17 April 2010

My face may have ruined her clothes.

Shittiest day I've had in a while.

After a nice morning of bellydancing and then a catch up with a friend, my car broke down as my Mum and I headed out for a afternoon of shopping.

Something about a heater and leaking radiator fluid and the thermostat at the hot emergency level. Something about me needing to update membership to RACV and then pay this stupid $161 surcharge. It needed towing.

On the upside, both the RACV guys who attended to this damsel in distress were cute, AND when I pulled the broken down car into the nearest servo, who should be parked next to me but Vince Colosimo! Yes, I am the queen of spotting Underbelly actors.



But alas! This was no time to be asking for autographs or posing for photos. Mum would have killed me.

Anyhow, the car is home now, waiting for another tow truck trip to the mechanics. We sat in the truck. It was a little bit exciting.

I digress.

I have rarely said a bad word about anyone on this blog. Until now.

To kill time while waiting for RACV, Mum and I had a stroll down High Street Northcote. It was a gorgeous day and I wanted to check out some of the shops as I've only ever been there at night when I go to the Northcote Social Club to see a band.

The first shop we walked into was a second hand shop called Things Second Hand. It's located at 115 High Street.

I remember looking at a jacket, and then walking down the shop behind Mum. The shop was stacked with stuff. So much stuff I didn't actually see any individual items other than piles of stuff.

The shop keeper stared at me for about 20 seconds. I smiled and asked her if she was ok.

She said 'what's on your face?'

Here we go again, I thought. Another person questioning my appearance.

'Nothing', I said.

'What's on your face?', she demanded again.

Mum and I turned around to walk out of the store.

'Be careful of the clothes. I don't want what's on your face to ruin them'.

Yep. She said that. Several times, in a high pitched voice. Bitch.

Now generally, no matter how rude someone is when asking about my appearance, they may have a tiny concern for my wellbeing. Worried I am sunburnt. Worried I am burnt.

Not this woman. She was worried about her second hand clothes in her store, that was already packed the rafters with junk, getting dirty from my vaseline.

Sure, my vaseline poses a problem for the clothes I wear. My washing machine has a work out. I have to carefully choose fabrics so the oil doesn't show up.

But today, I didn't touch anything in her store, let alone rub my face up against them.

Though I defend myself pretty well, I rarely swear.

I said 'fuck you' to her more than four times.

I told her that I was born this way and that my face will not harm her 'fucking clothes'.

In haste, I pushed Mum into another piece of junk in her shop as we walked out.
She followed us out, ranting.

She ranted on the street. She ranted to passers by about how rude I was and that my face would damage her clothes.

There has been one other time in my 28 years that a shopkeeper has queried me about my vaseline ruining their clothes. The other time was about 10 years ago when a lady asked me politely not to touch the hats in the store. She wasn't rude. But I did walk about of the store.

I love shopping, and when I do try on clothes, I take the utmost care to ensure my skin and vaseline doesn't damage the clothes. There have been times when I've felt compelled to buy something if too much of my skin is on the clothing.

But today, I didn't touch anything. Today was unbelievable. I have never felt so worthless, or demeaned in a store.

I felt like going back in there, and smearing vaseline over the junk in the store.

I was so riled up that I took a photo of the store.



I want everyone to know that a rude, discriminatory woman works there.

My day can only improve.

48 comments:

  1. oh darling you poor thing :(
    i can't even imagine that happening to me.
    don't worry, we're all behind you.

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  2. Oh Carly I am so sorry... this woman was unkind and I hope she reflected on that later in the day - if not she will be paid back someway - I am a great believer in karma.... x

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  3. What a fucking bitch! I would have sworn at her too. Hope her boss sees your post!! Hope you are able to enjoy the rest of the day xx

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  4. Carly
    I am so angry on your behalf.

    I hope your day improves.

    At least there was Vince.

    Lots of hugs :-)

    SSG xxx

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  5. :( what a dreadful person.
    don't blame you at all for having an outburst with her.
    xoxox

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  6. OMG I am shaking with rage right now Carly! What a rude bitch! How horrible! I seriously feel like calling the store and abusing her over the phone. Luckily for her I don't live anywhere near her store or I would be over there in a shot to tell her off.
    Massive hugs hun, I hope you are ok. x

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  7. You should have smeared your face on the outside of her window. People like that are eternally unhappy and awful people. You are not and quite frankly that's the best revenge. xx

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  8. Holy shit, what a gigantic bitch. You reacted better than I would have! I hope karma bites her very fucking hard one day.

