'No Coloreds' at J Alexander's Restaurant in West Bloomfield!

[Bigdd]

Two points: Her companion was in the establishment; just not sitting there. Even so, there is a difference between not being allowed to “save” a seat, if that is what the issue was, and being refused service while waiting for someone because you won’t give up your seat at the bar. Should a single person have to give up a seat for a couple? “I’m here with a friend, so give up your seat lady.”

She "Claimed" the other person was there. No evidence that was actually the case.

We'll probably find out the truth later.

It all depends on how long she was there by herself comandeering 2 seats at the bar. We'll have to wait for the video. If she was there 5 minutes and her friend went to the bathroom before sitting down,.. then I'd side with her. If she was there camping out on 2 bar-stools for 30 min, playing on her phone, and the "friend" wasn't there yet,.. then I totally side with the restaurant.

[Johnnny5]

Two points: Her companion was in the establishment; just not sitting there. Even so, there is a difference between not being allowed to “save” a seat, if that is what the issue was, and being refused service while waiting for someone because you won’t give up your seat at the bar. Should a single person have to give up a seat for a couple? “I’m here with a friend, so give up your seat lady.”

I agree, there is a big difference between giving up a saved seat and being asked to give up your own. That said, if the conversation between the bartender and customer went South I can easily see how one progressed to the other without it being related to race.

[dtowncitylover]

INCORRECT !

Racism is racism. EVEN when it's a black person that's being racist.

White clubs aren't allowed.

And there would be a massive outcry if whites formed a United Whitey College Fund,..

or a National Organization for the Advancement of Whitey,

or had a white's only meeting to pick what white mayoral candidate we were going to have next,

or barred certain press based on their skin color.

How on Earth can you not see that?

How an earth can you not see that everything you said about "Whitey" is basically American history in a nutshell. But OMG a group of African Americans from a relatively small American city do one thing whites have done for 500 years and suddenly it's "racist" and blown out of proportion because whitey didn't get his invite. Boohoo.

Also, the NAACP is open to all.

[dtowncitylover]

But they open party stores and gas stations in black communities, and expect blacks to patronize them. Plenty of irony in that alone. You hate us, but you need our business. B.S.

And that's where the animosity comes from. The Chaldeans I know are basically wealthy because the money they make off of the inner city poor.

[Worldsgreatest]

My experience with Chaldeans is that they seem to really really want to assimilate with white people and want white approval. I think that's where the racism comes in. They want to feel like they're above black Americans so they can cozy up to white folk.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

My experience with Chaldeans is that they seem to really really want to assimilate with white people and want white approval. I think that's where the racism comes in. They want to feel like they're above black Americans so they can cozy up to white folk.

Fair point, most do think they're better than blacks. They all pool their money together to invest in stores and gas stations. I know of uncles, brothers, and cousins, that each own their stores and gas stations. This is something that the black community have not been able to do. They could own and control , if they did.

[EastsideAl]

J. Alexander's is part of a national restaurant chain. I don't know whether the W. Bloomfield branch is a franchise or corporate-owned, but I can't imagine that the chain's central management would be too happy that one of their restaurants is being run in such a way as to even give the impression of racist treatment of paying customers. Especially having the police back the patrons' version of events against their staff and, even more, being called out in the media with a high-profile lawsuit. Something is going to give here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Alexander%27s

[EastsideAl]

As soon as I saw this thread title though, I somehow just knew that one of our resident Trumpist 'friends' here, like CT Grad, would be rushing to post some 'reverse racism' panic Fox News BS.

[EastsideAl]

My experience with Chaldeans is that they seem to really really want to assimilate with white people and want white approval. I think that's where the racism comes in. They want to feel like they're above black Americans so they can cozy up to white folk.

The funny thing about that with Chaldeans is that so many of them are here because they were heavily discriminated against as religious and ethnic inferiors in the countries they lived in.

[Richard]

Metro foodland was there for 27 years they did not seem to get much community support to survive.

[Worldsgreatest]

Fair point, most do think they're better than blacks. They all pool their money together to invest in stores and gas stations. I know of uncles, brothers, and cousins, that each own their stores and gas stations. This is something that the black community have not been able to do. They could own and control , if they did.

I'm all for more black owned businesses in the city and going to owners who actually live in the city. These Chaldeans take their money to West Bloomfield and put their cash into trashy private catholic schools.

[Bong-Man]

Maybe this woman was hanging out at the bar of this establishment for the sole purpose of trying to get 'picked up' by high-paid athletes or other rich dudes known to frequent this place...hanging out at the bar so others could buy her free drinks...not providing any tips, being rude and belligerent in the process to other patrons with no intention of having a meal, and has done this before. She was eventually called out by the wait staff, and decided to claim 'rascalism' because of it.

Not saying that's the case, but probably more likely than anything to do with race.

[Richard]

^ that’s the thing,the money does not really stay within the community,it becomes a collection point then removed from that local circulation.

