Small Minds WWYD Edition

I've mentioned before that I try to shop local whenever I can, although I swear sometimes it seems like there's a conspiracy against it.  Maybe I'm just reacting to guilt over shopping at Walmart, instead of exclusively at local, independent grocers (although if you're local, I do do a lot of shopping at Weiland's and highly recommend it), maybe it's because I feel guilty that I tend to buy books and toys at Barnes & Noble and Amazon instead of independents that are local, (although, I do manage to spend a fair amount at Cover to Cover, Larson's, and Learning Express).  Anyway, you get it, I like to shop local when it makes sense for our family.

Last week, I dropped J&J off at the library, first time I've ever done that!  They had a ball being old and independent.  :)  I dropped them off and headed to get an oil change.  The oil change place is very, very close to the library, so I knew I'd be accessible if they needed anything.  There was no wait, so I gave the attendant the keys and headed to the waiting area.  There are 2 bays at the oil change place and someone else was getting an oil change at the same time.  In the waiting area there were 3 middle eastern men waiting.  Their car got finished before mine, the attendant came in and cashed them out, they left, smiling good-bye to me as they left.  They were young men, while they waited they talked in a different language, and laughed, and were fine.  They weren't rude, they weren't behaving inappropriately, they were three men waiting, no biggie.  Well, when the attendant came back in to try and sell me an upgrade (I hate that!!  I never know if I really need it or not.), he stopped, sniffed dramatically, and told me he didn't like the way 'his lobby' smells now, it wasn't the same as it was before, inferring, quite rudely, that there was something foul about those men.  I acted as though I had no idea what he was talking about, didn't say anything, and kept waiting for my car.

Inside though, I was furious.  Furious with him for his small-mindedness and ignorance, and bigotry.  Furious with myself for not saying something, anything, that would let him know he had offended me.  That's what I tend to do, keep quiet and quietly fume.  I hate that! 


This man is not someone I care about.  He's a man I'm financially supporting with my business.  I love this oil change place.  They do a good job, they've always been polite, they're in my neighborhood, the waiting area is pleasant, they have a good price...you get the picture.  But, I don't feel as though I can go back there.  If I do, isn't that tacitly saying it was okay to be a bigoted ass?  If I don't go back though, and I don't let them know why, what good does that do?  Does it do any good to tell someone like that they offended you?  I don't feel comfortable telling him I really didn't like what he said, now go work on my car please.  This man is the manager there, so there's really no point in calling and complaining about him.  

What would you do?  What would you have done?  How do you handle bigotry and racism when you encounter it in your life?