Sean S.
Google
Hi there,
First, please let me say that this place is extremely pleasing to the eye, however, the service I received or lack thereof is the absolute worst that I ever had while visiting Palermo and I've never felt more uncomfortable or un-welcomed.
My wife happens to be a professional who is native to Palermo, while I am Copywriter from the Caribbean, now living in London. I am a black man.
I entered this bar with my wife. She said "Caio" to the staff and they said the same to her, all smiling. I was following close behind my wife and I then greeted the staff, that happened to be four people, who were having a conversation amongst themselves. With a smile I said, "Salve." Which happens to be the formal way to say hello in Italian.
The staff of four, looked me up and down, soured their faces in disgust, please let me repeat, 'DISGUST' and then turned their backs to me, not saying a word and restarted the conversation among themselves, ignoring me completely. Obviously I got upset, but I kept my dignity and remained calm. What took me aback most was the complete disregard of my presence. They acted as though I wasn't even there.
As I do not speak the language, I told my wife, who does, 'let's go". I think she was in more shock than I was. She was unable to speak for a minute or so after we left.
It is reprehensible to treat anyone horribly or with prejudice, regardless of how they look, in my case, BLACK. Ignorance is no excuse. You have no logical bearing for mistreating those who are not Italian. You do not determine a person's value based on your ideology of what you assume a person to be. You may not know the influence a person has, their job, their importance within society which in any case does not even matter. Is it not best to treat everyone the same, with respect? Treat those how you wish to be treated.
This is my fourth visit to Palermo and I have come to appreciate its people and culture. I sincerely hope that the staff of this bar does not serve as a full representation of hospitality, and the next time any person of a different ethnicity visits this establishment, they are treated with the respect that every human being deserves. Discrimination is unacceptable and racism has no place in the world.
