y area, to be kind.

It's a woman, a man, and their daughter, maybe three years old. And they are pushing their cart by, full. I think they are heading for the back exit, maybe. And they go right behind us.

We are not paying any attention to them at all.

They are right on us, right behind us, when the woman, with a sneer like a razor made of icicles, says, "Oh, look at all the masks from CHIIIIIIIIIINA."

It didn't really register, so I turned to look. Daughter has no mask, both parents are doing the neckbeard mask thing.

Husband says, in what I think is probably one of the most weirdly self-owning things I've ever heard a parent say, "They probably don't even WORK."

At this point, I'm stunned. They are doing a drive-by sneer at us, two people they don't know...and THIS is their approach?

I mean...it's the 'probably' that gets me. You are dragging your KID through this busy store, and you think the masks 'PROBABLY' don't help, so you don't wear them, exposing everyone, INCLUDING YOUR DAUGHTER.

And you're only 'probably' thinking they don't work?

So they are moving at a pretty good clip, like moving fast, and they must have seen we were not in the mood for their shit, and went fast passed us, woman says, as she goes by, "good luck with the kung FLUUUUU"

Which makes zero sense AND is super racist...

So I called them a swear word racist, and hubby just went straight to the heart of it and called them a swear word. Not cool in front of the kid but...yikes, we were caught off-guard.

It was just so random and gross.

I mean, it's so indicative of the fractured pile of nonsense these people surround themselves with. Heaps of racism, lots of science denial, cultish worship of congenital liars...

and the end thing...are the masks supposed to give us the flu? What is even being said there?

Anyway, we were really surprised, we just looked at each other like, did that just happen?

I get that we're privileged af, and that this is almost completely trivial compared to what POC face, the point here is not how upset WE are, it's just that...that's what we all face.

That there are people out there living in an alternate world where facts and science don't matter even a little, and a person trying to not spread diseases is somehow seen as 'weak.'

You can't fight ignorance that deep, can you?

So these people are being given the message all day that you can 'own' people who are trying to do the right thing by running around being a douche.

And the people working there have to just sort of exist with that kind of person all day...

Also, the store had Asian workers and customers but we were the only people who heard them, I'm pretty sure.

People dealing with the public all day, I am sorry if this is happening all the time, it's gross!

So we were checking out, and the checker was a very nice-looking, clean cut young man, very polite and kind. He helped us get a free turkey for thanksgiving (there was a special we didn't know about). And we both felt terrible that this nice guy would have to deal with this...

And @Rocketspouse is still miffed and asks him straight out, "I can't help but noticing, but every person we see with their mask pulled down seems to be completely obnoxious..."

We weren't really expecting a response, it was probably unfair to say. But he looks up and says...

"Yes, I would say that's pretty typical."

It broke my heart.

Folks, I am sure you are not like these people already.

But for god's sake, please please please try to go the extra mile for kindness' sake for the people out there working in service of any kind. This is way more than they should have to deal with.

No big point to this story and I know it's not significant compared to what my POC friends experience all the time.

Just...don't be like these people. Wanting to protect your family and other families is the right thing to do.

Be kind.
Be safe.
Don't be a racist ass.

That's all.