eHarmony was prejudice towards me
I filled out their forms and they told me to fcuk off:


Click for bigger (45 kb)

Rejected by an internet dating site. Nice.
( Crap Little Monkey Deathstar, so good they built it twice, Tue 6 Apr 2010, 10:18, 14 replies)

Someone just wrote "what's white on top, and black on the bottom?"
I was in a Charles Schwab, April 1993, on El Camino Real, Sunnyvale, California. The young lady helping me with my taxes was, like me, an immigrant. Only, whereas I am a proud citizen of the British Isles, loyal to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Fidei Defensor, etc, and in the US on a green card, the young lady in question was from Kenya. I'm white, she's a deep, dark, gorgeous black.

And she's clearly smart. Personable. Nice to chat with. English accent. We talked about more than taxes, and when it came time to wrap up (and me to write a big check to the federal government, so they could buy some more cruise missiles, or HumVees, or some other much-needed items), I asked her if she'd like to have a cup of coffee some time.

I was floored by her response: "Oh no, I never go out with white guys."

I've been on the receiving end of racism before (I lived in Japan for a couple of years), but I was knocked sideways by this. Not because of any "but I'm white, how can you reject me?" but because of the casual way in which she said it.

She was an awful lot better looking than I'm imagining some of the racists discussed here.
(IHaveComeAmongThee__Twice Tissues on the left. Self-esteem on the right., Tue 6 Apr 2010, 8:57, 15 replies)

Sometimes I feel guilty
for being so prejudiced against Mercedes drivers... and BMW drivers... and drivers of raised pickup trucks with fucking huge tires.

But then they tailgate me again. Or they cut me off again. Or they just prove that there is a reason for my prejudice.

And so that's why I cut them off on the freeway before they have a chance to do it to me. Those fuckers.
( intesvensk can't recall when I last checked the newsletter, Tue 6 Apr 2010, 8:43, 3 replies)

On a different note

I am convalescing from my second bone marrow transplant in less than two years ( four months post transplant and all is well woo yay!) and am nearing the time to re-enter the workforce once again. Although I am proud in my own way to be a survivor twice over, I am wondering how prospective employers will react to my explanation of that "absence" on a resume. I don't intend to hide it or lie about it or make it a matter of pride, but i expect some resistance or reticence or ambivalence due to my past medical history. Food for thought - for me at least. But i know all will be well in the end =)
(goorf, Tue 6 Apr 2010, 7:15, 2 replies)

I'm in love with North Africa

I want to live in a hut and learn to play the oud like a champ.
(goorf, Tue 6 Apr 2010, 6:55, 1 reply)

Happens everywhere

( enoughblueskyforsailorstrousers, Tue 6 Apr 2010, 6:15, 6 replies)

Granny
My grandma, rest her soul, was raised in Maryland circa 1930's. Thus passing down the teachings of her Catholic parents, she referred to brazil nuts as n***** toes and also called me "chink eyed" in the mornings when I got up. I have tons of these...
(NancyycnaN Wðñ'† ¥ðµ §hðw §ðmê ¢l姧?, Tue 6 Apr 2010, 4:11, 1 reply)

I don't know if anyone else plays this game
I'm sure some of you must: it is basically saying the most prejudiced thing you can think of, out of the blue, that you know will garner a shocked reaction from another family member (usually mum!)

I remember when I was 14 and in the car chatting to my sisters about something and I said "no that's gay"

She replied "Lannes, you shouldn't say that, what's wrong with being gay?"

"It's ungodly Mother, UNGODLY!"*

She swerved, we laughed.

*of course gay in the way I used it had nothing to do with homosexuality.
(Lannes, Tue 6 Apr 2010, 2:11, 4 replies)

Hai Ya
My girlfriend was born in Hong Kong and was adopted as a baby by a British army family.

Recently on her first day as an Education Officer in a northern theatre she popped into the on-site cafe and was approached by a bohemian type who asked her - 'You...got...DVD?'