[Richard]

Maybe this woman was hanging out at the bar of this establishment for the sole purpose of trying to get 'picked up' by high-paid athletes or other rich dudes known to frequent this place...hanging out at the bar so others could buy her free drinks...not providing any tips, being rude and belligerent in the process to other patrons with no intention of having a meal, and has done this before. She was eventually called out by the wait staff, and decided to claim 'rascalism' because of it.

Not saying that's the case, but probably more likely than anything to do with race.

Some places you have a seat at the bar while waiting for a table to open up and when one does you are encouraged to go to the table,they are not really intended has a hangout spot.

i am not sure if that was the policy in this case.

[Worldsgreatest]

She was eventually called out by the wait staff, and decided to claim 'rascalism' because of it.

Not saying that's the case, but probably more likely than anything to do with race.

We know that she was buying her own drinks. the other stuff is not the business of the restaurant and they don't have a right to make guesses and call people out.

[Worldsgreatest]

^ that’s the thing,the money does not really stay within the community,it becomes a collection point then removed from that local circulation.

Yes and that's what I don't like.

[Meddle]

J. Alexander's is part of a national restaurant chain. I don't know whether the W. Bloomfield branch is a franchise or corporate-owned, but I can't imagine that the chain's central management would be too happy that one of their restaurants is being run in such a way as to even give the impression of racist treatment of paying customers.

I don't know enough about what happened to take a side. We all know it isn't uncommon for a single person to be asked to make room for two or more people. I've had it happen more times than I care to recount. There have been stories of it happening on planes also.

[bust]

I don't know enough to take a side-- none of us do if we weren't there to witness it ourselves. I certainly don't trust Fox 2 to have related the story with the careful objective discernment it deserves. Hell no I don't.

One thing for sure, racism remains a big problem in our society. Just look how quickly racist comments about Chaldeans have accumulated on this thread!

[Hermod]

Oh-my this is treading on very thin ice. Because if it ok for us to segregate others will claim the same... And when this occurs we have to be 'good' with that, right? So the logic goes?

Where are we heading with all of this, really? More to the point what politic is pushing us in this direction??

Separate graduations, dorms, restaurants, etc. On the other hand you cannot really FORCE people together either! You end up with a great deal of 'polite' and less sincerity. Perhaps that will do.

Interesting times indeed....

I am old enough to have felt [[in 1964) that most of our racial problems were behind us and that we were looking at a future of "race blind" interactions.

More the fool me.

If there can be "black only" or "women only" events and spaces, why is it wrong for "white only" or "men only" events and spaces?

At some time, logic should say what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

If you campaign to tear down one exclusionary rule, you cannot demand an equivalent exclusionary rule.

[Worldsgreatest]

One thing for sure, racism remains a big problem in our society. Just look how quickly racist comments about Chaldeans have accumulated on this thread!

Chaldean is not a race and nobody made prejudicial comments towards them.

[Bizzdo]

The only thing that seems to be certain is that the woman was asked to give up the empty seat she was "Saving" and maybe hers as well. Was it due to her race? No freaking clue, but as a clean cut white guy that spent my fair share of time on a bar stool I can recall being asked to move [[By employees) many times. If I ever wanted to "save" a seat in a slightly busy place I'd buy my slightly tardy friend a drink and have it set in their place. If they didn't come back by the time I finished my first, that drink's my second and the seat is empty. And I wouldn't even consider doing something like that if the place was packed. It's just rude.


I wasn't there to see what happened, but bars are in the business of selling alcohol and empty seats don't drink. My guess is this woman simply forced the issue of saving the seat and the bartender had enough.

A valued regular might be able to curry favor and hold onto an empty seat for an extended period, but that's not a privilege given to every customer that walks in the door on a busy night.

I was never late to drink beer with you.

[softailrider]

I’ve been to that J Alex location many times. Once a month a small group of us meet at the bar for a couple of drinks at 6:30. There are two booths in the back of the bar that are in high demand. I got there a little early a couple of weeks ago and asked the bartender if I could take a booth telling him there were 3 more coming, I knew he would not be happy with one person taking up that booth all night.
He was fine with it. The place is usually quite busy, usually about 50 / 50 African American and white, everybody seems to get along swimmingly every time I’ve been there.

The place has good food, not exactly cheap either.

[Johnnny5]

I was never late to drink beer with you.

True, but you've been a no show lately. What gives?

[EastsideAl]

Maybe this woman was hanging out at the bar of this establishment for the sole purpose of trying to get 'picked up' by high-paid athletes or other rich dudes known to frequent this place...hanging out at the bar so others could buy her free drinks...not providing any tips, being rude and belligerent in the process to other patrons with no intention of having a meal, and has done this before. She was eventually called out by the wait staff, and decided to claim 'rascalism' because of it.

Not saying that's the case, but probably more likely than anything to do with race.

Interesting scenario you've made up in your head there.

[Meddle]

I have yet to see anything from the place saying 'you have to move because ________'.