FEMINISM vs. RACISM; CLASH OF THE TITAINS(!?!)

[hooplala]

Moral of the story: KYFMS.

Exactly.  Simply helping would be one thing, but nudging the husband and telling him "Help her" is intrusive and fucking rude.  She has no idea what either of them had been through that day already. 

The world would be a great measure better if a lot of people knew when to mind their own business.

[MMIX]

Did anyone else get the loud subtext that she was just pissed that this woman was going to make her wait all afternoon at the checkout?

[Freeky]

Did anyone else get the loud subtext that she was just pissed that this woman was going to make her wait all afternoon at the checkout?

No because the family was behind her.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I find it interesting that she apparently didn't consider any possibility other than that the situation was somehow a byproduct of misogyny, especially considering that the man was tending the children (a traditionally female role) while the woman unloaded the cart (moving goods, a frequent male role). I think I might have come to a very nearly opposite conclusion from the one she did, regarding feminism. At the very least, something that comes to mind for me is that the woman was clearly in charge of purchases, and may have wanted him to stay out of the way. Another factor she obviously didn't consider, along with the possibility that it was none of her business, is that he was only along to manage the kids, which is not exactly the typical role of an oppressive misogynist husband. Any number of situations could be at hand that would cause the husband to focus on caring for the children while the wife managed the groceries, most of them private and not obvious to strangers. He could have a back injury, one of the kids could be especially volatile and in need of high parental focus, the wife could have told him to stay the fuck away from the groceries, they could have been having a spat and not wanting to interact. Who knows?

Her statements to the couple do come across as racist and presumptuous, and although I don't think the wife's reaction was at all appropriate, it's also clear from Heathcote-Drury's account that she even now doesn't understand that she said anything inappropriate, and that's really unfortunate.

[MMIX]

Did anyone else get the loud subtext that she was just pissed that this woman was going to make her wait all afternoon at the checkout?

No because the family was behind her.

Just read it again and I think you're right. I had assumed they were ahead because it doesn't make any sense for her to get involved otherwise. Oh, unless she is an interfering busybody, of course, which is pretty obvious from the rest of the story but even interfering busybodies needs an actual reason to interfere.  I feel sorry for the husband. It says he's a teacher and unless he works in an Islamic school it probably won't help him at work.



ETA Oh, and what Nigel said. ^