Yesterday my daughter called me on the way back from Capeway Convenience and told me that an employee there (who it turns out was the store manager) told her and her friend ?not to bother coming back here? again. Emily had no idea why. I asked some questions that I already knew the answer to (Were you being loud and/or obnoxious? Did you mess the store up? Did your or your friend try to take something?). Emily and her friend are good kids and I trust them both but I had to ask. What other good reason would a store manager have for telling kids they weren?t welcome back? Emily could think of nothing that would have justified this action-basically they went in the store, had a brief discussion about what to get, bought their items and left. They were sitting outside the store on the bench opening their purchases, chatting quietly when the manager came out and said, ?Don?t bother coming back to this store.? Her friend said questioningly, ?Ok?? and Emily (love her) said, ?Why?? The manager responded with, ?Just don?t.?
I called the store yesterday but the manager had just left. I called this morning and spoke with her. I explained the situation and asked what her reasoning was for asking them not to come back. Her response was, ?I was not comfortable with her.? When I described Emily (what she was wearing etc) she said, ?Not her-the other one.? I confirmed that they had done nothing wrong.
Emily?s friend is a good kid-get?s excellent grades, is a nice person, and has been a great friend to my daughter. She dresses in a goth/alternative style. That was the only reason the store manager had for not welcoming them back. It wasn?t based on their behavior in the store which was confirmed by the manager herself to be proper. She looked at Emily?s friend and automatically assumed things about her-even though the only basis for judgement she had been their perfect behavior in the store. She discounted that and decided that because Emily?s friend had a ?different from her? way of looking that they must be trouble.
I bet the manager didn?t think for one minute someone who looks like that or the girl she was with would have a parent that would call her out on her disgusting behavior. Well guess what Miss. Manager of Capeway Convenience? You were wrong about Emily and her friend and you were wrong about me.
I was so shocked this morning on the phone that after talking to her, I basically hung up. I think a followup phone call is in order-once I calmly figure out how to say what I want to say. We?ll see.
I am angry-but more than that I wish there was a way to educate this person. Fighting fire with fire is not the way.
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