-'Actually dahling, I work in the the-a-tre!' probably wasn't the reply he was expecting.
('tin'tintin, Tue 6 Apr 2010, 1:00, 5 replies)

No locals at Uni
Edinburgh Uni had a big thanksgiving thing which was advertised to the students for weeks and weeks. Not one mention of st Andrews day. and fuck all for Burns night. IM all for learning and experiencing other cultures, but not if we completely ignore our own. In saying that, you could count the number of scottish students at edinburgh on one hand so come to think of it, no-one at edinburgh will have heard of either of these events. nevertheless, i managed to force some haggis down my flatmates throat and now hes addicted. Score!!!!
(Shuzbee4life Wheres the Beef!?, Tue 6 Apr 2010, 0:26, 6 replies)

I have quite a few racist jokes...I'm sure you've all heard them though
What's White on top and black on bottom?





Society.....

Don't hurt me :(
(WhataYob, Tue 6 Apr 2010, 0:25, 2 replies)

corner shop vs. racist neighbour
there's a bloke on my block who will only go into the shop across the road on a tuesday. not because that's when he gets paid or anything, but because that's the one day a week that the white english girl works there. he refers to the owners as "fuckin' pakis", despite the fact that they are not pakistani and are third generation english, whilst he came here from ireland as a child. he has no problem with their cheaply-priced cider, but unless it's tuesday, he will ask someone else to go and buy it for him.
fucking tool.
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Tue 6 Apr 2010, 0:13, 6 replies)

I'm predujiced
against the people that write "Click!" in the replies.

Also the illiterate.
(Lannes, Mon 5 Apr 2010, 23:33, 6 replies)

People who react to things they don't like on B3ta.

(mr-lizard Hell's teeth man!, Mon 5 Apr 2010, 23:11, 3 replies)

I have a firm belief that if your job involves talking to other people, be it on the phone or in person...
...then you should be able to speak the native language of the country you're working in.

Whether it's a call centre, reception desk or whatever, if you're working in England, you should be able to speak English. That's just good sense - what use is a doctor who can't make you understand what you need to do with your medication or why you're feeling ill? Or a phone monkey who doesn't understand you when you want to query a credit card bill? I even got served in Subway once by a guy who didn't understand me when I ordered my sandwich O_o

The number of people who think I'm being racist when I expound this opinion is astounding... :/
(Professor Kenny Martin Hmm? What?, Mon 5 Apr 2010, 22:06, 55 replies)

Every time...
...I see a young black man, I instantly assume he's going to try to mug me.

This is because once upon a time, I got mugged by a young black man.

Strangely enough, I'm also concerned that priests may try to rape me.
( gone, Mon 5 Apr 2010, 21:43, 4 replies)

Working in my dad's pub a good few years ago now...
...one of the punters asked me if I could give him 20p for the phone.

I said no.

"What" asked his mate "You're not giving him 20p coz he's black?"

"No" I replied, "I'm not giving him 20p coz I don't just give people money. If he gives me a pound he can have five 20 pences"

O_o

Now edited for apostrophe abuse, thanks Amberl :)
(Professor Kenny Martin Hmm? What?, Mon 5 Apr 2010, 21:34, 5 replies)

First impressions
So earlier today I'm walking up the Balmoral Road in Gillingham with my brother and some friends. I'm unshaven (through laziness), wearing a baseball cap (because it's sunny and the Sox won last night), a leather bike jacket (I'd ridden part of the way) and a football shirt (we were off to see the Gills play). As I'm walking along I bump into a darker skinned gentleman wearing a Turban who is with some similar company.

Everyone freezes. The few Gills fans behind me tense up, perhaps expecting trouble and Phil told me afterwards that this chap's group were similarly worried. I look at this fella. He looks at me.

"Sorry, sir, have a good Easter" he says to me.

