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The owner of a tire shop in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is attempting to defend himself after saying he doesn't want the business of blacks and "ghetto people." When Ypsilanti resident Madison Callanan left a negative Yelp review of her experience at Whitney's Tire and Auto Repair, she received a shocking response by a Yelp user going by the name "Jim S." who claims to be the owner and manager of the repair shop.
Jim S writes: "Most reviews will be left by blacks from Ypsilanti because I don't want them to call here," Jim S. wrote in his response to Callanan. "Nothing against them, but given an examination, I found a way to make a boatload more money avoiding them doing commercial water heaters."
The tire shop worker proceeded to write that his business prefers to work with clients related to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor campus. "Ghetto folks need to stay in the ghetto and not come to Ann Arbor," he concluded
Shalynn Renee Vaughn, a 24-year-old student at the University of Michigan, who called the auto shop to ask the price of a tire, recorded a conversation with Jim S., in which he says he doesn't service "monkeys."
"There's no law against refusing service to ghetto people. I don't serve ****ing monkeys, little ****ing primates," Jim S. told Vaughn in the recording provided to Mic.
What Jim S. is admitting to is most likely illegal, thanks to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This legislation prohibits the discrimination on the basis of religion, race or origin by privately owned businesses, that are considered places of public accommodation. Restaurants, hotels, theaters and repair shops generally fall under the realm of public accommodation.
Jim S. contends that his use of the word "ghetto" has nothing to do with race, in a phone interview with Mic. "We really don't want to serve ghetto people, that's a fact," he said.
When asked who can be defined by the term "ghetto people," Jim S. doubled down that his remarks weren't racial. "Race has nothing to do with this, let me clarify. What we're trying to avoid is people who number one can't afford service."
The word "ghetto," however, has a long history of being associated with poor minorities as a pejorative. When asked if he understood why some would find the phrase upsetting, he replied, "I understand that a lot of people find racism to be the worst thing in the world."
https://www.yahoo.com/news/michigan-...165800082.html
Jim S writes: "Most reviews will be left by blacks from Ypsilanti because I don't want them to call here," Jim S. wrote in his response to Callanan. "Nothing against them, but given an examination, I found a way to make a boatload more money avoiding them doing commercial water heaters."
The tire shop worker proceeded to write that his business prefers to work with clients related to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor campus. "Ghetto folks need to stay in the ghetto and not come to Ann Arbor," he concluded
Shalynn Renee Vaughn, a 24-year-old student at the University of Michigan, who called the auto shop to ask the price of a tire, recorded a conversation with Jim S., in which he says he doesn't service "monkeys."
"There's no law against refusing service to ghetto people. I don't serve ****ing monkeys, little ****ing primates," Jim S. told Vaughn in the recording provided to Mic.
What Jim S. is admitting to is most likely illegal, thanks to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This legislation prohibits the discrimination on the basis of religion, race or origin by privately owned businesses, that are considered places of public accommodation. Restaurants, hotels, theaters and repair shops generally fall under the realm of public accommodation.
Jim S. contends that his use of the word "ghetto" has nothing to do with race, in a phone interview with Mic. "We really don't want to serve ghetto people, that's a fact," he said.
When asked who can be defined by the term "ghetto people," Jim S. doubled down that his remarks weren't racial. "Race has nothing to do with this, let me clarify. What we're trying to avoid is people who number one can't afford service."
The word "ghetto," however, has a long history of being associated with poor minorities as a pejorative. When asked if he understood why some would find the phrase upsetting, he replied, "I understand that a lot of people find racism to be the worst thing in the world."
https://www.yahoo.com/news/michigan-...165800082.html
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