Racial Profiling In Philadelphia?

[AverageJoesGym]

Last Thursday 2 black men entered a Starbuck's in a predominantly white, affluent Philadelphia shopping area. They asked to use the restroom. Since they hadn't purchased anything the staff denied them and asked them to leave. When they declined and sat down the police were called. Several responded and eventually the men were arrested for trespassing. Starbuck's declined to press charges, apologized, and has announced that 8000 of their locations will close so that their employees can receive racial bias training. That story is here:

 

Starbucks C.E.O. Apologizes After Arrests of 2 Black Men - The New York Times

 

Since then it has come to light that, although only 3 percent of the population in that police subdistrict is black, 2/3 of all police stops made by police from that subdistrict were blacks. Racial profiling?

 

Philadelphia Starbucks Arrests, Outrageous to Some, Are Everyday Life for Others - The New York Times

[HammerTime]

Edit I misread part of the article...

[bugatti]

I guess the "profiling" came about because Starbucks called the cops (too soon) when the gentlemen refused to leave? I am not seeing profiling when they are not allowed to use the restroom. That probably happens thousands of times a day at a Starbucks.

[UKMustangFan]

Is there racial profiling in Philadelphia? Maybe. I have no idea.

 

I don't think this example is though. The whole thing has been blown out of proportion. Company policy is that the restrooms are for paying customers. If you need to use the restroom that badly, buy a $2 cup of coffee or a cookie and go to the bathroom.

 

If a store asks you to purchase something or leave, and you refuse, what else are they supposed to do?

[HammerTime]

Is it typical to not have a restroom open to the public to where you don't have to ask to use it in a Starbucks? That seems odd to me for a place like that.

[Randy Parker]

Is it typical to not have a restroom open to the public to where you don't have to ask to use it in a Starbucks? That seems odd to me for a place like that.

 

Ditto.

[theguru]

Is it typical to not have a restroom open to the public to where you don't have to ask to use it in a Starbucks? That seems odd to me for a place like that.

 

Ditto.

 

I haven't read the article but this one makes my spider sense tingle.

 

My gut says if two sophisticated white women walked in to use the restroom nothing would have been said to them.

[TAC]

Is it typical to not have a restroom open to the public to where you don't have to ask to use it in a Starbucks? That seems odd to me for a place like that.

 

I do not recall seeing rest rooms open to the public in starbucks. Mind you, I don't go there very often. I worked at a retail store and we never had a public bathroom and we chose who we allowed to use it. Paying customers always had the green light.

[Bengal Maniac]

I am not sure what to believe here. First, why did they ask to go to the bathroom? I never do that and not sure I have ever seen it. However, I am an old white guy. So, it there was profiling I probably wouldn't be. If they would have walked I and gone, probably not in this situation. Why not say go ahead as a Starbucks employee. I know they have signs that say you must be a customer. Those are generally for homeless people. Those guys did not look homeless. Also, just let them sit there all day if they want. Why call the police? They didn't seem to be disruptive.

 

Looks like a lot of fault all the way around on ths one.

 

i will say there may be a lot we do not know.

[UKMustangFan]

I do not recall seeing rest rooms open to the public in starbucks. Mind you, I don't go there very often. I worked at a retail store and we never had a public bathroom and we chose who we allowed to use it. Paying customers always had the green light.

 

I can't recall seeing them either. But, like you, I don't go in to their stores often. Most of my Starbucks visits occur in the airport, Target or Kroger locations.

[UKMustangFan]

I am not sure what to believe here. First, why did they ask to go to the bathroom? I never do that and not sure I have ever seen it. If they would have walked I and gone, probably not in this situation. Why not say go ahead as a Starbucks employee. i know they have signs that say you must be a customer. Those are generally for homeless people. Thos guys did not look homeless. Also, just let them sit there all day if tehy want. Why call te police, tehy didn't seem to be disruptive.

 

Looks like a lot of fault all the way around on ths one.

 

i will say there may be a lot we do not know.

 

JMO, but that's a horrible business precedent to set to allow non-paying customers to just loiter and take up space from paying customers.

[HammerTime]

I do not recall seeing rest rooms open to the public in starbucks. Mind you, I don't go there very often. I worked at a retail store and we never had a public bathroom and we chose who we allowed to use it. Paying customers always had the green light.

 

When I say open to the public I just mean out in the open as in you don't have to ask to use it. I can completely understand that in a retail store. Starbucks is basically a restaurant.

[HammerTime]

JMO, but that's a horrible business precedent to set to allow non-paying customers to just loiter and take up space from paying customers.

 

Happens all the time at places like that and Panera for short business meetings. I've done it a few times myself at Panera and I know a few others that have as well. Often times I will get a little something, but I haven't a few times. I'd say most buy something, but it's not uncommon and my point is probably something no one would ever notice.

[bugatti]

Generally the truth is somewhere in-between. These guys wanted to use the restroom. Once denied, in an act of protest they sat there and refused to leave. But probably the same latitude was not given to them that would have been given to a sophisticated looking white person.

 

I again want to state Starbucks probably denies 1,000s of people a day from using their restrooms without being a paying customer.

[UKMustangFan]

Happens all the time at places like that and Panera for short business meetings. I've done it a few times myself at Panera and I know a few others that have as well.

 

I've had meetings at those places as well, specifically Panera. Always bought at least a coffee. Every single time. It's common courtesy for use of the space IMO.