What do you guys think?

Jigsaw · 15-02-2008 03:54PM

claiva wrote: »

love pigheaded's 3rd person perspectivities.
Anyhoo...back to the thread, I would have hated this to happen to me coz I would have gone bright red in the face. I would not have moved if they were not customers of the canteen. I would have moved if it was easy for me to do so and they were clearly holding trays of food from the canteen. I mean the cheek of them to interrupt you. I would never make someone feel uncomfortable like that by asking them to move, nor should the group of people in this case. The fact that the group were visitors to Ireland has a bearing because they are representing their country whilst abroad and they should demonstrate better manners. When I am abroad I am always concious that I am representing Irish people and therefore I behave with a little more consideration for others than usual. It's not racist. Racist would be saying "This group of ChXXXks of GXXXks came and took over my table".

QFT

No racism from OP at all. He was just describing the scenario. Was he supposed to say, "an organism/life form/human being came up to the table". Is he a male chauvinist because he mentioned that it was a female that asked him to move?

As a paying customer you were quite entitled to stay until you finished your meal, and indeed that is what you should have done.

claiva · 15-02-2008 04:03PM

FruitLover wrote: »

Have you missed the fact that the OP's username is 'blackbelt'??

I can't see what this has got to to with the topic of racism

That's just one (overt) form of racism. Prejudice that's less overt is still prejudice.

Agreed, but the point I was trying to make was that it was very bad manners on the girls part to ask the OP to move whilst he was mid sandwich. I believe it is incumbent on visitors to a cnother country to display a little more consideration to natives. I do it. So should this girl have done. It is why the OP felt disturbed about it later. The OP didn't expect to get a request like that from someone who neither comes from this country or paid money in the establishment to which he did and was using the facitities to consume his sambo. A man and his sambo should never be interrupted. Ancient Irish Proverb.

Dyr · 15-02-2008 04:05PM

In future just say "ah i'm grand thanks" and go back to your meal. It confuses them I heard

togster · 15-02-2008 06:00PM

Jigsaw wrote: »

. Was he supposed to say, "an organism/life form/human being came up to the table".

No he could have said a group of people.

Wibbs · 15-02-2008 06:16PM

togster wrote: »

No he could have said a group of people.

Oh FFS.:rolleyes:

15-02-2008 06:25PM

He should have said "ní thuigim" and then sat staring at them!

EamonnKeane · 15-02-2008 06:42PM

Pighead wrote: »

In reality this would have done you
"Hi, I was sitting down enjoying my lunch today when an Asian chick politely asked me to move thus allowing her friend to sit beside here and her gang of other friends. I did so without fuss but upon reflection felt as though maybe I should have stayed. What do you think?"

he could have shortened even more to simply "chinks!"

Most of us would have made the inferences

togster · 15-02-2008 06:44PM

Wibbs wrote: »

Oh FFS.:rolleyes:

PI is making you all serious and stuff, it was sarcasm wibbs :rolleyes:

Rb · 15-02-2008 06:53PM

So there was another large free table, and they wanted you to leave the table you'd sat down at first to accomodate their friend, rather than shifting themselves to the other table or pulling up a seat?

I'd have told them to go fck themselves and then carried on eating my lunch.

bargeman · 15-02-2008 07:00PM

You are just the dog's boll ox when it comes to chivalry!! Could you not see that you were preventing a group having a bit of a laugh together - you could have moved without being asked - now that would have been manners!

Build a bridge and get over it!

King John V · 15-02-2008 07:05PM

OP moving was polite on your part but asking you to push on was cheeky on their part regardless of their race. Disrupting a fella eating his dinner and trying to poach his seat is an unnesecary evil in society:D

Rb · 15-02-2008 07:14PM

bargeman wrote: »

You are just the dog's boll ox when it comes to chivalry!! Could you not see that you were preventing a group having a bit of a laugh together - you could have moved without being asked - now that would have been manners!

Build a bridge and get over it!

Or maybe they could have moved to the other table to accomodate their friend?Or pull up a seat?

