Woman From Quebec Went Shopping for a Bathrobe. Then an Older Lady Cut in Line and Took a Jab at Her: ‘It Is Insulting’
Instead of quietly moving aside and waiting her turn, the old lady delivered a few offensive remarks.
ArtsyHoneyBee (@artsyhoneybee5) from Quebec went to a Hatley store to buy her daughter a bathrobe. What was supposed to be a window-shopping trip ended with the Québécoise woman confronting an older white lady.
“Tell me why old, white women have truly mastered the subtle, jabby racism,” Artsy told TikTok. She explained that she wanted to buy a bathrobe for her daughter since the weather was starting to get chillier. Hatley, a local Quebecois company, had some on sale. Wanting to support local, Artsy decided to go into a Hatley store for her daughter’s bathrobe. She got the bathrobe, then fell in line behind a couple checking out.
“As soon as this couple moves aside, I don’t even have time to step forward before this very spry, like, 60-to-70-year-old woman just goes right ahead of me—like, doesn’t even look back at me,” Artsy alleged. The woman cut ahead like an unattended, unruly child at a Gold Coast theme park. Then, the older woman started talking to the employee at the counter, ignoring Artsy. She said the worker didn’t realize that she was in line first, so Artsy decided to voice her concern.
“I’m gonna tell you when you don’t wait your turn, and very politely,” she added. The following conversation happened in Quebecois French, but Artsy translated the exchange for her English-speaking audience.
“Excuse me, I know this sucks, but I was waiting in line first,” Artsy said, politely informing the woman and the employee that she was first. The elderly woman turned back and said, “Oh, I didn’t even see you.” Artsy claimed that the woman had a snappy tone. When Artsy asked if she could go ahead, the worker told her to come forward for her checkout. However, the older woman allegedly couldn’t help herself from making a snide remark.
Getting into a tiff during a shopping trip
Artsy said she looked at the woman and politely apologized for calling her out. Then the woman allegedly responded, “You know, it’s a good thing you spoke up. Us here in Quebec would never do that, but I guess you guys speak up for yourselves, and I guess that’s a good thing.” The reply angered Artsy, as the woman implied she isn’t from Quebec.
“I come from Quebec,” Artsy replied, her smile falling. She added that just because she’s a brown woman doesn’t mean that she isn’t from Quebec. But the woman allegedly tooted at her and said, “Don’t be so offended.”
“Well, it is insulting. It is insulting, and it’s incredibly ignorant,” Artsy clapped back. After that, the older woman stayed silent. The worker was watching the exchange, feeling sorry for Artsy. She grabbed her things and left after paying. Artsy found a bench, and she tried to calm herself down after the heated exchange.
“You don’t understand that unless you’ve lived it your entire [expletive] life—like, you won’t understand how incredibly irritating it is,” Artsy said. She said she’s also experienced racism in Ontario, but the woman’s jabs still bothered her. As she was walking back to her car, the store employee came running after her to apologize for her experience.
“I’m so sorry, I should’ve said something,” the employee allegedly said. They also added, “I just want you to know: I did not smile at her, and I didn’t talk to her, and I didn’t wish her a good day.” But being talked down to doesn’t happen only during shopping sprees. Another man from Toronto experienced a bout of racism at the airport, and he only caught it because he spoke the language of the group that mocked him.
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