Oct. 21: The rise of vicious grizzly bears, the decline of common decency, and white privilege
This is a true story.
I went to Best Buy in Ottawa tonight so Ashley could get an IPad Mini. There was a sale going on and she wanted to buy a 62 GB model for about $450.
Keep in mind this is Ottawa, a city of about one million. Also keep in mind that iPad minis are one of the most sought after electronic commodities available today. And let's also keep in mind that there are a limited number of iPad minis for sale. The Ottawa Best Buy probably doesn't get a shipment of 50,000 iPads everyday; it shouldn't be expected to either.
We go to the iPad sectionand we tell the manager we'd like to talk to a salesperson. He goes off to get one. Shortly afterward, we are joined by a man who looks like he's about 60. He begins talking and I learn the following:
- He has to buy a new iPad because he dropped his old one on the floor and the screen shattered.
- His favourite thing to do with the iPad is read. He goes to a site where he can download books for free so he doesn't have to compensate the author, who probably worked for months making his or her book as wonderful as possible.
Our salesman arrives and informs us that the store is sold out of 128GB and 64GB models. There is one 32GB model left and Ashley, who wanted the 64, decides she can live with the 32. She was a little disappointed but she certainly didn't make a big deal about it. She thanked the salesman, who told her that the iPad mini would be waiting for her at the till.
The other dude, who is twice as old as Ashley, started acting like he was maybe one tenth her age. He started yelling and screaming and swearing and accusing Best Buy of putting false information on its website. The poor salesman did not look surprised. He looked world weary, as if he'd seen this sort of behavior time and time again.
This dude's day was ruined. I bet he went home, fired up his computer, and started Tweeting about what a horrible experience he had at Best Buy. "Don't shop at Best Buy. They tell you they have an item in stock and then they don't carry it. I just watched these two dimwits steal MY IPAD MINI that I DESPERATELY NEED! Now if I want to read a book, I actually have to PAY FOR IT! So pissed off. Think I'll go admire the smell of my own shit for a while."
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Why is it only white people act like that? In that very same store, I saw a black couple talking to a salesman about a computer. They wanted a particular model and the salesman was telling them they were sold out.
"Aw man," the man said, rolling his eyes theatrically. He was cool, though. He certainly wasn't outraged. This cat knew that he wasn't entitled to a computer, that owning was a privilege not afforded to everyone, and that Best Buy wasn't obligated to keep at least one of every item it stocked in a special room just for him.
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Since the Best Buy is in Ottawa, no one was afraid of grizzly bear attacks. If there was a Best Buy in Banff, people might be scared.
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Grizzly bears get a lot of bad press. I guess they're fond of picking fights with people and eating fish. Polar bears are a lot more likely to attack you though. Thing is, you just don't get a whole lot of polar bears in Ottawa or Banff.
I went to Best Buy in Ottawa tonight so Ashley could get an IPad Mini. There was a sale going on and she wanted to buy a 62 GB model for about $450.
Keep in mind this is Ottawa, a city of about one million. Also keep in mind that iPad minis are one of the most sought after electronic commodities available today. And let's also keep in mind that there are a limited number of iPad minis for sale. The Ottawa Best Buy probably doesn't get a shipment of 50,000 iPads everyday; it shouldn't be expected to either.
We go to the iPad sectionand we tell the manager we'd like to talk to a salesperson. He goes off to get one. Shortly afterward, we are joined by a man who looks like he's about 60. He begins talking and I learn the following:
- He has to buy a new iPad because he dropped his old one on the floor and the screen shattered.
- His favourite thing to do with the iPad is read. He goes to a site where he can download books for free so he doesn't have to compensate the author, who probably worked for months making his or her book as wonderful as possible.
Our salesman arrives and informs us that the store is sold out of 128GB and 64GB models. There is one 32GB model left and Ashley, who wanted the 64, decides she can live with the 32. She was a little disappointed but she certainly didn't make a big deal about it. She thanked the salesman, who told her that the iPad mini would be waiting for her at the till.
The other dude, who is twice as old as Ashley, started acting like he was maybe one tenth her age. He started yelling and screaming and swearing and accusing Best Buy of putting false information on its website. The poor salesman did not look surprised. He looked world weary, as if he'd seen this sort of behavior time and time again.
This dude's day was ruined. I bet he went home, fired up his computer, and started Tweeting about what a horrible experience he had at Best Buy. "Don't shop at Best Buy. They tell you they have an item in stock and then they don't carry it. I just watched these two dimwits steal MY IPAD MINI that I DESPERATELY NEED! Now if I want to read a book, I actually have to PAY FOR IT! So pissed off. Think I'll go admire the smell of my own shit for a while."
-
Why is it only white people act like that? In that very same store, I saw a black couple talking to a salesman about a computer. They wanted a particular model and the salesman was telling them they were sold out.
"Aw man," the man said, rolling his eyes theatrically. He was cool, though. He certainly wasn't outraged. This cat knew that he wasn't entitled to a computer, that owning was a privilege not afforded to everyone, and that Best Buy wasn't obligated to keep at least one of every item it stocked in a special room just for him.
-
Since the Best Buy is in Ottawa, no one was afraid of grizzly bear attacks. If there was a Best Buy in Banff, people might be scared.
-
Grizzly bears get a lot of bad press. I guess they're fond of picking fights with people and eating fish. Polar bears are a lot more likely to attack you though. Thing is, you just don't get a whole lot of polar bears in Ottawa or Banff.
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