What difference does it make that the people in question were women? Or are you just one of those men who let women walk all over you in general?

littlebitdull · 15-02-2008 07:37PM

I can hardly believe you guy... four pages of argueing about if its ok to be nice to people.

OP .. you did the right thing.

Sir Gallagher · 15-02-2008 07:54PM

monkeyfudge wrote: »

Then why mention the race of the people involved at all? I don't see what bearing it has on the tale.

I find replies like this a little funny, the OP was just describing the scene, maybe he should've wrote something like this.

Hello I am Blackbelt

I was in my place of learning yesterday. I was hungry. I purchased my daily 1pm-2pm meal. I sat at a table which could seat 10 people which was occupied by one person. Other people in this persons group started too sit at the table until i was asked to move by a person belonging to this group. I moved. Was I right to move?

Rb · 15-02-2008 07:57PM

I just read the part about them not even being canteen customers. 100% tell them to go fck themselves so.

15-02-2008 09:34PM

What's this "should have been polite and moved" business? Should never comes into it with politeness...being polite is a courtesy not a requirement thing. I would not have moved....she was bullying you into making way for her buddies.

kelle · 15-02-2008 09:48PM

I'm sorry this happened to you, OP. She was rude and pushy. You are obviously a far better person than she is. Please don't let it get to you. I think most people would have done as you did, as they would feel intimidated being the odd one out at a table.

Dave! · 15-02-2008 11:07PM

Bloody hell kelle, he was just asked to move, he wasn't raped! Don't be so dramatic!

I don't think he'll be letting it get to him

zuutroy · 15-02-2008 11:10PM

kelle wrote: »

I'm sorry this happened to you, OP. She was rude and pushy. You are obviously a far better person than she is.

Sarcasm surely?

twinQuins · 15-02-2008 11:53PM

blackbelt wrote: »

Before I start this thread,I want to make it clear that I am not a racist or flaming/trolling.

Ok,just a thread and a poll to see what the general consensus for the following scenario is.

I was having lunch in college there a couple of weeks ago and the table holds ten people approx.I was on my own and had popped down to get a very quick lunch as I had to do some work.

Anyway,when I sat down,there was an asian (chinese/japanese) girl sitting on the far end of the table on my side.I'll call them asian to be more pc.

Whoa, whoa! Hang on there. What do you mean, more pc? PC as opposed to what? They were from the geographical region of Asia, right? So what's PC about applying such an adjective to them? That would be like saying "a European (French/German)...I'll call them European to be more PC".
Jesus, Asian as opposed to what? Did you have something in mind? Please, don't take this as an attempt to troll but I just could not believe what you'd said.
Maybe I'm taking you up wrong, you didn't know what country they were from so you just took the continental adjective. Still, why bring PC into it?

Me at one corner and her at the other on the inside by the window/wall.There was just the 2 of us at the start with a distance of 3 or 4 chairs between us.

So I'm there eating and enjoying my lunch as I do when more and more asian people arrive at the table.I felt just a tad bit out of place as I was surrounded by what was obviously a large group of friends but didn't take too much notice of it at that time and kept on eating/enjoying my lunch.I was nearing the end of my meal when one of the asian girls interrupted/asked me if I could move/sit somewhere else as one of her friends didn't have a chair.The request or question was something along the lines of "sorry,do you mind moving as my friend wants to sit here".

Personally I would have moved when it became apparent that a large group of people who knew each other were getting together. However, I prefer to eat alone anyway.

I was a bit taken aback as I didn't expect this at all.I thought or my perception of asian people were that they were a more docile or timid bunch of people when it comes to interactions in a foreign country.

So...you're upset a subsection of a particular ethnicity didn't live up to a racial stereotype? As has been said, you get all types in any society.

So,with some food still in my mouth,I waited so that I could talk with my mouth empty.I replied in a somewhat kind manner accepting this request.I found it strange at the time but I acted politely.

Okay, I will admit it was a little rude to ask when you were still chewing your food.

Anyway,it kind of got to me afterwards when thinking about it more.Now I realise this isn't a huge injustice or anything but I felt a bit mad for A) being interrupted when having my lunch and being there first and having to make way for somebody else when this group of people sat down after I did.

