January 26, 2004
you've come a long way, baby
You've come a long way, baby. The Virginia Slims slogan that long overstayed its welcome.
The slogan, while unwelcome and discarded by Virginia Slims, seems highly relevant to me today.
I went to Staples to get a calendar and some pencils.I got in line to pay. There was some nonsense going on in front of me. The guy had a GE credit card and didn't want to pay sales tax, but didn't have a tax ID number for the tax exemption and didn't know the phone number, couldn't even say where exactly he worked (he travelled, apparently).
So Dotty, with her retail experience was thinking, "Hmmm. I'd probably call the manager on this one or maybe decline to take his credit card unless he had identification and the card had his name on it."
Instead, the cashier said, "Well, I guess we'll just have to have you pay the tax."
The man said, "Well it's a bajillion dollar a year corporation. I think they'll pay the tax."
Ha ha ha, the boys snickered together.
I was next in line and put my calendar and pens on the counter. The cashier said, "Well, at least I know you'll have to pay the sales tax." He said it in a joking manner.
I said, "Why's that?"
He said, "Well," backing off slightly, "unless you're a teacher..." indicating that he was aware that teachers, because they're purchasing supplies for work, get a tax exemption.
So Dotty very gently (I swear I was sweet and gentle) said, "I need to scold you now. I could own my own business and be buying for that, couldn't I?"
Rather than acknowledging that this was so, he said, "Do you own your own business?"
As I deduct supplies and materials from my tax returns for my business which is ephemeral, yet powerful, I said, "Yes. I do. These things just aren't related."
I may have come a long way, baby, but honey, the rest of the world has not.
This next bit adds insult to injury for me. The guy who was, in my opinion, acting in a way that would warrant the request of identification, was a black guy. The guy who assumed that I was neither a teacher or a business person was in a wheelchair.
So three stereotypes: the black guy will not be working for a fancy company and so will have stolen the credit card, the guy in the wheelchair will be considerate, and the girl waiting in line is a girl out shopping.
And which stereo type does the cashier choose to buy into? I guess there are only a few types of women in this world.
