Unfiltered Story #192447

(It is the first of the month. My mom, dad and I are all at the supermarket picking up groceries for the week. Once we have all we need we go to stand in a queue. It should be noted that here in South Africa people receive their sassa payouts on the 1st and many choose to withdraw their money at the store. There were 2 tills allocated to those wanting sassa.)

Random man: *to security officer* Can I get my sassa in this queue?! *refer to the queue my mom, me and several other regular shoppers having been standing in for about an hour*

Security officer: Yes sir.

Random man: Then why are these people here?!

(Please note that there was no sign above this till saying it was for sassa only)

Security officer: *says nothing and walks away to go where she is needed*

Random man: *to other sassa people behind him* these people with their groceries should get out the d*** queue and go stand another one! This is for sassa not that shit!

Other sassa people: *agreeing with him*

(At this point it is me and my mom, 2 ladies in front of us and 1 lady in front of them)

1st lady: *tries to withdraw from sassa card which causes a problem since the register hasn’t been properly set up to use the cards)

After 10 minutes the card finally worked and the cashier was able to starting ringing up the ladies in front of us.

Old lady storms from back of queue: *storms up to cashier* Why are you not making these people move?! They can’t be here! Send them to another queue! They are causing this to take too long!

Cashier: No, they were here first. They are not causing a delay and will be done quickly since they are not on sassa and paying cash.

Old lady: *to security officer* Make these people get out of line! This is sassa only and they have groceries! Do you speak English or Afrikaans! I don’t speak your damn click click language! (The officer was a black woman with no noticeable accent meaning she was probably raised speaking English)

Security: They will be checked out here because they have queued. It is not their fault that there is no sign here. It was taking down because the card reader is not working correctly and therefore causing a delay.

Old lady: *storms back to place in line*

(Another note: my mom and I were standing alone in the queue as my dad went to wait in the car as he has a bad back. It should also be said that while my mom is white, my dad is black and I have coloured skin. I look really well tanned but my hair and lips usually tell people I am mixed race. The two ladies in front of us have been rung up and have paid and is now mine and my moms turn)

Me: *unloading cart while my mom stands next to the till by the scanner*

Random man: Those damn white people always feel so entitled to everything! We should burn them all! *to my mom* Hey B**** why don’t you learn to f****** listen and hear that they said this is for sassa only huh?!

My mom: I got into this queue because I was told it was cash only. Since I am paying cash, and have queued here for an hour and a half I will continue to check out here.

Random man: You need to move to another queue, you white w****! Your daughters probably a whore to since you let her get a f****** tan!

Me: *frantically texting my dad to come back to us because the man is starting to move towards my mom in a threatening way*

(My mom is only 5ft tall and while I am 5ft10 and very strong I can’t protect my mom because I recently broke my arm and it’s in a cast)

Mom: I will not move, it won’t even take me 2 minutes to check out. Now leave me alone or else.

Random man: Or else what b****, you and your w**** daughter gonna hurt me?! Ha! White b***** are weak!

(With the best timing my dad shows up and is now standing behind the man. My dad is 6ft8 and built like a fridge.)

My dad: Or else i’ll show you how fast I can turn you into a pretzel!

Random man: *turns around, sees my dad and pales* …..

My dad: That’s what I thought.

(We were able to check out peacefully after that and like my mom had said, it took less than 2 minutes. The man and every other sassa person in the queue shut up after my dad showed up. I felt the need to share this story because honestly it pissed me off that this man was so horrible to us because my mom and I have lighter skin. This is sadly not this first time my mom and I have been treated like this when my dad wasn’t around and it won’t be the last either as it happens nearly every week when my mom and I shop. This is why my mom and many or our friends (many of whom are of colour) say that South Africa is in apartheid again, but this time it’s the whites suffering.)