Last night was a bit of a strange one, if I'll be honest.
After I had locked everything down for the night, I went to ask a small group of males to quieten down. They apologised and explained that they weren't aware of the silence policy, so I enlightened them. A while later, I returned to the same group and asked them to quieten down again. They apologised and I left them to it.
At around one o'clock, I had to ask the same group (although half of them had gone to bed and there were only two males left) to quieten down. I explained the silence policy to them for a second time and explained that it was in the copy of the site rules they were given when they checked in. They informed me that they hadn't been given a copy (a lie, because everyone is given a copy and we never run out of them for that reason.) I also explained that the silence policy was explained on their ticket and also on noticeboards which are attached to the walls of all buildings on the site.
One of the males didn't believe me, so I took great pleasure in accompanying him to his tent and pointing out the silence policy, which is written in bold black lettering on the ticket, at this point he called me a racist and asked to see the manager. I asked him how he came to the conclusion that I was a racist (which I'm not) and he explained it to me;
"I think you're being racist towards us."
"Why do you think that, Sir?"
"Well there are other people making a noise on the site and you are deliberately hassling us because you're racist towards us."
"I can assure you, Sir, that no one else is making a noise on the site and the only reason why I am asking you to quieten down is because you are the only people making any noise."
"Well, I want you to bring the manager round. You are being racist towards us and I want to make a complaint."
"Sir, with all due respect, the manager has worked a fourteen hour shift. If you have any complaints, then you can speak to him at reception in the morning."
"I want to speak to the manager now. You're being racist."
"I'm not going to argue with you, Sir."
I had to speak to them twice after this incident, and I was on the verge of calling Alex out, but decided against it. If they are serious about making a complaint, then they will do so in the morning. Preferably when they have sobered up a bit.
When I mentioned this incident to Alex during the morning handover, he laughed and said that if they did make a complaint, he'd tell them where to go. I doubt they would complain. The amount of times I've heard someone say that they are going to complain to the manager in the morning is too numerous to mention. But 9/10 times, they have forgotten about the incident by the morning.
6 comments:
I've never had the racist card played on me - yet. You handled it well.
Surely the amount of times Alex is having to be called out could warrant a night manager or at least giving the wardens the power of the manager at night?
I've only ever had someone do the race thing to me once, and thankfully it wasn't anywhere near as drawn out as your experience. (I mentioned it at the end of this post). Nothing ever came of that either despite the threats.
I often find the same, most people who threaten to complain won't actually do it. They just use it as a last ditch attempt to get you to cave in to their demands. It tends to be the quiet ones who don't make the threats that you have to worry about.
To be honest, Alex isn't called out all too often. Normally when someone is threatened with eviction and the reality of nowhere to stay for the night, they tend to do as they are told.
Incidentally, the male never made a complaint. Not that it comes as much of a surprise to learn that.
Of course you're a racist. Didn't you know? We're all racists when we ask people of a different race/colour to abide the same rules as everyone else....
I got the "Is it because I is black?" line at work one day. Thankfully, it's my own business so I could give the honest answer "No, it's because you're an arrogant scumbag!"
Great blog - thanks
Thanks Anonymous, but the person concerned wasn't of a different race/colour. He was a White British male.
Yes, always a strange one to be told by someone of the same race that you're being racist.
To the best of my memory, I've not been called a racist at work yet.
I've been called many OTHER things, which I'd have to list with *%@$!, and a Jobsworth, which in my naivity I had to look up.
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