Racism and Bagels 2.0

Remember that bagel shop story I told a couple of years ago?

Today I was in the same place, and there was a different older white guy. This one is a regular (like me). I've seen him there a number of times, usually with the same older guy who was across the table from him today. I've had the sense I probably wouldn't like their politics from things I've overheard, but I've been doing a good job of not listening to them or not sitting near them or something.

Until today.

Today, I was already sitting down when they got their food and sat a few tables away from me. One of the shop's long-time staffers was also sitting near me on her break. She has a friendly, teasing relationship with all of the regulars, so one of the men started talking to her and, though I wasn't paying attention, his voice was loud enough that some of his words got through into my brain.

First I heard him say something about his Trump bumper sticker. Then something about the rally in Minneapolis. Then about being at Tin Cups (a Saint Paul bar on Rice Street known as a center for anti-progressive backlash), and while he was there something about how he didn't mind being called racist and homophobic (and somehow implying that he wasn't those things).

Now mind you — at this point, I was still trying to ignore all of this.

But then he said something about "Indians" and made a type of war whoop sound with his hand and mouth. At which point, the shop staffer sitting across from him said, still in her usual joking tone of voice, "Now wait a minute, I've got family who are American Indian, you can't say things against Indians" (or something along those lines).

To which he responded, "I'm not saying anything against indians, just Pocahontas. I'm more indian than Pocahantas" (and then he started saying something about his roof or something I didn't catch).

But by then I had stood up with my coat and said to him, "If you think it's important to not be seen as racist, it's probably a good idea to not say things that are racist."

He said something again about not being racist, and I said something back (I don't remember what because I was leaving the shop).

I know what I said had no effect on him.

I wish I had done more to say to him that — not even getting into his retrograde worldview — it's just ugly to unload your politics on people who are trying to earn a living in customer service and who know they have to be nice to you. That he's just rude, on top of everything else.

But how do you even start in this kind of situation?

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Ha not ha. The way I found my earlier post on this topic was by searching the words bagel and racist.