Via Flickr What reason is someone using to avoid having to tip now? Oh, Apartheid? Well, that's a new one. Cool. An Oxford University student named Ntokozo Qwabe created something of a viral storm after celebrating his friend's shitty treatment of a server in South Africa. The short version is Qwabe's friend decided to leave a note to the group's white South African server saying "WE WILL GIVE TIP WHEN YOU RETURN THE LAND" on a receipt at Cape Town's Obz Cafe. Qwabe apparently thought this was so great he decided to make a long post about it on Facebook, even openly celebrating when the server, Ashleigh Schultz, burst into tears.
The outrage about this grosses me out. Let's be real about the fact that this "scandal" is a bunch of people from the US and UK lecturing a black South African guy who was BORN UNDER APARTHEID for being too mad about it and not being nice to a white waitress.
Sure, it seems rude. I can't imagine thinking it was my place to judge him. I think it's a little ridiculous that a white woman BORN UNDER APARTHEID would burst into tears because a black person doesn't want to tip her because she's white. I understand why Qwabe would feel contemptuous of that. This is probably the first time she was treated poorly because of her race. Maybe time for a little reflection.
"We can also most likely assume that if she’s waiting tables, she is probably not a rich fat cat benefiting from stolen land."As a white woman in Capetown, yeah, Schultz has benefited from stolen land. You're applying US standards where they don't apply. "If she's waiting tables" as though that's some sign of poverty in a country where under 20% of the black population has running water in their homes.
I think it's a little ridiculous that a white woman BORN UNDER APARTHEID would burst into tears because a black person doesn't want to tip her because she's white.
Yeah, that tends to happen when you assume that his motives are the biggest element of that situation for her as well as him. She must be crying about his not wanting to tip her because of her place in South African society, not because she actually was stiffed for reasons having nothing to do with her work, and still has bills to pay.
Little Dipshit is too young to have been born under Apartheid, fucktard. More to the point, this slimy little shit is a RHODES SCHOLAR. He has more "privilege" than 9/10 of the fucking population of the fucking world, courtesy of an endowment from the estate of the very person he hates so much. He's a typical Malignant Narcissist Millennial Special Turdblossom, and deserves absolutely NOTHING he has been given (not "earned"... BEEN GIVEN).
Look, actually decolonizing the country, and sending all of the people whose ancestors aren't originally from the region back to where they originated, at this point, is not going to happen. Smashing the colonial mindsets in countries, and resolving disparities in opportunities and treatment as human beings, that's the best we can hope for. Anything else is extremely unrealistic. Demands should be made to wealthy/authoritative/government bodies to make amends and to right the wrongs of racial bias within a country.
Petty sniping of THIS nature, however, is counterproductive and just uncalled for. Being a piece of shit to a server who is trying to pay their bills (because ALL servers are just trying to pay their fucking bills) because the highlight of your activist career is to make your big political statement to a low wage earner at a fucking café, isn't going to get people to warm to the notion of what you're arguing. I'm not saying to kiss ass, I'm just saying not to BE one, to the little guy. Individual strangers who clearly aren't well off financially, even if they benefit from white privilege, may suffer from oppression on the basis of gender, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic upbringing, etcetera. Perhaps this server is a single mother, perhaps she is married to a black South African spouse, perhaps she already supports the cause of justice for black South Africans, and already does her best to bring this message into white spaces.
These customers couldn't know that, though, because they automatically assumed that, because she is white, she is unaware of her privilege, or is aware but doesn't do anything to try and make things better. There are positive ways of bringing up the issue in conversation with new people in appropriate settings (maybe not with one's server, because they're busy working) about social justice issues, to get the word to spread and take hold in others, and actually effect some real change... without being some uber-douche who celebrates sticking it to whitey by making individual strangers cry. I don't think it's tone policing to say that when you can't even show some human decency, people aren't going to be receptive to your message. This is just human nature, and expecting someone to react positively to being treated like shit by having them shoulder the blame for hundreds of years of colonialism will leave you waiting a loooooong time. If you treat me like shit, and I've done nothing to you, personally, then it's not going to flick some switch in me that has me thinking, "oh! They have a point! Eye for an eye is just GREAT!!!" Everyone deserves at least a minimum standard of respect, just as a HUMAN FUCKING BEING.
So... tackle the power you know, in this way, but not the individual strangers you don't.
Is this the South African equivalent of a Millenial? Sure sounds like one.
Never worked as a waiter, but I was told the motto of the food service industry is, "The only good customer is a dead customer."
You don't want Alaska? Have you see the women there? What's wrong with you?
The outrage about this grosses me out. Let's be real about the fact that this "scandal" is a bunch of people from the US and UK lecturing a black South African guy who was BORN UNDER APARTHEID for being too mad about it and not being nice to a white waitress.
Sure, it seems rude. I can't imagine thinking it was my place to judge him. I think it's a little ridiculous that a white woman BORN UNDER APARTHEID would burst into tears because a black person doesn't want to tip her because she's white. I understand why Qwabe would feel contemptuous of that. This is probably the first time she was treated poorly because of her race. Maybe time for a little reflection.
"We can also most likely assume that if she’s waiting tables, she is probably not a rich fat cat benefiting from stolen land."As a white woman in Capetown, yeah, Schultz has benefited from stolen land. You're applying US standards where they don't apply. "If she's waiting tables" as though that's some sign of poverty in a country where under 20% of the black population has running water in their homes.
This one?https://malialitman.files.w...
As if I needed yet another reason to stay off Facebutt? Here's yet another.
It's funny how often those yelling HAVE SOME EMPATHY have no fucking empathy whatsoever themselves.
Plate. Shrimp. Plate of shrimp.
Most children I know would never do anything this fucked up.
Maybe he visited the manager's office and threatened to cut his/her tongue out.
But the nudge-and-wink 'yes this was a tacky thing to do BUT......' has already gathered a few obedient nods.
I plan to stop tipping my servers over Kraft having taken over Gevalia Coffee and trashed it good and proper.
I think it's a little ridiculous that a white woman BORN UNDER APARTHEID would burst into tears because a black person doesn't want to tip her because she's white.
Yeah, that tends to happen when you assume that his motives are the biggest element of that situation for her as well as him. She must be crying about his not wanting to tip her because of her place in South African society, not because she actually was stiffed for reasons having nothing to do with her work, and still has bills to pay.
Little Dipshit is too young to have been born under Apartheid, fucktard. More to the point, this slimy little shit is a RHODES SCHOLAR. He has more "privilege" than 9/10 of the fucking population of the fucking world, courtesy of an endowment from the estate of the very person he hates so much. He's a typical Malignant Narcissist Millennial Special Turdblossom, and deserves absolutely NOTHING he has been given (not "earned"... BEEN GIVEN).
They totally ruined Ballantine Pale Ale in the late 60's
*Facepalm*
Look, actually decolonizing the country, and sending all of the people whose ancestors aren't originally from the region back to where they originated, at this point, is not going to happen. Smashing the colonial mindsets in countries, and resolving disparities in opportunities and treatment as human beings, that's the best we can hope for. Anything else is extremely unrealistic. Demands should be made to wealthy/authoritative/government bodies to make amends and to right the wrongs of racial bias within a country.
Petty sniping of THIS nature, however, is counterproductive and just uncalled for. Being a piece of shit to a server who is trying to pay their bills (because ALL servers are just trying to pay their fucking bills) because the highlight of your activist career is to make your big political statement to a low wage earner at a fucking café, isn't going to get people to warm to the notion of what you're arguing. I'm not saying to kiss ass, I'm just saying not to BE one, to the little guy. Individual strangers who clearly aren't well off financially, even if they benefit from white privilege, may suffer from oppression on the basis of gender, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic upbringing, etcetera. Perhaps this server is a single mother, perhaps she is married to a black South African spouse, perhaps she already supports the cause of justice for black South Africans, and already does her best to bring this message into white spaces.
These customers couldn't know that, though, because they automatically assumed that, because she is white, she is unaware of her privilege, or is aware but doesn't do anything to try and make things better. There are positive ways of bringing up the issue in conversation with new people in appropriate settings (maybe not with one's server, because they're busy working) about social justice issues, to get the word to spread and take hold in others, and actually effect some real change... without being some uber-douche who celebrates sticking it to whitey by making individual strangers cry. I don't think it's tone policing to say that when you can't even show some human decency, people aren't going to be receptive to your message. This is just human nature, and expecting someone to react positively to being treated like shit by having them shoulder the blame for hundreds of years of colonialism will leave you waiting a loooooong time. If you treat me like shit, and I've done nothing to you, personally, then it's not going to flick some switch in me that has me thinking, "oh! They have a point! Eye for an eye is just GREAT!!!" Everyone deserves at least a minimum standard of respect, just as a HUMAN FUCKING BEING.
So... tackle the power you know, in this way, but not the individual strangers you don't.