An apparent mix up over a coffee order exploded into a contentious racial confrontation in Little Neck in New York.
David Sue says he sat in his car waiting for his order of coffee outside Little Neck’s Panera Bread. When the order didn’t come, he went to the counter to check on his order. He said an Asian clerk apologized for the delay and promised to bring it out to him.
Sue walked out of Panera when suddenly a White couple began complaining he had cut the line.
“These people are ruining the country,” Sue said he overheard them saying.
These people?” I asked.
“Yeah, you people!” The man yelled.
“What people are you talking about?”
“People like you who think they’re better than everyone else. Don’t you see there’s a line? Why don’t you wait on it like the rest of us!”
When the Asian employee came back with his coffee, Sue said they started shouting something about “Wuhan virus” and about how we’re ruining the country.
The employee ran to get a manager who came out and asked what was going on.
“These people are being racist,” I told him.
“Well, I have no proof of that,” he replied.
Instead of backing him up, the Asian employee remained silent and went about doing her job.
The White couple continued to scream at him
“Leave right now,” Sue said the manager told him.
He did, as he said the man threatened to break his window and the women followed him back to his car screaming along the way.
Sue filed a complaint with corporate which offered him a gift card of $75. He declined.
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