"Thank you," I reply, "I hope you all have a nice weekend" and we go our merry way.

A few paces down the road the comments start up about Muslims et al (yes, I know. They're Gillingham fans, it generally doesn't equal intelligence) until Phil points out that they were probably just as scared of the motorbike riding football hooligans.

"But we're harmless!"

"But we're stereotyped. Stop labelling people and they might stop doing it to you."

(Postscript - we won 3-0, and Rene Howe *finally* scored his first goal for us.)
(jamesthegill opens new tabs with his scroll wheel, Mon 5 Apr 2010, 20:30, 8 replies)

Grandad
In every other respect, I fiercely love this man, but after this incident, I lost a little respect for him.

My journalist-student friend N------ was doing a report on National Service, but as her family had migrated here in the 70s thanks to Idi Amin's, er, spring cleaning initiatives, she asked me if I had any relatives she could interview, so I put it to my granddad.

"Can't she interview her own relatives?"
"No, they came here from Uganda after National Service ended. Will you do it, then?"

He shook his head, pointed to his face and simply said "black".

The disappointment.
( Pretender, Mon 5 Apr 2010, 19:38, Reply)

I cant stand
people who like Star Wars. And especially the ones who really like it. And collect all the stupid toys. And have light sabers, and stormtrooper helmets. They all need to fuck off. No funny, its just a really really shit thing to like.
( I have run out of coke is a little sweaty, Mon 5 Apr 2010, 19:16, 20 replies)

The Unemployed
As some of you already know, Im a single parent, I bust my ass to take my daughter to school, race like a loon to get to work on time, work hard at a full time job for a quite honestly piss poor wage whilst trying to earn a degree with OU, yet everyday I run into people who drop their kids off, go home, watch Jeremy Kyle and piss about on facebook all day. That in itself is annoying enough, but when these mouth breathing window lickers can seem to afford most of lifes little luxuries whilst Im barely getting by something is surely wrong? I mean even if they did a few hours in the day working in a shop, I'd have no problem with them getting their wages topped up by benefits as they would at least be making an effort. To my mind benefits should allow you to exist, thats it, a roof over your head, clothes on your back and food on the table. Not enough for you? GET A FUCKING JOB.

Rant over
(Obi wanker nobi Its not a bug, its an unexpected feature, Mon 5 Apr 2010, 18:58, 20 replies)

Delivery
Not me but a mate, she was heading back into her block of student flats at about midnight and saw a chinese guy outside the door. He was standing there in a baseball cap and was holding a bag full of takeaway.

"Oh" she said, "I didn't realise you delived this late!"

"I don't." He said, "This is my dinner, I live here"
(Puddle of Sugar was still wallpapering on, Mon 5 Apr 2010, 18:32, 3 replies)

How to confuse a racist.
"Fucking immigrants! All coming here, stealing our jobs!" raged the racist. This blindsided me- I'd never heard him come out with anything like this before.

"What?"
"You heard me, fucking immigrants and asylum seekers, stealing our jobs and houses, fishing in the rivers!"

This was totally new on me. Usually this occasional drinking buddy was quite placid, a bit mental, and he loved the weed like there was no tomorrow, and not to be trusted at all around Mars Bars, but I'd never heard him go off on one before. So I decided to ask the question- one I never ask, because I'm never sure if I will like the answer or not.

"So... so you vote for the BNP now then?"
"Yes! Course I fucking well do!"

Well that told me then. I asked him why, and got the usual rant from those who make up for what they are lacking in brain cells by having a very large mouth. And his was in full flow, as he covered the usual bits paraphrased from Enoch Powell's speeches. Oswald Mosley would have been proud of this bloke right about now. But as he ranted and raved, with me quietly sipping my pint, something went *click* in my head. And when he stopped for a breather, and before he could start again, I asked him a simple question.

