Out of the dirty south... and none too soon.

So I'm sitting at my in laws in Washougal, WA happy to be out of Atlanta. It was a very interesting last day in the south. Eye opening to say the least.

N. and I were waiting to cross a street to go back to our car on Saturday morning before work. A car stopped at a stop sign but we were hesitant to cross just in case he didn't see us. (Having been hit by a car in the past it isn't an experience I'd like to replicate.)

The car did, in fact, stay stopped so that we could cross the street. As we were crossing an older "gentleman" said: "You never know if they are going to stop do you?"

I responded: "It's like taking your life into your hands."

Poor man must have been partially deaf because he heard: "Brother, I, too am a member of the KKK and share your racist beliefs. Let us now have a conversation extolling racist thoughts." because he proceeded to say: "Black people especially don't stop...."

As he was saying this my chin hit the pavement but he continued. I, being startled, didn't really catch the rest of his diatribe but Swell swears the end of his sentence was: "They'll run you over - it's like black redemption. Have a nice day."

I don't know why he decided it appropriate to say such things but the worst part of it was when Swell was relaying the story to someone they were in complete agreement with the old man. She couldn't even finish the story due to the: "Amens" and "Preach it's" coming from the person's lips. Apparently - and this is news to me - black people in Atlanta all desire to run over as many white people as they can.

Now I could have just said: "Wow that was weird!" and moved on with my day but upon my arrival at work I was met with some shocking news. Swell and I sent a very nice woman - a hard worker and a kind person - over to talk to the owner of an optical business about a new job.

She had her interview with this guy Friday Night. The gist of the interview (aside from the illegal questions of "How many children do you have?" and "What are you going to do about your kids if you're working?") was that this woman was "too black" to be at this particular store. It wasn't specifically stated that way but she was told that she would have to change the way she speaks (she speaks with a southern accent) and that it would probably be a better fit for her at another store where the "rappers and gang bangers" shop.

Maybe I could chalk that up to simply a misunderstanding but that same day Swell related a story about a fellow who came into a place that had a sign indicating "help wanted". He asked about the job and was told to submit a resume for consideration. A few hours later another fellow came in and asked about the same job. Fellow 1 had yet to submit his resume and had not been interviewed. Fellow 2 was told the job had been filled. Fellow 1 - white, fellow 2 - not so much. What is wrong with people?

Being Canadian I remember when living in Canada thinking that race relations in the US is blown out of proportion. That things couldn't possibly be so bad that their needed to be things like affirmative action, and public debates on race relations. I guess my time in the South (see previous post at old blog about the great race "discussion" in one of my classes) has shown me that racism is alive and well and that I have no clue what minorities go through in their day-to-day lives. I can't wait to move to a place where people are civilized and look past skin colour/religion/etc.

Saturday was an AWESOME last day of work. I told at least 2 people to never come back to the company I work for because they won't receive the care they deserve there. I also made a woman so very angry! I love making people angry.

Woman: "I have a 3:30 pm appointment."
Staff member: "Ummm... it's 4:40 pm now."
Woman: "I'm late."
Staff: "O.K. fill out this paper work..."

Woman: "Will I get my glasses today?"
Me/Staff member 2: "It depends on your prescription/what you pick/etc but probably shouldn't be a problem."
Woman: "Because if I can't get it today I'll just go to Lenscrafters. I am going out of town tomorrow."
Me: "Left this a little late didn't you."
Woman: "Well I just got back in town..."
Me: "O.k. You can go to Lenscrafters. You could also get your exam here and take your prescription there if we can't do it today."

Me in waiting area to another patient: "Alright Ms. Smith are you done with your paperwork?"

Ms. Smith: "Yes"
Woman: "I'm done with mine too."
Me: "Ummm... o.k. Ms. Smith will be going first because she has an appointment."
Woman: "I have an appointment too."
Me: "At 3:30."
Woman: "Harrumph"

I finish with Ms. Smith and take the woman back for her exam.

Woman: "I need glasses. I saw an ophthalmologist on Wednesday and he said I have dry eyes. He gave me drops X and Y and said it will take at least a month for me to start getting better."
Me: "Ok." I start her exam and soon realize that even with the best glasses I can find she can't see very well at all. So I stop trying to do a prescription and look at the health of her eyes. They look terrible.
Me: "We're not going to be able to find a prescription today because your eyes are very dry. You need to continue to use the drops your doctor prescribed and when you're doing better we can get you a glasses prescription."
Woman: "So what's my prescription."
Me for the next 5 minutes: "We can't do a glasses prescription today. Your eyes are very unhealthy. If I were to give you a prescription today it would just be me making up numbers. You wouldn't be happy with the glasses and I wouldn't be happy giving you that prescription."

Woman eventually leaves the exam room and I start to get my next patient. As I'm seating him woman comes back. So when do I get my glasses prescription.

I continue to educate her again about her eyes not being healthy and that my prescription would just be a guess, etc. etc.

She says: "Well I don't think I should have to pay then."
Me: "Oh. You're not going to pay for the eye exam today you'll just pay for an office visit."
Woman: "I'm not getting a prescription?"
Me: "Sigh... no."
Woman: "Well I don't think that's fair. I should get something in writing."
I proceed to write the following on a piece of paper

Diagnosis: Keratitis Sicca [that means dry eyes]. Plan: follow Ophthalmologists instructions and return to clinic upon resolution.

That allowed me to go and see my next patient. She continued to complain to the staff about everything but paid. 30 minutes later she phoned and asked to talk to me - reason, she doesn't feel she should need to pay to see me if all I did was tell her what the ophthalmologist told her. I refused to talk to her for two reasons: 1) If you talk to me YOU PAY ME! 2) It was after 6 pm and I NO LONGER WORK THERE!

AND I NEVER WILL AGAIN!

I'm going all gung-ho with the post today (and I'm not even going to talk about how drinking soy milk apparently makes you gay - people are so stupid.). I'm not a manly man or anything like that. I don't hunt, drink, fish and all that jazz. I know nothing about cars but today, today was a sad day.

I saw it again. I miss it so much. I opened the door to it just to smell it. Tomorrow I'm going to sit in it and pretend to drive it. I read all the stickers on it again. I had tears in my eyes.

I love you 1970 VW Bus that I haven't been able to drive in 2.5 years. I haven't forgotten you. I'll fix you one day. You were good to me (unlike your cousin 1971 VW Bus that drove into a moose and allowed me to be covered in moose blood/feces/fur for hours and hours). We will hang out again when I move back to the NW.