Crow
Google
Listen, I love the selection at unity books however today a worker created a very uncomfortable environment for me that left me shaking and upset. Today I came to the store looking for a book on Malcom X but ofc I had to look at the nonfiction NZ books. This was when a worker starts to follow me around and when I say follow, I mean follow. She would stand uncomfortably close to me and constantly stared at me. I tried to make conversation about a book but it ended in two sentences. If I wanted to look at a book I would have to wait for her to take a step away from me. She wasn’t shelving or checking the books, she was quite literally just staring at me. I walk to the back of the store because I’m uncomfortable but was still looking for the Malcom x autobiography. I look up from the books to find her still staring at me. I move places and look up from the books, she’s still staring at me. At this point I was shaking. Let it be known, I’m a high school student — what on earth do I do in this situation???? I grab a book that looked interesting, go to the cashier — now the worker is standing right next to me, still staring at me. I buy the book because I felt I had to from fear of the presumption I was stealing???? And therefore didn’t want to leave empty handed. I walk out with a disgusting feeling and very upset. Was it because I’m Māori? I wore a kuffiyeh? I’m a high school student, I shouldn’t have to put up with this blatant profiling. If you’re gonna do this, make it less obvious. I won’t be shopping here again which is unfortunate for me as the books are great but I will not let myself go through something dehumanising like that again. Didn’t even have the Malcom x book stocked so left feeling horrible and without the book I came for. What a lose lose situation for me.
