Roxana M.
Yelp
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Roxana Miranda. I worked at the Chicago Ridge Mall 3 days out of the week per week for 2 months, at our Kiosk.
It was a place I did not mind going to as a shopper; meaning for a short period of time, normally no longer than thirty minutes or so, but for work however, was a different story.
One day for work sometime Mid-April, an employee from Verizon was smoking near the Bed Bath and Beyond entrance to your mall. As I approached the doors this employee hollered out "Nice walk, with that ass!" He directed the remark at me, I'm sure, as there was a middle age woman with her adolescent son walking right beside me who also looked up at him with disgust, as did her son with great confusion. Probably not as much confusion as I though, when I stopped walking and responded to this employee with "Excuse me? What in the world did you just say?" He then gave me a brief "Oh, I was just saying that you are very beautiful to look at." But let me remind you, I was walking into your mall to WORK as I stated: not to be harassed or to be stared at like an animal from the zoo. I ignored whatever last words came from his foul mouth and proceeded to my station. I never would expect an employee of this establishment to speak to a potential customer or employee this way. But yet, there it was happening to me. When I looked for security, they were no-where to be found! Which came as a surprise because I actually took the time to locate them at the Security Desk, where NO ONE was present!
I was confronted to what I believe was a replacement for an owner or worker for another kiosk near the one we worked from. This employee came up to me with an aggressive demeanor demanding I "Go out" with him. And "Give" him my number. I denied such requests and continued to work. He did not take my rejection well, so he gave me a scorned face and called me a "Brat." He walked back to his kiosk, and stared me down for the last 2 hours of my work day. I felt threatened and unsafe yet, when I looked for security to ask for help. Where were they? Did I actually have to walk through this mall again to track someone down. No, not exactly. Not this time. I waited patiently to wave down a security guard who after I told her what had happened near the woman's restroom, told me that she would have someone "Look into it." Look into what? I just asked, if she could tell the man to leave me alone because his stares were making me uncomfortable. I should feel safe while working, and it is your securities responsibility to reassure that. I could not fathom that this woman in uniform could not detect the urgency I felt, to do it herself. And I'm almost certain she did not send anyone to speak to the "Renter" of this kiosk. Because I sat there until this man closed up and left, sometime around 7:30PM, that is how unsafe I felt, I needed to watch the man leave and not one security guard stopped to take a minute of their time to do anything about it.
And on my last day at the kiosk before I (And a fleet of my female co-workers) decided to quit entirely I had a complete stranger walk past me and throw popcorn kernels at my head like I really was from the zoo. Who it was? Maybe a group of young teen girls walking by or another adult, I'll never know for sure.
But for the simple fact that this behavior from people, security, and other employees is allowed and even tolerated in your mall is ridiculous.
I will not be returning for business or pleasure, Thank You.