I think it's fair to say they regularly eat together. Usually students from particular countries stick together (of course there are exceptions but where there's a big enough cultural disparity it may be nice to spend time talking to those who share your interests).

There was another table behind us which holded 10 people so it didn't take much to move and originally I didn't put too much thinking into where I sat as I was just looking for a table with free seats.My thinking was that the more polite thing to do was for them to have sat there at that table in a larger group when they arrived after me instead of interrupting.I couldn't foresee a large group of mates wanting to sit with the original girl.

Actually, I would think it was less hassle for a group of people to have to shift tables than to, politely, ask one person to move.

Was I dignified in being polite and accepting the request or should I have been polite and stood my ground citing that I was having my lunch already?

Compromise. Move but let them know that interrupting you was a little rude.

bantee · 16-02-2008 12:19AM

Asian chicks are hot.

That is all.

seraphimvc · 16-02-2008 03:01AM

claiva wrote: »

The fact that the group were visitors to Ireland has a bearing because they are representing their country whilst abroad and they should demonstrate better manners. When I am abroad I am always concious that I am representing Irish people and therefore I behave with a little more consideration for others than usual. It's not racist.

agree!totally!!

just few statements from me:

after reading OP's 2nd post,i think most of us get his whole idea(if he is 100% genuine here).

sadly to say,many chinese people i know really have no idea of 'representing my people and therefore I behave with a little more consideration for others than usual '.compare to my japanese friends,they are way much polite than any chinese(generally)!

from the view of meself of half asian...

16-02-2008 03:14AM

blackbelt wrote: »

Was I dignified in being polite and accepting the request

Yes. Why not? She was polite and there were other seats nearby... Has nothing to do with race or nationality or whatever, cause I could have been trying to put a group together and asked you politely, if you didn't mind.

blackbelt wrote:

or should I have been polite and stood my ground citing that I was having my lunch already?

Better yet, you could have leaped on top of the table, done a few air kicks and yelled a KiYap! No... you did the right thing by being polite.

Sir Gallagher · 16-02-2008 05:57AM

Morkarleth wrote: »

Whoa, whoa! Hang on there. What do you mean, more pc? PC as opposed to what? They were from the geographical region of Asia, right? So what's PC about applying such an adjective to them? That would be like saying "a European (French/German)...I'll call them European to be more PC".
Jesus, Asian as opposed to what? Did you have something in mind? Please, don't take this as an attempt to troll but I just could not believe what you'd said.
Maybe I'm taking you up wrong, you didn't know what country they were from so you just took the continental adjective. Still, why bring PC into it?

Personally I would have moved when it became apparent that a large group of people who knew each other were getting together. However, I prefer to eat alone anyway.

So...you're upset a subsection of a particular ethnicity didn't live up to a racial stereotype? As has been said, you get all types in any society.

Okay, I will admit it was a little rude to ask when you were still chewing your food.

I think it's fair to say they regularly eat together. Usually students from particular countries stick together (of course there are exceptions but where there's a big enough cultural disparity it may be nice to spend time talking to those who share your interests).

Actually, I would think it was less hassle for a group of people to have to shift tables than to, politely, ask one person to move.

Compromise. Move but let them know that interrupting you was a little rude.

Do you walk in a straight line when you're drunk?

funloving · 16-02-2008 09:56AM

kelle wrote: »

I'm sorry this happened to you, OP. She was rude and pushy. You are obviously a far better person than she is. Please don't let it get to you. I think most people would have done as you did, as they would feel intimidated being the odd one out at a table.

Maybe he should go conselling after what he went through

Don't be dramatic, as somebody else said before he wasn't raped or anything...

twinQuins · 16-02-2008 08:53PM

Sir Gallagher wrote: »

Do you walk in a straight line when you're drunk?

Oh noes! Someone on the internets insulted me!

