All right, so if you’re the sort who stands around waiting to be offended, and/or the sort who doesn’t view “politically correct” as an epithet, then you should probably stop reading now. Also, this probably isn’t a blog you should bookmark.
But if you insist on staying, please comment. I’ve never understood what pisses you people off to such a degree (and please do go ahead and take offense at that “you people”), but I’ll be delighted to have some fun with it should you choose to share it with the Internet in an entertaining fashion.
Still with me? All right. Here we go. (PC assholes, I swear I’ll cut you off at the knees. Proceed at your own risk. Disclaimer ends.)
There is a Chevron station exactly three miles from my house. I stop there frequently for gasoline and sundries on my morning commute. I’m in there one or two mornings a week, generally between 7 and 8.
For as long as I can remember, during this window I have shared the store with one to two dozen day laborers, picking up drinks, snacks, and breakfast ahead of going to work. It has been my consistent observation, based on skin tone and language, that the vast majority of said day laborers are of Hispanic descent. I would guess they are largely Mexican.
So I noticed a sign last week thanking regular customers for their patronage, and announcing new ownership next week. My reaction, mostly, was “whatever.” I recognized the faces of the people who regularly rang up my purchases, but I didn’t have any sort of relationship with them beyond a casual salutation exchange, so it was tough for me to muster anything but apathy.
I went in yesterday morning. I immediately noticed that I had the place nearly to myself. There were two other vehicles in the parking lot, instead of ten. There were two other customers in the store, instead of twenty. It was really odd. I went in today to eliminate anomaly as a possibility, and had the same experience.
The new owners appear to be natives of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, or somewhere else in the Central Asian region. Best I can tell, nothing else has changed.
So, my question to you, dear WmWms reader: do Mexicans have a problem with Indians, or vice versa? I can’t figure anything else to explain what I’ve observed, and Google has been rather unhelpful. I have a theory that I may or may not share, depending on the nature and volume of any conversation that develops.
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Here’s a totally un-PC comment for you. Be prepared for the gas prices to rise. I used to stop frequently at two different stations to get gas that were bought by Indian or Pakistani (not sure which – don’t care enough to ask) and they now have the most expensive prices in town. Even the price of a 16 oz. Diet Mt. Dew is now $1.29 at both places. Hell, the gas is cheaper than that! Sorry, Bo. I still drink Diet Mt. Dew. A lot of it.
I’m sure I’m making broad generalizations, but as far as I can tell, only college students using credit cards that mom and dad pay off now fill up at both of those places.
As soon as I hit ‘Submit’ the PC Police will come and get me…. 🙁
Cheryl: This Chevron was already near tops in the area. There isn’t much room for them to move upward.
I have sheepishly admitted, but shall do so again, that I am now an occasional consumer of the new Diet Mountain Dew. I got used to it. Mostly. It’s not my beloved departed, but it’s still better than most of what else is out there. I don’t stay with it like I did the old stuff, though.
Incidentally, I was pleased that what’s-his-name serial killer turned up shot to death. I wasn’t comfortable with his geography relative to yours.
I won’t visit places of business that are run by “those people” (meaning those areas Bo mentioned in Central Asia).
My experience is they are rude, obnoxious, and act like they are doing me a favor by being there. Screw’um I say. Life is too short to put up with that crap.
Amazing how much money one properly placed round can save a state? Now SC won’t have to pay for a trial, incarceration costs, or the carbon tax on the electricity they would have run through him 10 years from now. OK, yea, it could have been the wrong guy but he was stupid enough to shoot first. Reminds me of that old joke
http://www.politicalforum.com/humor-satire/42781-pacifism-test-you-democrat-republican-southern-republican.html
BB_FAN: I haven’t had that experience, or at least haven’t had it often enough to recognize a pattern–but you’re the second person to say that to me.
Admittedly I had a little fun with the “disclaimer,” but to me we seem very close to a day on which any mention of race (other than to provide regulatory and/or financial advantage to members of that race, of course) is “racism.” This was simple straight observation, and the respective ethnicities of the principals became interesting to me when I could identify no other obvious factor contributing to the phenomenon.
Being married to someone of Indian descent (her parents came over from India in the 60s and she was born here) and not being particularly politically correct, I might have a leg to stand on in this conversation. I have to say, in general, that I have never heard derogatory comments about Hispanics coming from my wife or her family (or her friends, for that matter). Perhaps the price gouging (or perceived potential price gouging in the near future) by the new owners may have more to do with the gas station clearing out rather than the difference in ethnicity, per se. Interestingly, the gas station owners/motel owners/7-11 types are seen as “shrewd businessmen” in the Indian community…and that’s putting it mildly.
I agree with the “one properly placed round” comment. Well done! I doubt he was the wrong guy since he was shooting at the police. And he was killed less than 40 miles from Gaffney. One less POS in the world, I say.
I never know who runs the gas stations because I never go inside. Thank God for autopay pumps; it saves me from having to deal with people.
Can we say God here?
Saintseester: I thought “Goddess” was the politically correct term. Oops, sorry… my snark is showing.
I’ve been vibing to the universe that someone would say that.
OK, here’s my theory. I believe it rather uncontroversial to suggest that the average Indian store owner would be more likely to be in the United States legally than the average Mexican day laborer. So could there be a resentment thing, and the Mexican stays away from the Indian-owned store for fear of being reported?
(Same story this morning, btw.)
Have you checked to see if they are still serving breakfast / lunch in there? If they’ve gotten rid of the grill, then the workmen may be going someplace where they can get gas, cigarettes AND food in one stop.
OMG OMG OMG! Bo… seriously, I was reading through the comments first but I was going to say nearly the same as you as my guess. I figure that most Indians etc. are here on legal visas or already have obtained citizenship. Perhaps they have already made it known not to hang on their corner looking for work via the drive by pickup.
Lea: The offerings are the same, including an active deli counter with various breakfast biscuits, a pizza oven, and so forth.
Susan: We think well, you and I. 🙂
See though, it was never a gathering place with a pool of “will work”ers. These were always folks piling out of crew cab pickups and vans, getting their provisions, and piling right back in to go to work.
It is also possible that it was previously owned by a Hispanic and that is why so many frequented the place. When they gave it up, those same Hispanics found another Hispanic owned business to support.
BB_FAN: I guess that’s possible, but I’m pretty sure the previous owner was named Brown.
Has the construction work in the area slowed down tremendously at the same time? That is a weird observation. Interesting that I too would have just a few ideas of why that would happen. 1. Legal Visa vs illegal thought, 2. My first sentence here, and 3. Some perceived dissentment between the two races…
Perhaps Bo ran ’em off. Yeah, that’s it! Bo stopping by almost every morning in his cute little commuter car, obviously not a day laborer, made ’em all feel out of place so they found somewhere else to fill up. ;-P
Sorry … Lea’s snark is catchin’ …
OK, snark free now … I wonder if the new owners of this Chevron station are the same or relatives of the owners of the Chevron out on Exit 3? Not sure it matters at all, but that was my first thought when you mentioned the race of the new owners.
Scott: I don’t think so. There’s still tons of new construction out here.
wxchick: I doubt my car scares anybody in any way. 🙂
Your car scares away straight people…
Tommy: You’ve ridden in it more than once, big man. 🙂
Things seem to be as they were now.
With my finger on the sociocultural pulse of society,
Bo