Saturday, February 20, 2010

Chicago Auto Show quote of the day

You would not believe what someone said to me today. This isn't just the quote of the day; in fact, despite there still being two days left of the show I'm going to go ahead and give it quote of the show standing.

Me: "Can I answer a question for you, sir?"
A$$hole: "Uh yeah, I was just wonderin' how I can Jew you down on the price of this car."
Me: *blink* "Excuse me?" (Praying I heard him wrong...)
A$$hole: "Yeah, how can I Jew you down on the price of this car?"
Me: "Did you seriously just say that to me?"

I threw him a disgusted look, walked away and refused to interact with him at all for the rest of his visit.

The best (meaning worst) part was that he was a black man. Can you imagine if I had come back with a certain racially-charged synonym for "cheap"? He would have justifiably and rightfully thrown a fit. But apparently it is perfectly okay for him to slur another ethnic group, just as long as it is not his own.

The really sad thing is that I'm pretty sure he thought the reason I reacted the way I did was because I was offended by the thought of bargaining, not by his bigoted antisemitism. People like that just don't get it.

14 comments:

  1. I have to call you out on a couple things as I believe you're being a bit too sensitive.

    The post the other day re: all the "punch in the face" comments about the booth dancers/workers -- These comments weren't to be taken literally. The phrase "punch in the face" has become an Internet "meme" that in no real way has anything to do with intending harm to those people. If you're going to react to things on the Internet and blog on the Internet, you should have a better understanding of the Internet and the trendy sayings, etc.

    This post, well, I have lots of Jewish friends and I'm engaged to a Jew. They'd be the first ones to tell you that it's not offensive to use the "jew you down" phrasing -- They're well aware of their parsimonious nature and aren't offended by references to it.

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  2. A) You can tell me what I'm being too sensitive about when you've done this job. Until then, you have no idea. I am quite famiiliar with Internet phraseology & comments promoting violence are never acceptable even if they are slang, which they are not.

    B) Your Jewish friends who use the phrase are as bad as black people who use the N-word. They are perpetuating a negative stereotype placed on them by others to the detriment of both their own people & society at large.

    In both cases people need to think about the often unexpected power of their words.

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  3. I don't you are being too sensitive at all. Who is to say what is offensive or not. If you are offended then you are, or vice versa.

    I would chalk this one up to a difference in culture. While you may think this is a completely ignorant thing to say, it is just run of the mill to him.

    DYCWTC, do you consider this worse than being hit on?

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  4. I think racism and sexism are two sides of the same coin, but I don't think every come-on is sexist. Some certainly are, though.

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  5. Are you re-tarded? This is 2010! Using language like that is NOT appropriate nor does ANYONE have to listen to some jack ass using it. Anon #1, you and this guy are one of the same cloth. You think that people are too "sensitive" and that being PC is for losers. You're wrong. A lot of white people (especially men) think like this. I am a white guy, and I hate white people for this. Not only do you sound like a jack ass when using inappropriate and offensive language but you sound uneducated. Because if you were educated (whether your bigamist or not) you would find ways to say "How much is this car? Is that the lowest you can go?" Haggling is a part of the business. I do internet sales for a dealership and getting someone that wants to fight over the price of a car is what makes sales fun.

    BTW I love your blog, it is a wonderful and refreshing take on the business of cars.

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  6. I've had to try and tastefully refute the occasional mouthbreather "chick car" comment (usually about a subcompact, or a V6 coupe where a V8 is available), but that just seems far, far worse.

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  7. niggardly does not have any racial undertones. it has nothing to do with the n-word, they just happen to sound similar.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controversies_about_the_word_"niggardly"

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  8. I am very familiar with the history, definition and entomology of the word. I am also aware of the fact that to laymen's ears it sounds like it refers to the N-word.

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  9. Saw a couple interesting things at the Chicago Autoshow Saturday:

    1. The spokesperson for the Chrysler/Lancia thing actually got down from the display and was taking pictures with people.

    2. A lot of the spokespeople looked completely bored - it was late in the day, so maybe they were tired. But the one I saw at the Ford GT500 display looked like she could have fallen asleep except for having to keep up with the rotating platform.

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  10. On another lighter note, I had a product specialist at a car show once ask me (no joke), "Do you have any money?" I replied, "not as much as I used to" (this was 2008). We had a good chat after that. :)

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  11. these kind of questions have been asked before you even thought of stepping foot on a turntable!!! get use to it, while your at it, keep your lotion covered hands off my car, production or concept!!!, and my car is not a storage place for your purse, lipstick, or lip balm!! nore is it a trash can for your batteries from your mic, you know how many of those i've pulled from my cars??? and remember this, if the car is locked, its done for a reason!!! if the inside is not product correct, and its locked don't cry to the super on the floor you can't get in.....that's what the info counter is ALWAYS used for. i know i've done stay withs with a car or two and use it myself.

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  12. Anonymous, it isn't YOUR car any more than it is MY car. From what you've written (which is barely comprehensible) it sounds like you are with an event management company like GPJ, Freeman or similar (although those guys are all kind, professional and literate, which you clearly are not) or you work for a dealer. The cars belong to a corporate entity, not to YOU, and while they are at the auto show they are in my care.

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  13. get him, get him!

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