"So do you have a job?"
"N-no! I'm waiting for something more in my skills range!"
"But have you been to the job centre recently?"
"Yes, I have! But all the jobs are fucking shit! Fruit picking, MacDonald's, medical orderlies and all that! I'm not doing all that!"
"So there are jobs available but you don't want to do them?"
"Fucking too right!"
"Right then. So you don't want to do those jobs even though they are available. I'm guessing this is because you consider them beneath you? Thought so. Right then, consider this. You don't want to do those jobs, but some immigrants want to do them. It gives them dignity, and they can earn money to send back home after paying their way here. They do the jobs you and I wouldn't want to do- shit jobs, admittedly, but they keep the economy ticking over. Do you know the reason why America became such an economic giant? Immigration and a cheap labour force. That is what these guys provide. They pick our fruit, clean our shoes and sweep our streets. They build our houses, and repair the potholes. You might not want to do it, but they keep the economy going, and they only take these jobs because people like you are too idiotic to swallow their own pride and actually get off their arse and work for a living."

The pub was starting to take an interest at this point, they could see something interesting was going to happen.

"But... but..."
"No buts. Accept you've been an idiot and get back to the job centre, I'm going to leave you now because I don't spend my valuable time in the company of bigots. Bye now!"

And I left the pub, the pub giggling at the now silent racist idiot, as he wondered what the hell had just happened to him.
( jim_bob can herd cats., Mon 5 Apr 2010, 18:31, 24 replies)

Herb teas
I have a shameful prejudice. In my time, I have marched against apartheid, visited Soweto, befriended prostitutes (both sexes), worn drag, worn full leather, full rubber,had lovers of both sexes, been a builder, had a fight over a girl/boy, championed the rights of Christians, and had respect for all the colours and creeds you could imagine. Now I work for an airline, and when I do the 'Tea or Coffee' round if a business man says:
"do you have Chamomile ? "
I want to bite their face off.
Have a mans drink FFS.

PS If they ask for Chamomile pronounced the American way, I always say:
"you're thinking of oatmeal"
(skyfriend packaged in a protective atmosphere, for freshness, Mon 5 Apr 2010, 18:19, 5 replies)

Pointless!
"It's all pointless!" raged my mate. He just didn't get it. For a time, neither did I. "Why'd you spend all that money on an old Lego set from 17 years ago?" he said, spluttering into his pint. Michael is a good bloke, but not one to indulge his childish side. He just didn't find fart jokes funny, and thought that Star Wars was a load of pointless pap. I was with him on that, to a point- the new Star Wars just don't cut it. Give me the old ones anytime. But before he could launch into the next sentence of his tirade, I interrupted him.

"Mike, don't you love collecting guitars? And what about your collection of Matchbox cars?"
"But they're just investments!"

He had me there, I will admit. But the cars still stood in their boxes, and the guitars were all in cases, unused. I'd had arguments with him about this time and again- I just can't see the point in collecting stuff just to be looked at. This was all stuff to be used and loved, not just to be plonked on a shelf, to be shown off at one of his cheese and wine nights. I'd always wanted to have a go on one of his guitars, just to have a go on it, not thrash about like some angry silverback on speed. But no, in the boxes they stayed.

"Alright then Mike, I have a proposition for you- when my new set arrives, you're coming round, and you're going to help me put it together. If you still think it's pointless, then we'll call it the end of it and I'll buy you a pint. If not, I'll get you one".

Mike agreed to this- and the set arrived, and on the appointed day, he came round, with a large crate of beer to keep him amused. Mike always seemed to need alcohol whenever he was doing stuff he wasn't sure about. I always put it down to an adult security blanket- not that he would appreciate the comparison, of course. And so we got to work, all the pieces laid out, and the instructions duly stuck to.

Several cans of beers later, our masterpiece laid out on the coffee table, Mike sat back with a satisfied grin on his face.

"Y'know what Jim? I'm with you now on that one- sometimes it is good just to go for it."

And with that, we went off to the pub, me satisfied that I'd laid a prejudice of his to rest, that I was just being an idiot for buying kid's stuff, him happy that he'd discovered his childhood again.

Fucker never did buy me that pint though, and the guitars to this day remain unplayed.
( jim_bob can herd cats., Mon 5 Apr 2010, 18:07, 4 replies)

anti-apartheid...
Back in the 80’s my brother in law was at st Andrews in Edinburgh. Being a right on student he was supporting the anti-apartheid boycotts against the likes of Barclays and fruit from south Africa.
One time he was in a proper old greengrocers near the uni choosing his fruit and veg, when he told the shopkeeper he didn’t want any ‘Cape fruit’ from South Africa, he overheard one of the two respectable old biddies behind him say ‘yes that’s right Mrs Wishart, I wouldn’t want to eat anything that’s been touched by a nig nog either’
He was too flabbergasted to comment.
(nimrodihnio making gravy for one., Mon 5 Apr 2010, 17:00, 2 replies)

My prejudice is distressing
and very hard to eliminate. It has never been turned into discrimination and I would hope it never is, because it would make me a bad person which is something I don't think I am (or rather hope I'm not.)

It's the full hijab. *Not* Islam or Muslims themselves, but the hijab. It makes me feel uncomfortable not to see someones face, to gauge their facial expressions and this is the worst bit of all:

A hijab is not simply a symbol of religious faith. What it says to me is you are dirty. You are unclean for displaying yourself in front of men, for not concealing yourself from their 'lust.' I dislike everything it stands for- the belief that men only want to rape women, that women are responsible for mens sexual behaviour. I hate the double standard, but I also hate myself for knowing that I could never be good friends with someone who genuinely believes that swathing themselves in black cloth to preserve male sexual purity is the right thing to do.

Part of this is overwhelmingly negative experiences. A woman in a hijab once stopped and spat at my feet (I was wearing a knee length skirt and a blouse with high heels), I was told I was a 'devil whore' for kissing my boyfriend in public, and once in a library I was approached by a woman (in full hijab) who started telling me to read the Koran. I've read the Koran and it is alien to my beliefs especially in sexual equality.

So yes, I am prejudiced. I wouldn't deny a job to a woman in full hijab, but I don't think our mindsets would ever allow us to be friends.

And for those of you who call me a racist, the only thing I can do is point out that people of any colour can wear a hijab. It's a religion not a race, and I have no prejudice against headscarves, or traditional clothing. Just the overwhelmingly concealing hijab
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Mon 5 Apr 2010, 16:24, 20 replies)

Not prejudiced at alll.
I work for the railway. I was waiting at a station for my train to work when a yoof clambered over the fence. One of the Revenue Protection Inspectors saw him and came over to deal with the young man fairly near me. I couldn't hear much of what was being said but I did catch "You're only doing this cos I'm black." I hadn't noticed but could have assured him that that RPI is obnoxious to everyone.
(jvz, Mon 5 Apr 2010, 16:14, 1 reply)

I'm starting to be frightened of the British.
Okay, this is frightening on its own: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1263470/Darius-4ft-3in-giant-hops-record-books-worlds-biggest-bunny-size-10-year-old-human.html

A rabbit the size of a German shepherd? What kind of twisted individual would- oh, right, she's from England.

But then there was the bit at the end of the article about the woman who raised this creature, which led me to here: www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/14/jessica-rabbit-great-gran_n_423756.html

A great-grandmother at 57, pretending to be a cartoon character.

Think about it- that's three generations having their first child before the age of 20. There's a good chance she'll see her great-great-grandchild. And what will that child see when it's introduced to its venerable ancestor? Dyed red hair and an ancient boob job.

Lovely.

The Japanese hold the world's title to the champions of weird, but you lot aren't far behind.
( Wanderer, Mon 5 Apr 2010, 15:54, 1 reply)