Black shopper in Irvine wants damages from Albertsons b/c they assumed she was paying with EBT (Orange: credit card, lawyer)

[LuvSouthOC]

Someone allegedly assumed an African American woman at an Irvine Albertsons would be paying with an EBT card. Quelle horreur! One commenter from Irvine notes that they ask all customers whether they are paying with an EBT at that Albertsons. But even if that is not true, at worst this was rude, and at best totally innocuous. The woman's lawyer made clear that the suit was not about money! Whew, glad that was cleared up.

Her attorney, Chris Mears, said the actions of the store clerk and the company violate California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, which prohibits businesses from discriminating against customers based on race and other attributes such as sex, religion, national origin, color and sexual orientation.

“The corporate reaction to this incident is part of the problem,” Mears said. “They were only focusing on themselves and made no effort to step into the shoes of an African-American woman who was the recipient of this behavior, which shows a complete lack of empathy.” Each time there is a customer, the store had better make sure that they step into the shoes of the customer...or else.

Irvine woman sues Albertsons after clerk wrongly assumes she’s on food stamps – Orange County Register

[msgsing]

Just about anyone can sue. Winning is another matter. OC is a pretty conservative county. The jurors may not be impressed.

[LuvSouthOC]

Originally Posted by msgsing

Just about anyone can sue. Winning is another matter. OC is a pretty conservative county. The jurors may not be impressed.

This is a bit tongue in cheek, but why should political viewpoints in a county reflect on whether she can win? What really is the cause of action? Where is the harm?

[sav858]

Originally Posted by msgsing

Just about anyone can sue. Winning is another matter. OC is a pretty conservative county. The jurors may not be impressed.

Agreed, it's not surprising this is coming from Orange County of course. Negative racial stereotyping and issues seem rather prevalent in "the OC". It has a certain reputation for a reason...

[BB_210]

I've lived in OC for about 35 years now, I've been called beaner and ******* a handful of times in my teens in the early mid 90s, but that's about it.

The "victim" in the OP sounds like a typical easily offended snowflake.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

There are probably so many people to come thru the line that pay with an EBT card, it's a time saver for the cashier to ask the customer if they are going to pay with an EBT card so they can enter the proper code or whatever into the computer. I don't blame the cashier. When I'm working, I'm all about saving time and working smart, not hard. It's not racial or personal. It's business. If somebody gets their panties all in a wad over that, that's just too darn bad. I say grow a thicker skin. Its not worth the worry and it's certainly not worthy of a law suit, in my opinion. Just more money for the lawyers.

[Maliblue]

What's the big deal? Here is a 100% true story:

I (a white dude) went into a little mom-and-pop grocery store in East Hollywood and asked the cashier as I walked in if I could use my ATM card to pay. The woman, looking bored, said "yes, of course..."

So I picked up my groceries, which included a case of beer, and set them on the counter.

The woman looked at me and said, "come on, you know I can't sell you that"

"Why not? I asked.

"You know the rules..."

"What rules?"

"You can't buy alcohol with that"

"With what? My ATM card?"

"You know the rules", she repeated.

"Since when is there a rule that I can't buy alcohol with an ATM card? What about a credit card?"

She finally looked at me with a mixture of annoyance and confusion, and a little light went on in her head.

"Oh an ATM card! I thought you meant EBT"

"No, not EBT..."

"Never mind, I misunderstood", she told me. She rang up my groceries, ran my card, and I was on my way.

This was about 12 years ago. Obviously, I must have been scarred by this incident if I still recall it so vividly 12 years later. The trauma of being accused of trying to buy booze with EBT clearly has stayed with me.

So: any lawyers in the house who want to get in on this lawsuit? I reckon we can squeeze her for a million or two. If you are a really good lawyer, maybe we can take her whole store away from her?

This is no joke. For a moment there, everybody standing on line thought I was some poor dude on EBT with an alcohol problem. Actually, at the time, I was very poor, but I've never used EBT. The accusation that I was on EBT mortified me, and I want some payback...

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by LuvSouthOC

Someone allegedly assumed an African American woman at an Irvine Albertsons would be paying with an EBT card. Quelle horreur! One commenter from Irvine notes that they ask all customers whether they are paying with an EBT at that Albertsons. But even if that is not true, at worst this was rude, and at best totally innocuous. The woman's lawyer made clear that the suit was not about money! Whew, glad that was cleared up.

Her attorney, Chris Mears, said the actions of the store clerk and the company violate California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, which prohibits businesses from discriminating against customers based on race and other attributes such as sex, religion, national origin, color and sexual orientation.

“The corporate reaction to this incident is part of the problem,” Mears said. “They were only focusing on themselves and made no effort to step into the shoes of an African-American woman who was the recipient of this behavior, which shows a complete lack of empathy.” Each time there is a customer, the store had better make sure that they step into the shoes of the customer...or else.

Irvine woman sues Albertsons after clerk wrongly assumes she’s on food stamps – Orange County Register

This has got to be one of the most rediculous law suits I have ever heard of, if it is true. This is exactly why I am 100% in favor of torte reform.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by sav858

Agreed, it's not surprising this is coming from Orange County of course. Negative racial stereotyping and issues seem rather prevalent in "the OC". It has a certain reputation for a reason...

that is not the point: regardless of political make up of the county, the law suit just takes up valuable time and no one was hurt other than someone's sensitive feelings.

harlematlanta, the first time poster; no, not good for her. It is a waste of the courts time regardless of where it is. Obviously you have never been to Orange County.

[citizensadvocate]

Since the passage of prop 67 back in last November the people's Republic of California entitles EBT holders to free grocery bags while everyone else must pay. That's why the cashier needs to know this when checking out customers, we can blame prop 67 for requiring this extra dirty work for clerks. The language under Sb270 shows the dark side of socialist thinking at best. Please note I am not saying nor condemning all socialism. Though this kind is just ridiculous as no store had been in the past required to either offer free bags nor charge for bags before these do gooder ordinances became faddish.
Nowadays EBT holders by law get their bags subsidized by all the other shoppers who now must pay the big grocers for the previlege to use store bags. Part of the money is definitely used to subsidize grocers cost for free EBT bags.

I am certain nowadays OC and much of Socal outside the few progressive enclaves now really want to secede from California as soon as possible and become their own state and would resist seceding with CA from the US as they will be under greater control by the people's republic of California who now continues to destroy their live and let live concept and force them to adopt more and more of CA's nanny state policies.