Anyone Experienced Racism ?

[Evans Electric]

Couple of incidents .

Just point out that I'm white , English .

Aged 21 I went to work on a petrol refinery for one of the big contractors in the area.   It transpired that for some reason they had a small clique of Irish site forman ,  the one one this job was a total part . 

Thought it strange when he asked the last time I went to mass , :C    " Why would I want to do that "?   I answered.

Getting to know the other guys onsite , they were all either Irish or Scousers of Irish extraction .

One of them says I am expected to be at a particular night club on Saturday night , and make sure you stand the gaffer a drink ( Meaning the Paddy Forman)     Again I say " Why would I want to do that ?  I'm seeing my GF "

Life was made difficult onsite , Paddy clearly didn't like me , ( feeling was mutual)  Turned out he liked to be surrounded by crawling sycophants who were Irish,  Roman Catholic, bought him drinks and paid him a % of their weekly wage. 

I was moved to another site after 3 weeks .    Just didn't fit in somehow .  :coat :red card :C

A more recent incident , last summer, a guy phones to say I replaced his board a year ago ,  half the plugs were off and all the breakers were on .   This is a West Indian family living in a middle class white area .   Said I'd pop round, pull onto the drive , his sons are washing a car , age around 24,  I say hello , they both turned their backs , one walks off .    I say "Is your Dad around ?"

Glaring at me he says..  "Him coming down de stairs , Mon "     Fairly poor English for a 24 yr old student , born & raised in Middle Class England I thought . 

I was about to begger off when his Dad "came down de stairs" and dashed over to smooth things over .    You could cut the atmosphere,  wacked his RCD back on and charged him £30  for the call out . 

 

[ProDave]

Only once, a few years ago.

You all know I'm an English "incomer" in the Highlands. well in these parts probably half the people that live here are English, and there's generally no friction between the incomers and the natives. (though I have heard it several times that they hate Glaswegians up here)

But a few years ago I was doing a job in one of the local pubs, shall we say the place was a bit rough, not the sort of place you would go with your missus.

So I was minding my own on my steps in the bar fixing a light fitting and a group of scruffy lads, drinking lager on a Tuesday mid afternoon (unemployed?) started mouthing on about how all the English come here and take their jobs, and how they should all p!$$ off home.

I didn't rise to it, I just ignored them, but it was pretty obvious who it was aimed at, as I was the only person in the bar with an English accent (the Landlord was Irish, so also an "Incomer" but that didn't seem to bother them)

At that time of day, the only people in the pub were old, obviously retired men who all seemed nice enough, just these young lads who you would not expect to be in a pub in the middle of the day.

 

[Steve3948]

I was working for Balfour Kilpatrick at the Oxford car plant dismantling the MG line ready for the Honda Bounty, cant remember what they called it in the end, Triumph Acclaim or something.

Anyway walked down to the line which was still running by the way and my job was to dismantle and remove some 110V outlets, however as soon as I got near the line it stopped.

After a short time a white coat came over and said you cannot work near the line, I asked why is it too dangerous and he replied, no they dont want you working in this area, I looked up

and could see Red,Green,Yellow huge hats all down the line.

The foreman requested extra labour to get the job pushed along and they came from Brum and two of these guys had the same hats so he sent them to disconnect the 110V sockets, nobody complained and the job got done.

This was the first time in my life I had experianced somthing like this and it changed my opinion for ever, you should not tar everyone with the same brush as they say, but its made me very weary.

 

[MeFil]

I haven't, but a customer of mine had an experience that you'd have to describe as funny in hindsight.

Seek family, he moved here as a very small child. He grew up in the Midlands and raised his family. They are the loveliest customers you could ever hope for.

Couple of years he went to snowdonia with his family for a days walking in the hills. When they finished their hike they called in at the local pub for a drink and some food. As soon as they entered the pub, the place went quiet and you could feel the tension in the room. Ordered their food and sat down with a drink... his son looked at him and said "dad, I don't think they like us in here very much" to which he replied "dont worry son, it's the Welsh.... they've never liked the English very much"

 

[OnOff]

More "differences" than racism. Working in Coventry I went in to a bakers and asked for a "bap"...........got a right telling off and that "We do BATCHES here NOT baps, you're from DOWN SOUTH aren't you!" Not really sure that counts though! 

And did a site induction in Norwich and probably understood 1 word in 10........given by a white, local lad working for Carters.

I was once tasked to do a delapidation report on some kit at New Scotland Yard. It was in a right state so I went to it chapter & verse. New cabling, limit switches, panel work, motor & gearbox o'hauls, metal work the whole lot. Got accused outright by a black fella overseeing the works of aiming to line my own pocket when my governor submitted the quote. My governor then slashed the price to appease the guy and subbed it out telling me I'd take too long being finickey. Then it broke down and they had a RIDDOR due to the subbie's work!