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  9. If i lived in Melbourne, i would be there in a flash. I would take a print out of this entry. I would tell her that I will tell everyone. What an ugly soul.

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  10. what a fucking skank. that sucks so much. please share your story as widely as possible so people know to avoid the place!!

    x

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  11. So sorry to hear that Carly- times like this I really hope karma exists.

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  12. take it to today tonight!

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  13. people like that are not worth the dirt on your shoe!

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  14. I dont know you Carly but that is absolutely disgraceful! Im really sorry to hear that this person is so intolerant and so half witted to make comments like that... I only hope you can rise above it and take pity on this person and also enjoy the abuse she will most likely get :)

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  15. I want to punch her in the face.
    Chris.

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  16. What a stupid selfish small-minded slag. She is probably incapable of getting her rocks off selling sloppy secondhand clothes to anyone, so to make herself feel better she uses insults and belittling tactics to humiliate people. What an unfortunate soul she is! Carly,you go girl! I'm really glad you stuck it right up her.

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  17. What a piece of work! Good on you for standing up for yourself Carly, I'm not sure how I would have handled it...probably with tears.

    I had a similar experience when I was a 'grubby teenager' in a high end store, and all these years later I still haven't forgotten, nor stepped foot in the offending store since. I was rudely told (not asked) to browse through the clothes by moving the hanger instead of touching the clothes themselves. Of course, the foolish woman shot herself in the foot; me and my ridiculous disposable income walked straight out of her store without another word, and went and dropped multiple hundreds in a nearby store where the service was actually civil. Oddly enough, there wasn't anyone else in her store then, nor any other time that I walked past, so clearly her attitude wasn't doing her business any favours.

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  18. Fuck that bitch. Im really glad you stood up against such disgusting behavior. You should post a link to this on the Vogue Forums.

    chloe_girl

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  19. That is freaking awful. Is there any action you can take such as speaking with the manager or owner? Actaully, asides from the earlier suggestion about Today Tonight, that is all I can think of but I strongly feel you shouldn't let this slide. That awful awful woman needs to be taught.

    A question, how old was she? The reason I ask this is that as a 4'10 thirty yo with baby face, I have had trouble with older shop assistants who assume I'm some dumb kid. Just a curious question.

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  20. How can she treat you like that? What a vile, vile woman.

    I'm really sorry she made you feel like shit. I'm a firm believer in Karma. It'll all come back to haunt her babe. It's all cyclical.

    xx P23

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  21. Carly I feel sick to my stomach over your treatment! What a horrible, miserable lady. So glad you defended yourself, I know I would have cried and ran out of the store. I really hope the rest of your weekend is lovely :)

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  22. I wish I lived there. Would've loved to go into her store, hands full of Vaseline, rub it into one of her crappy clothes and say, "ooops!"

    For her to follow you out the store, screaming is way over the top. What a ridiculous salesperson. That is honestly harrassment.

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  23. Dear C
    I am sad to read this story. It is hard enough going through life with complicated health issues without this. You are a brave soul. I hope you are feeling better.

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  24. This is incredible. I can't even believe this happened and my heart goes out to you. Some people have no tact or understanding. You are such a strong person to put up with this. It's great to hear how you are affected by others actions but are still positive in the long run. I hope that the next week gets better. You are an amazing person!

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  25. My god Carly. some people have no clue. she is an absolute cow. I'm glad you gave her what for. I for one will be badmouthing that store all over town.

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  26. What a disgusting excuse for a human being!

    I'm glad you swore at her- I probably would have done something way more immature like thrown everything on the floor...ha

    As it is anyway- even someone with no skin condition can leave makeup, oil or dry/dead skin on clothing. It shouldn't make a difference who it is.

    What an absolute moll, lucky I don't live in Melbourne or I'd go give her a piece of my mind.

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  27. I am so sorry for the treatment that you got from that vile excuse for a person.

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  28. I'm so sorry you have to deal with ignorant horrible selfish people like that =( I hope you take this further. Maybe it will teach her and others to not be so judgemental. xx

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  29. Hi Carly i do not know you but i noe your friend melanie in the uk i went to high school school with melanie. I think you was right to say what you said good for you. Im also sorry you was treated this way. I know its not quite the same but my eldest son was born very early and came home on oxegen and i had a lady in the supermarket and a member of staff who was rude to me and acuesd that i have done some thing to my son! well like you i said a few choose words to both of them.

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  30. I'm on a mission next week to go into the store and give her an opinion, or 2!

    I hope she experiences some visits this week about her disgusting behaviour!

