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A LICKLE ROTI REBELLION
I witnessed what could be called a mini 'race/class & roti rebellion' Monday gone.
Firstly, mek me tell unnu something. Trinidad and Tobago people make some wicked roti. And regularly enjoying a real good roti is a big part of any visit I make to that twin Island Republic that will soon own our national airline, Air Jamaica.
When in Port of Spain, I usually get my roti at night from Miss Kanhai on the street side, near Smokey & Bunty's, a popular hot-spot in St. James. But on Monday, I was on the road at lunch time with a roti craving, so some friends took me to a place in San Juan.
That's where race/class intervened, and a lickle roti rebellion happened dat mek mi neva badda eat di roti. The system at this place functions like most food places. You join a line to place your order and pay. The cashier gives the server a slip with your order and a copy to you with an order number. Then, you take the paper to another counter where they call your number and give you the food. Seems simple enough, right?
priority treatment
Well, after my Trini friend placed our order, she proceeded to the counter to collect our food. While she waited, something seemingly inexplicable happened. The cashier took the order from two customers who were standing behind us in the line and gave it to the server with the instruction, 'prepare these now!' In other words, he was giving those customers a skip in front of us.
When challenged, the cashier couldn't provide any valid reason why these two men were being afforded priority treatment. My friend declared that the only possible reason for this was the obvious race/class cultural reality: the customers being given the skip just happened to be two white men!
The opinion was voiced to me, but one of the gentlemen jumped on it, telling my Trini friend 'you can't say that!' She pointed out to him that she was really talking to me, not to him, <span style="font-weight: bold">but he persisted; proffering the argument that this is 2010 and referring to his race was 'making a bad move'. Yu see how life funny? He didn't appear to care about the 'bad move' of his order being put ahead of ours. His conscience couldn't lead him to see that the people in front of him should rightly be served before him</span>. Somehow though, he assumed authority to interject. And, he attempted to silence a legitimate question of concern from a paying customer in a restaurant that doesn't belong to him.
'bruck out and skin out'
Well my friend refused to be silenced. She didn't 'bruck out and skin out' and tell dem bout parts'. She used no derogatory references, but she defiantly and verbally rebelled at the discrimination. [b]The young miss serving the drinks made matters worse by ignoring me standing there with the drinks order, and instead taking the drinks order of the <span style="font-style: italic">privileged two.[/</span>b]
The 'ten tonne straw' for my rebellious friend was perhaps when the young miss gave her, 'because you're acting like a fool', in reply to questions about why she was deliberately furthering the problem. My friend demanded her money back, and we left the place. I chose to be a silent observer because my unmistakably Jamaican identity would drastically changed the dynamics of the situation.
Interestingly, except for her Indian friend/colleague, nobody else in the restaurant uttered a word of comment or support, and I thought to myself 'dis wouldn't happen inna Jamaica!'
[email protected]
I witnessed what could be called a mini 'race/class & roti rebellion' Monday gone.
Firstly, mek me tell unnu something. Trinidad and Tobago people make some wicked roti. And regularly enjoying a real good roti is a big part of any visit I make to that twin Island Republic that will soon own our national airline, Air Jamaica.
When in Port of Spain, I usually get my roti at night from Miss Kanhai on the street side, near Smokey & Bunty's, a popular hot-spot in St. James. But on Monday, I was on the road at lunch time with a roti craving, so some friends took me to a place in San Juan.
That's where race/class intervened, and a lickle roti rebellion happened dat mek mi neva badda eat di roti. The system at this place functions like most food places. You join a line to place your order and pay. The cashier gives the server a slip with your order and a copy to you with an order number. Then, you take the paper to another counter where they call your number and give you the food. Seems simple enough, right?
priority treatment
Well, after my Trini friend placed our order, she proceeded to the counter to collect our food. While she waited, something seemingly inexplicable happened. The cashier took the order from two customers who were standing behind us in the line and gave it to the server with the instruction, 'prepare these now!' In other words, he was giving those customers a skip in front of us.
When challenged, the cashier couldn't provide any valid reason why these two men were being afforded priority treatment. My friend declared that the only possible reason for this was the obvious race/class cultural reality: the customers being given the skip just happened to be two white men!
The opinion was voiced to me, but one of the gentlemen jumped on it, telling my Trini friend 'you can't say that!' She pointed out to him that she was really talking to me, not to him, <span style="font-weight: bold">but he persisted; proffering the argument that this is 2010 and referring to his race was 'making a bad move'. Yu see how life funny? He didn't appear to care about the 'bad move' of his order being put ahead of ours. His conscience couldn't lead him to see that the people in front of him should rightly be served before him</span>. Somehow though, he assumed authority to interject. And, he attempted to silence a legitimate question of concern from a paying customer in a restaurant that doesn't belong to him.
'bruck out and skin out'
Well my friend refused to be silenced. She didn't 'bruck out and skin out' and tell dem bout parts'. She used no derogatory references, but she defiantly and verbally rebelled at the discrimination. [b]The young miss serving the drinks made matters worse by ignoring me standing there with the drinks order, and instead taking the drinks order of the <span style="font-style: italic">privileged two.[/</span>b]
The 'ten tonne straw' for my rebellious friend was perhaps when the young miss gave her, 'because you're acting like a fool', in reply to questions about why she was deliberately furthering the problem. My friend demanded her money back, and we left the place. I chose to be a silent observer because my unmistakably Jamaican identity would drastically changed the dynamics of the situation.
Interestingly, except for her Indian friend/colleague, nobody else in the restaurant uttered a word of comment or support, and I thought to myself 'dis wouldn't happen inna Jamaica!'
[email protected]