How's about addressing the issues I raised, hmm?
Just as a sidenote, how is the ethnicity of those involved of any importance? This whole thing smacks of s*** stirring.

blackbelt · 16-02-2008 11:37PM

w0rm wrote: »

The op is a pretty racist post. As a Chinese student in Ireland I'm pretty offended by the ignorance that is displayed in the op's inability to distinguish between Chinese and Japanese. He might as well have said that all Asian people look the same.

How very clever you are with this post.How is the OP a racist post?I was just describing a scenario I was in with no ill thought towards Asians at all.

So should I be insulted or offended in a foreign country if a person thinks I'm British by just looking at me or even listening to me?So just say I'm in China and a local thinks I'm English......shock shock horror.:rolleyes:

Cop on to yourself,its a genuine concept (and easy mistake) that not all people can distinguish somebodies nationality based on their ethnicity that their nationality attributes to.This further backs up my point on calling those people asians and thats why I did it as a person as insensitive like you might take offense.I have to be careful not to hurt insensitive people or to bring down an innocent nationality when I'm unsure on which nationality it is...their race wasn't the issue anyway so lets not lose sight of that.

My girlfriend is Italian but I could see a lot of people mistaking her for being Spanish and no offense would be taken by her if this was to happen.Plus,when I'm there in her city in Italy which is far less subjected to other nationalities compared to the rest of Italy,I get a lot of people staring at me.I'm not insulted by this either.

The irony of your post is hilarious.I'd be offended if I was a Japanese person reading your comments.Seems to me that you are trying to distance yourself from your Japanese counterparts in such a way that Japanese people are an inferior nationality to your own.It wouldn't bother me in the slightest if a person in a foreign country misinterpreted my nationality.I certainly wouldn't take offense or refute being a Briton in such a way that its an insult.

If you really want to get anywhere as a student or retain credibility among your peers,you should learn not to contradict yourself.You called my OP racist yet you advocate that being mistaken for a Japanese person is insulting.Yes good man yourself.

Now that we nearly got off the point completely,I like to ask you if you thought the ignorance of those people was insulting or not?Your side argument isn't going to detract from the original issue at hand (which conveniently and seems likely to involve your fellow countrymen and women that you'd get so defensive)

funloving · 16-02-2008 11:58PM

w0rm wrote: »

The op is a pretty racist post. As a Chinese student in Ireland I'm pretty offended by the ignorance that is displayed in the op's inability to distinguish between Chinese and Japanese. He might as well have said that all Asian people look the same.

Unless you're an expert in foreign languages you wouldn't understand easily if a person is Polish,Russian or Latvian hearing them speak or you wouldn't be able to understand as well if I am Italian or Spanish by my looks...would I be offended ? NO

There are different types in every nation, plus with mixed marriages,etc ethnicities are being crossed....
If I have a baby s/he would be half Italian, half Irish so s/he could have traits of both nationalities and speaking of stereotyes s/he would be a firy drunk

Thirdfox · 17-02-2008 12:33AM

As a Chinese person/naturalised Irish (see no need for race to be mentioned in the OP's original question actually) I would probably have moved if there were other seats close by and they asked politely (since I was eating alone and they had a group there).

And yes I agree it can be difficult to distinguish the nationality of some Asian people (I was mistaken for a Japanese by the Japanese locals in Japan

) w0rm's post (which I have only seen the quotes) does seem over the top. I doubt the OP was trying to be racist in any fashion (although mentioning the race was slightly strange as it seemed extraneous to his/her question).

But I would take issue with seraphimvc saying:

"sadly to say,many chinese people i know really have no idea of 'representing my people and therefore I behave with a little more consideration for others than usual '.compare to my japanese friends,they are way much polite than any chinese(generally)!"

It may be in his/her unfortunate case that all the Chinese s/he has had dealings with were quite unpleasant but I wouldn't think there is a large gap in how polite one ethnic grouping is over another. Japanese people I have met and lived were very polite and so were the Chinese.

Back to the OP's question - I don't think that it's rude to politely ask someone to move. I would too if the same situation arose (of course only if there were plenty of empty seats nearby for the person to move into).

galwayrush · 17-02-2008 12:37AM

If she asked politely and there were plenty of other seats, no big deal,

What do you guys think?

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