    Good on you though! Love how you "outed" her! GOLD!! :)

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  31. Another stranger popping by to air their outrage. I really don't know how you didn't smack her from here to next century. I'm sorry you had to deal with such ignorance. I hope this doesn't leave you feeling too down and out, from what I've ready of your blog this afternoon, you are a wonderful person, worth a million times more what that dumbass ever will be.

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  32. Good for you for telling her off! She deserved it. I'm sure there are grosser things on her second-hand crap than vaseline anyway, bitch lol

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  33. Carly,
    I've just read this post and I just wanted to tell you how disgusted I am that a sales assistant would treat you in this way. Not only was it morally wrong - but it was downright rude and I'm absolutely appalled.

    I agree with above posters that you should out this girl and her shop on the Vogue Forums, and the stickler-for-justice in me thinks that you should go to the media as well. People like her need to realise that this is NOT OK.

    For what it's worth, I work at a clothes store and we occasionally have a lady who comes in who I believe has a similar condition to you. I for one am not AT ALL concerned about vaseline or anything, I'm usually more worried about the skanky girls in the corner with faces covered in foundation which invariably ends up all over the clothing.
    As a store we wrote off about 50 garments at the end of last month due to make-up stains. Not one of them was vaseline or oily marks.

    I do hope you're feeling better, you are clearly a lovely person from the outcry that this post has created, and I completely agree with everything else that has been posted above me.
    Love, A x

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  34. Bahahaha... Maybe it's just my weird sense of humor but I just had a visual of you mushing your face in the front window for customers to see a Carly imprint when they walk past. I also would (if I had lip gloss/vaseline in my handbag) write "Caution, here be dragons" underneath it. *snicker*
    Stupid cranky so and so. I'm considering a trip to Northcote with a few mates just to give her a piece of my mind. What do you think, should I take a kilo tub of vaseline with me?

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  35. I know exactly who this woman is, she is pretty notorious in the Northcote area. She hates everyone, particularly school children. A lot of people don't go in there just because of the crazy owner. So sadly what she did is completely normal behaviour for her.

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  36. I am so sorry ot hear that you had to endure the rantings of an idiot. My little one is only 4 with LI and he is already talking about hating his skin cause no one else has the same kind. He says people hate him becasue they are always staring with an ugly look on their face.

    A good FU can go along way sometimes to just vent and get it out.

    Again, very sorry. It truly breaks my heart that there is such rude ignorance in this day and age.

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  37. I love op shopping, but can promise you (a complete stranger!) that I will never ever go to this store and if I happen to, I will be sure to not spend!!!
    hope all is better today

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  38. Carly, I am so appalled at the way this woman treated you. But we are all behind you 100% of the way. Hope today is better for you :-)

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  39. Carly, I can't believe this soul less woman... I am in absolute shock.. I'm still not sure what to say as I find it so hard to comprehend what must have been going through her mind.. Any compassion? Any feelings at all?
    You are an amazing woman & I think you have done the right thing with taking this further, sending letters etc. You were meant to make a difference in this world. Stuff ridiculous people like this, YOU are amazing and one in a million.
    Lots of love beautiful!!


    xxx

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  40. Carly, what a horrible piece of work this woman is. I hope that she knows that we'd never shop there as a result. I shake my head at people like that-were they raised by wolves? *hugs*

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  41. Carly, don't ever give up on human kindness. You are really quite the heroine and I don't think I speak alone when I say that you are very admired and well-respected.

    Tracy.

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  42. Normally I wouldn't try to oppose an angry mob, but here I am going to:

    what if the shop assistant didn't realise or acknowledge that it was a medical condition? What if she reacted before considering how it might affect you? I honestly believe that if she had have realized how much she was hurting someone, she would apologise. Regardless, I think the comment that says to rise above this incident and feel sorry for her is the most constructive.

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  43. How interesting is the comment that she's always like that! How is this person still in business??

    Lovely to hear that you had such positive feedback from the Traders Association - and from all your net friends. I know you will rise above this incident, but at the same time I'm screaming on the inside that you shouldn't HAVE to rise above, people should have the common decency not to put you or anyone else in a position where that is necessary...

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  44. Some people should just not be in customer service jobs.

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  45. Whoa these comments are a bit over the top.

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  46. How rude!! Hmm...I'm guessing that's why her shop is packed to the rafters - nobody wants to buy from someone that rude and inconsiderate.

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  47. Uh mazing!! How on earth could someone be so rude and HEARTLESS?! I'm sorry you have to deal with crappy things like this. :( Hopefully not often, though!

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