I had to go back in and sort it. Same black fella over seeing the works then found out he lived on my route home and did an about turn and got me to give him lifts!

Happy days.

:lol:

 

[misssweden]

Being an immigrant from an EU country, I experience it quite a lot. It's mostly along the lines of "bloody immigrants come here and take our jobs", "all they do is come here and get housing and benefits" etc. What upsets me is three things:

a) I didn't steal anyone's job. My first job here I applied for online before I moved to Britain. I had a relevant formal qualification and I got it. Simple as. Why they chose me over anyone else I do not know.

b) I have NEVER recieved a penny in benefits in the 7 years and six months that I have lived in Britain. What I have done is worked my backside off to be able to support myself, which means that for most of that time I have had at least two jobs at the same time, never earning more than £6.65 an hour. It's been hard work, cost me a relationship, nearly burnt me out but at least I can say I haven't lived off the state.

c) People are quite happy to say above things when I'm present, knowing that I am an immigrant. If I then say something I'll get a "oh yeah but we don't mean you". But the one little word they forget that they've said is "all". "All immigrants". It might be petty, but when people say that I always feel like I have to defend myself. If they say "some immigrants" or maybe "the majority of immigrants" I wouldn't find it at all offensive, because some people do come here with the wrong intentions. I just wish people would remember that not everyone is like that.

 

[Steve3948]

I'm just waiting for the car wash wars to start, round here for years there was and still is as far as I know an Icecream Van round cartel.

 

[NozSpark]

I think when we talk about imigrants most of us are on about the "new" eastern european imigrants.... not anyone from the original EU countries... Myself and my wife talk about imigrants and she's Irish (ROI)

On the Welsh front I've had pubs go quiet on me and people switch to Welsh infront if me...TBH this is very rude especially as they don't realise that I'm Welsh myself.... however whenever you go into a pub where you're not a local it'll always go quiet and when you go to France or Germany you don't expect them to speak English, so why the difference when you're in Wales?

 

[Evans Electric]

Only once, a few years ago.

You all know I'm an English "incomer" in the Highlands. well in these parts probably half the people that live here are English, and there's generally no friction between the incomers and the natives. (though I have heard it several times that they hate Glaswegians up here)

But a few years ago I was doing a job in one of the local pubs, shall we say the place was a bit rough, not the sort of place you would go with your missus.

So I was minding my own on my steps in the bar fixing a light fitting and a group of scruffy lads, drinking lager on a Tuesday mid afternoon (unemployed?) started mouthing on about how all the English come here and take their jobs, and how they should all p!$$ off home.

I didn't rise to it, I just ignored them, but it was pretty obvious who it was aimed at, as I was the only person in the bar with an English accent (the Landlord was Irish, so also an "Incomer" but that didn't seem to bother them)

At that time of day, the only people in the pub were old, obviously retired men who all seemed nice enough, just these young lads who you would not expect to be in a pub in the middle of the day.

And yet we accept  Scots here with no problem whatsoever ........   Edit :-   Just remembered the footy fans , could do without them TBH)

On the subject of pubs going quiet ....that happens quite a lot ....before they even know where you come from .

And if all the immigrants were like MissSweden we wouldn't have a problem. 

The story of the Sikh family is great .

 

[batty]

I have some distant relations that are black Americans and always remember years ago I would probably be around 10 years old we went for a walk. I remember very well them being racially abused I think at that time there certainly were not many coloured people in England. At the time this upset me greatly it goes to show over forty years how things have changed nowadays it just would not be allowed in general life.

 

[steptoe]

I get it all the time, and, the surprising thing is, out of all the countries I've ever been in, England is the only one I've experienced racism in....

 

[Technician]

When I was looking at buying a larger house I had a few to look at

in some parts of West Yorkshire.  I was eventually persuaded by a

trader to forget the idea.

While I was looking at one I met a lady who was coming off "lollipop

duty."  I have no idea what I said but I had the "You're not a Catholic

are you?....OH NO."  treatment.

I replied in the negative but that I knew a man who was.

 

[OnOff]

I was in Corfu and decided to trek up into the "unspoilt" bit. Tall, sun bleached short hair etc. I walked into what appeared to be a local shop/pub in one to get some more bottled water. All proper old fellas playing dominoes. Place went quite and the barman looked me up and down and said "German?". I said "No, English!". They all started talking to me and I was give shots of Ouzo on the house.

 

[Technician]

 They all started talking to me

This happened to a friend of mine many years ago when

he was on the Tokkaido Express between Tokyo and Osaka

(I think).  A group of Japanese businessmen were at a table

opposite and they enquired if he was American.  It was one of

the most enjoyable train journeys he ever had.

 

[septiclecky]

Not me but a bloke I used to work with told me that him and his mate had gone into a pub in Wales, when they enterd there was 2 old blokes sitting by the door talking English but when they heard there English accents they started talking in Welsh.

After they had got their pints and sat down his mate said the 2 old blokes by the door are talking about us as it turned out he could speak Welsh after going to school there.

When they finished their pints this bloke and his mate got up to leave but when they got to the door his mate turned round and said to these 2 guys in Welsh that in future they should not talk about other people in Welsh as they do not know who speaks it or not.

The bloke I worked with said he wished he had a camera with him at the time as the faces on the 2 old guys faces was a magic. 

 

[apprentice87]

I am supposedly welsh and i live in wales. Many years ago, i was asked to deliver a car transporter trailer to a garage in pwllheli. When i got there all the staff were out on the forecourt and all speaking english. As soon as i spoke to them, they all reverted to welsh. I was instructed to collect a cheque for £1800 too. They wrote this out in welsh too, obviously trying to be funny...

Now then, let me tell you; All this welsh stuff is a hoax. They CAN ALL speak english, and ALL do so, Are you telling me that they all just watch the one telly channel S4C??? I do not think so, As for the welsh road signs, that is all a complete waste of money. EVERYTHING here come with a welsh version too.

Where i live NOBODY [apart from the cranks] can even speak welsh. They only got a welsh assembly by vote rigging, a large number of people just think it is a waste of money; "Welsh assembly government" not even grammatical....

Anyway, not so sure about now, [never use the phone] but at one time every "public service" answered the phone in welsh. My sister is a jobcentre manager, she says that in all the years she worked there answering the phone in welsh, not ONE person wished to continue in welsh.

One people that do want to talk in foreign originate in sunnier climes.... But a press of a button and an interpreter comes on. Funny how they cannot speak a word of english, but as soon as my sister tells them "your claim has been stopped" they get remarkably fluent!!!!!

As for me, if anyone starts off in welsh to me they will get back "Tut mir leid; Ich kann dich nicht verstehen" [Literally, "It does to me sorrow, i can you not understand"] [German] When they then revert to english and say "Ooo, I am sorry" they willl get "yes, how do you like it!!!!"

john...

 

[Manator]

I remember doing some work in Wales in the times when English houses were being burnt out. A young group decided to pick on myself during a night out, and I remember being very scared at the time. However the local elder members brought everything under control and really assured me and my work mates that racism is only practised by a minority.

I then married a Scottish women, so now I am just abused!!!

 

[ProDave]

I then married a Scottish women, so now I am just abused!!!

A wise choice if I may say so.

I had to settle for a Geordie.

 

[Evans Electric]

Geordie is the  best accent in Britain !   

Just way heying  Pet.

 

[OnOff]

I am supposedly welsh and i live in wales. Many years ago, i was asked to deliver a car transporter trailer to a garage in pwllheli. When i got there all the staff were out on the forecourt and all speaking english. As soon as i spoke to them, they all reverted to welsh. I was instructed to collect a cheque for £1800 too. They wrote this out in welsh too, obviously trying to be funny...

Now then, let me tell you; All this welsh stuff is a hoax. They CAN ALL speak english, and ALL do so, Are you telling me that they all just watch the one telly channel S4C??? I do not think so, As for the welsh road signs, that is all a complete waste of money. EVERYTHING here come with a welsh version too.

Where i live NOBODY [apart from the cranks] can even speak welsh. They only got a welsh assembly by vote rigging, a large number of people just think it is a waste of money; "Welsh assembly government" not even grammatical....

Anyway, not so sure about now, [never use the phone] but at one time every "public service" answered the phone in welsh. My sister is a jobcentre manager, she says that in all the years she worked there answering the phone in welsh, not ONE person wished to continue in welsh.

One people that do want to talk in foreign originate in sunnier climes.... But a press of a button and an interpreter comes on. Funny how they cannot speak a word of english, but as soon as my sister tells them "your claim has been stopped" they get remarkably fluent!!!!!

As for me, if anyone starts off in welsh to me they will get back "Tut mir leid; Ich kann dich nicht verstehen" [Literally, "It does to me sorrow, i can you not understand"] [German] When they then revert to english and say "Ooo, I am sorry" they willl get "yes, how do you like it!!!!"

john...

Wife's uncle married a Welsh bird and even learnt the language (moron = carrot etc). Lived next to some reservoir, "Nyath" or some similar sounding place. They never accepted him though! :lol: