Is This Racism or Matter of Choice?

Ironh59 on 14/04/2022 - 18:30
Last edited 16/04/2022 - 18:55

I am originally not from Australia and you can tell from my name. I have been here for a long time and luckily haven't encountered many racist people. I truly believe Australia is very tolerant and accepting of different cultures.

Recently I posted a job on one of the popular find-a-tradie websites (not Airtasker or Hipages). This is how the conversation went:

Tradie: I would like to do the job.
Me: When can you come over to provide the quote.
Tradie: Really busy
Tradie: Are you from ******?
Me: That's fine, I will look at the other responses for now if you are busy.
Tradie: I don't work for *******s
Tradie: They are cheap

I raised a concern with the website support and ask them to add a field for ethnicity, so tradies can choose which ad to respond to and people like me can avoid such encounters.
Customer service didn't see any issues with it, they said it's a matter of choice for tradies and they can choose who they work for.

I have no issues with choice, only how the point was put across. That guy knew my ethnicity form my name, yet he chose to respond to my job.

I just wanted to check if I am overreacting. It's not like he came with a mob to burn my house. May be he had too many bad experiences with ****** people and just wanted to vent.

So Ozbargainers, is this racism or just a matter of choice that person is entitled to?

Edit: Thank you all for your comments. Apologies for not being able to respond to all of you. So far the consensus is that tradie is racist, however the best course of action is to move on. I posted a comment about reporting this behaviour which got some negs. I just want to clarify that I was not planning to report the tradie, I was planning to report the platform for endorsing it.

It isn’t a small job either, it’s bathroom and kitchen renovation. It’s lot of money, and I definitely wouldn’t want to pay someone who hates me because of who I am or where I was born.

For those who are curious about my background, most of you have guessed it right. I am from a cricket crazy nation and I have the same last name as some very popular cricketers.

Education & Work

Comments

            • morse on 15/04/2022 - 09:35
              +7

              @EightImmortals: The point is if we allow this kind of thing in society it doesn’t stop there. There’s also no chance if racist tradie did this so overtly this time, he’s not doing other racist things.

              • EightImmortals on 15/04/2022 - 10:06
                -1

                @morse: "The point is if we allow this kind of thing in society it doesn’t stop there. "

                How do you know?
                Do YOU feel a temptation to be racist towards Russians knowing that the person in the OP exists?
                And if you don't then it's possible that others don't either.

                Don't get me wrong, I'm aware of such situations escalating to that point in history a few times, but I'm not aware of too many that haven't been inflamed by the reigning powers. The endemic racism in the U.S. over the last few hundred years was endorsed by government, they even made laws supporting it. This was to benefit the relative handful of (elite)slave owners who got rich from the enslaved labour of others. The Democratic party opposed the abolishment of the slave trade for a long time. And then we have the German government's racism against the Jews, Gypsies and others last century and we all know where that got to. The U.S government has used racism to achieve it's aims a few times now, against blacks, Native Indians, Chinese, Japanese, 'Muslims' (even though 'Muslim' isn't a race) and now it's Russians, with Chinese coming a close second. I'm sure it will circle back to 'antivaxxers' once the elections are done with so the Russians can breathe a sigh of relief.

                And there are smaller sub groups like the neo nazis who don't have that much influence on wider society (unless they get into political power of course). So I guess I can understand your fear from that point I'm just not sure it's warranted based on the events in the OP. If you are really concerned about anti-Russian racism then you should be lodging complaints against the media, some of the politicians and anyone else with power who is having a wider effect in this context than some guy on airtasker.

                Cheers

                • morse on 15/04/2022 - 15:01
                  +2

                  @EightImmortals: You say

                  Get over it and move on

                  But then post this. It kinda sounds like if you were in OPs position you wouldn’t get over it and move on.

        • May4th on 15/04/2022 - 10:08
          +3

          Get over it and move on. Most people are not like that and I'm sure you can find another tradie to come and help you out.

          is this like a "if you wear a short dress you can expect to be cat called here and there don't overreact most men are decent" type of rhetoric?

          • EightImmortals on 15/04/2022 - 10:21
            +2

            @May4th: As in "You can't choose how other people act but you can choose your reactions to it"?
            It's a much better course of action than crying to government to 'solve' all your issues.
            But then I guess the rights-intoxicated 'me' generation is always going to object to any course of action that suggests they take some responsibility for their own lives and actions. Much easier to point out the limitations of everyone else so we have someone to blame for our problems I guess.

            • May4th on 15/04/2022 - 10:24
              +5

              @EightImmortals: ah yes that's what they've been saying to justify misogyny for the last few hundred years
              yes what you say is true, but it also ignores the problem and kicks the can down the road. of course it's easier to "not react to it" but does it contribute anything useful? nope

              • EightImmortals on 15/04/2022 - 10:24

                @May4th: So what's the solution?

                • May4th on 15/04/2022 - 10:25
                  +4

                  @EightImmortals: not to make a bad situation worse by victim shaming, for one

                  • EightImmortals on 15/04/2022 - 10:30
                    +4

                    @May4th: Uh-huh.

                    So how about teaching people how to not be victims?
                    Wouldn't that be a win-win?

                    • May4th on 15/04/2022 - 10:33
                      -1

                      @EightImmortals: yep. and with rapists do we put them in jail or do we teach women to enjoy it?

                      • EightImmortals on 15/04/2022 - 10:41
                        +3

                        @May4th: Couldn't help yourself eh?

                        How about you start a thread about 'rape' and we can have that conversation over there.

                      • cookie2 on 15/04/2022 - 10:52
                        +2

                        @May4th: You really keep trying to steer the convo through questions around misogyny and rape. Completely off topic and shows how you do arguments.

                    • