today, i realized yet again how awful it is in new england, and how a handful of the truly ignorant can completely ruin everything.
it is a shame that people like this exist. they are a blight on humanity.
the following is a statement that is part of a formal complaint i am filing against bedworks for discrimination.
To Whom it May Concern:
The following is an account of 2 altercations, taking place in Central Square, Cambridge, MA. First outside my place of employment (details below) on Thursday, September 3rd, 2009 shortly after 8:00 PM EST. Then again on Friday, September 4th, 2009 at Bedworks.
Complaint Against: John Buster
Business Affiliation: Bedworks
15 Western Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 547-6000
www.bedworks.netDates of Altercation: Thursday, September 3rd, 2009 & Friday, September 4th, 2009
ORIGINAL ALTERCATION DATED: 09/04/09
Though I have been familiar with this particular Bedworks for over 6 years now, I have not done business with this company for a number of reasons, which I shall now list:
- The first two times I went in to look for items (specifically futon covers), they did not have what I required and could not guarantee when they might be able to accommodate me. Then, the items they offered were overpriced and of sub par quality.
- The owner/operator (older guy who is apparently in charge) has come to my place of work (we’re next door) and yelled at my coworkers to shovel snow off public sidewalks no where near our entryway that we are in no way, shape or form responsible for (this happened years ago, and thus no one in my office bears this man particularly good will). He was belligerent and especially rude. He has continued to be rude over the years.
- The aforementioned owner/operator is not only a very unfriendly and unpleasant human being, he is also racist. On September 3rd, 2009, while standing outside my place of business (in our entryway) on a phone call with UPS, waiting for a UPS delivery, he not only interrupted my call after suspiciously peering in all of our windows but insulted my intelligence and was demeaning. He first interrupted my call by asking if he could ask a question (redundant) and when I then waved my phone at him to indicate that I was indisposed of, he proceeded to say in very exaggerated, loud and slow language “CAN. I. ASK. YOU. A. QUESTION?” as if I were incapable of understanding. Then, in a poor facsimile of Spanish, he proceeded to ask if I had a moment. Again, I was on the phone this entire time. About 2 sentences into crappy Spanish, I stop him and say very clearly and concisely: “I speak English.” This does not deter him. He asks invasive and rude questions about my company and then stomps off without apologizing or even showing a hint of acknowledgement at his exceptionally RUDE and racist behavior.
NOTE: I have been in this Bedworks before, and have spoken to this individual before IN PLAIN, EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND, UN-ACCENTED ENGLISH!
And you know what? I actually am in the market for a new futon cover, and possibly even an additional futon to supplement my existing furniture and I can tell you for certain the #1 place on my DO NOT EVER BUY FROM THESE [EXPLETIVE DELETED]list goes to Boston Bedworks of Central Square.
NOTE: I went in today to confront this man. He was no there upon my first attempt. There were 2 gentlemen present who were otherwise innocuous and as far as I can tell, not bastards.
UPDATE SECOND ALTERCATION: DATED 09/04/09 12:15 pm EST:
I just came back from Bedworks. I entered calmly and composed. I confronted the gentleman who insulted me last night. He was very brusque, rude and argumentative. He approached me in a highly aggressive manner before the encounter was in. Upon entering I said hello and asked if he remembered me. He did not.I asked point blank: “I would like to know what reason you have for assuming I do not speak or understand English.”
He said: “you’re the lady from outside last night?”
I said that I was and repeated my question. He claimed he thought I was “one of those Brazilian cleaning ladies.” Stunned, I asked if he assumed I was a cleaning lady. He said, “[my company] always has Brazilian cleaning ladies outside talking Portuguese.”
I repeated: “You assumed I was a cleaning lady?”
He then became aggressive, loud and bombastic. He started raising his voice; he then proceeded to insult me, my character and my work ethic. He claimed that I should not be standing anywhere near the entry way of my own place of business where I have worked for nearly 7 years calling UPS for deliveries to my own office. (Note: our doors lock automatically at the end of “standard business hours” so I was propping open the door myself while I waited for UPS)
NOTE: apparently what he was attempting to speak to me last night was ALLEGEDLY some form of Portuguese instead of Spanish, according to him today.
He began shouting (within full view and earshot of his 2 other employees) that if I wanted to file a complaint I should go right ahead, then he walked from behind the counter and approached me shouting and aggressive. He said that I needed to immediately leave the premises, because he was going to call the cops and that I insinuated that I should not be allowed to use my own phone for business purposes in my own office. Nor should I be standing in the entryway of my own office while waiting for packages. He claimed that he would notify my boss (who is already 100% aware of all that has taken place and does not hold this man in anything remotely resembling high regard) that I was not doing my job properly while “on the clock”. He then proceeded to try and badger and threaten me about my work practices, what I am and am not allowed to do in a company that I work for and he does not. I explained the following:
- We have NO cleaning ladies whatsoever, be they Brazilian or otherwise.
- We have one cleaning man, who is NOT Brazilian. Nor does he speak Portuguese.
- Our cleaning gentleman speaks competent English, as well as Spanish.
- Nobody loiters outside our office in the evenings, and certainly not every day
- Our cleaning staff only shows up twice a week, which was also none of his business
- I was not doing anything prohibited, and was in fact doing my job by waiting for our UPS delivery
I again asked if he assume I was a cleaning lady, as if that’s a bad thing, and if that’s what leads him to believe I do not understand or speak English. He proceeded to berate me in full view of his employees and start shouting and aggressively approaching me. He said he was going to call the police and I should leave the premises.
He said “I want you out of here.”
During this whole exchange I neither approached him nor raised my voice nor attacked him in any way. He took out a phone and began dialing or playacting that he was going to dial. I repeated that we have not had any cleaning personnel who are female employed at our company in the last 6 years that I have worked here. I stated that we only have one gentleman, and since I work very late hours and would know, we also never have any women or men or anyone else skulking around in our doorways speaking any languages whatsoever. They simply do not exist. He continued yelling at me. I said that I did think it was inappropriate how he was peering in our windows after dark, and he started screaming that he was just walking home and its ok for him to look in our windows if he wants. (Note: there have been recent robberies of businesses in the area, so obviously at my company we are concerned about suspicious characters).
He kept screaming that surely there must be something wrong with me if I were to be insulted or offended by his behavior. His demeanor continued to degrade as the encounter went on. This whole while, the other 2 gentlemen in the room just stared on. Neither spoke a word, nor expressed agreement with their coworker (boss?) or myself. Again, they were innocuous. But they also sat by and did absolutely nothing.
While he continued to “make a call to the cops” or whatever, and scream at me, it became apparent that he was unwilling to listen to reason or logic and was completely unapologetic about his behavior. I reasserted that I was not doing anything prohibited by my workplace while at my place of work nor was it any of his business. I stated that he was again, 100% incorrect about his claims that we employ “loitering Brazilian (or otherwise) cleaning ladies, and if that he truly believed that we do perhaps he was not in possession of his full cognitive resources last night (9/03/09) or intoxicated.
Then I bid him goodbye and exited the premises. Immediately following this altercation, I reported fully to my direct supervisor (and company director) what had occurred. She stated that “people like [him] are why we want to move out of this neighborhood”, this neighborhood being Central Square, MA.
I am completely disgusted and appalled by this man’s behavior. Especially considering that in no way whatsoever or at no point did I provoke him or raise my voice. I tried to talk to him in a calm, logical manner and he would not have it.
And it should not even matter one bit, but I was born and raised in the United States. I come from an English-speaking home and have lived in Massachusetts since 2001. I have not encountered behavior this aggressive, derogatory and racist in all my life previous to moving to Massachusetts. I am especially dismayed to see a fellow neighborhood business and alleged businessman behave towards neighbors and potential customers in such an ignorant and assaulting manner.
I refuse to let this behavior go by unnoticed. I do not know if this man was behaving this way because I am a woman, because of my age, or because of his perceived notion of my ethnicity, but those are in no way, shape, or form my problems. They are his problems and he has no right to inflict this behavior on me. I refuse to be bullied by someone else’s ignorance and aggression.
i literally shook with rage today.
