Ageism at the lunch counter

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  • #9379

    John29172
    Participant

    Last year, I would go to a grocery store across the street from my high school to get some lunch. This market would make students wait in line, and then let each student enter one at a time. While students and anyone who would look under 18 would be kept waiting, older people could freely enter. When I asked them why they did this, they said it was because of the high amount of shoplifting going on. I felt very offended that they would think that just because I am teenager, I must shoplift. Is this discrimination based on age? Is there anything I could do to stop this age profiling?

    User Detail :  

    Name : John29172, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 18, City : Santa Barbara, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 
    #17349

    Your best bet would be to write a letter to management telling them why you will no longer patronize the establishment. When they receive enough such letters, their practices will change.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Christopher D., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 24, City : Dallas, State : TX, Country : United States, Occupation : Customer Service, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Lower middle class, 
    #38370

    Sarah-C28369
    Participant

    I work in a grocery store, and yes, we are told to watch teenagers, but that’s it – just watch them. The grocery store I work at is mostly health food and speciality items, so high schoolers don’t think of it as a mainstream store – it’s so dorky to think they would steal from it, you know? I think the process you experienced was unfair, but the main culprits of shoplifting are in your age range. And mine, unfortunately. There is nothing you can do about this, other than get older.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Sarah-C28369, Gender : F, Race : Asian, Age : 23, City : San Francisco, State : CA, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 
    #46397

    Doug25616
    Participant

    Unfortunately, some instances of apparent discrimination are born out of experience. Most stores as you describe are small, privately owned operations. If items are being stolen, the owners may have to raise prices to cover the cost of the lost merchandise. My guess is they noted a sharp decline in lost merchandise after restricting and monitoring teenagers in the store. It is not a direct reflection on you, John, but on those ‘rotten apple’ teens who were stealing and spoiled it for the rest of you.

    You might try speaking with the owner about his experiences. Maybe some civic group at your school could volunteer as monitors, thus allowing more teens in the store. Just be prepared for a ‘No, thank you’ from the owner. Burned once, he’s not likely to put himself in a position to be burned again.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Doug25616, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : New Age/Metaphysical, Age : 38, City : Phoenix, State : AZ, Country : United States, Occupation : Administrator, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 
    #15698

    Lise
    Participant

    Even if the prejudice is based on being robbed by a young person, that doesn’t make it valid or excusable. Someone who’d been robbed by a black person would most certainly not be entitled to treat black customers less favourably. The behaviour described in the question is simple prejudice, and simply unacceptable.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Lise, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Lesbian, Race : white/ mixed race, Religion : Atheist, Age : 25, City : Glasgow, State : NA, Country : United Kingdom, Occupation : library worker, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 
    #20334

    Matthew
    Participant

    I live in New York and have the daily experience of being around a high school when it releases its students from classes. Without a doubt, it is one of the most depressing sights. All I see are young people who are more concerned with speaking ‘McDonald-ese’ and having the latest rap line than respect for the people around them. Disrespect and vulgar behavior is the norm from this group (I am sure there are those who are not so interested in being with the ‘in’ crowd.) I try to soften my perception with the fact that they are young and the possibility that I participated in my own version of this at that age. But from my current perspective, age discrimination is valid, especially when the group involved fails to realize they are a part of a civilized culture that needs to accommodate all types, not just their own. I believe it is not the young people’s fault, because they don’t know any better. It is their parents who should be educated in the rearing of children prior to being allowed to reproduce.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Matthew, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 45, City : New York, State : NY, Country : United States, 
    #34715

    Carter
    Participant

    Well, whattaya gonna do? As a male, when I was between 17 and 25, I paid the highest car insurance rates (and even more so for living in the city) in the country. But you know, you can’t argue with a mountain of statistics. Well, you can, but no one will care. The way I see it, you can either refuse to shop and tell them you are offended by the policy, you can put up with it or you can take your anger out on the REAL culprits – the teenagers who have apparently been looting the place.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Carter, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 30, City : Chicago, State : IL, Country : United States, 
    #40899

    Jamie N.
    Member

    In London, any shopkeepers with any sense allow only two, sometimes one, student at a time during breaks and lunchtime into their shops – one shopkeeper is at the door acting as the bouncer. A shopkeeper is entitled to prevent whomever they want coming into the shop. Kids are known to be shoplifters – true, it is discrimination, but so is higher car insurance for male drivers – common sense dictates what forms of discrimination are acceptable.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Jamie N., Gender : M, Age : 32, City : London, State : NA, Country : United Kingdom, Education level : 4 Years of College, 
    #30909

    Lisa
    Member

    As you’ve gathered from all the other responses, what you experienced is not only not uncommon, it is pretty much accepted in most places. While I certainly sympathize with the retailers who are confronted with a shoplifting problem, I would like to see them try to do than to any other ‘group’ they felt was problematic and still get away with it. What if most of the shoplifters in my store have been female? Or black? Or elderly? Can I limit the number of each kind of person I am suspicious of? It certainly doesn’t seem right. If not only you but others of your age who frequent that lunch counter would stop going there (and make sure the management knows why), you could make a difference.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Lisa, City : Milwaukee, State : WI, Country : United States, 
    #46602

    Dave
    Participant

    You should also be offended at the fact that you are categorized as a higher risk when driving your car. Why?, because you are a higher risk. But you know, some of us are (in my case ‘were’) good drivers who don’t wreck dads car. Statistical probability is everywhere. Almost all business decisions are based on risk of some kind. Some potential loss is weighed against its cost of eliminating that loss. Thus achieving a level of acceptable risk, or a calculated risk. In the case of the Deli owner, he has secured a few bags of chips and or sodas at the risk of losing the honest paying teens like you. In my opinion, he/she has made a poor decision. While he is looking at you at the back of the store, the old timer right in front of him shoves a Snickers in his pocket. Because statistically, they are as likely to steal for the same reasons as teens are: lack of resources. If I were you, I would take the advice of a previous respondent and take my business elsewhere. But only after sending a well thought out letter to the owner.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Dave, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Spiritual - Non Traditional, Age : 33, City : Long Island, State : NY, Country : United States, Occupation : Technical Manager, Education level : Technical School, Social class : Middle class, 
    #44904

    Nicole20047
    Participant

    I would write a polite but firm letter to the head manager of the store and, if applicable, to their corporate office, detailing what happened and when. I agree with the post that you should stop giving that store your business and take it elsewhere – and let the manager and his/her boss know that, too. ‘Vote with your feet’, so to speak – if they are aware that they’re losing the business of mature, paying customers because they’re afraid a teenager is going to steal a box of candy, they might just do something intelligent, like install a security camera, and then treat all customers with respect.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Nicole20047, Gender : F, Race : mixed, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 22, City : New York, State : NY, Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 
    #16661

    Matt
    Participant

    I agree that there is statistical evidence to back up this kind of thing (along with higher car insurance rates, as a few people pointed out), but I think it also has to do with adults’ memories of when they were teenagers. The Baby Boomers were teens during the sixties, a time of more-intense-than-usual teen rebellion. By contrast, their children are more concerned with fitting into society, with pleasing adults, with fitting into the system, etc. Juvenille crime is down, and graduation rates are up. Teens still rebel somewhat, but the Boomers are a little out of touch in this regard.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Matt, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 17, City : Parsippany, State : NJ, Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 
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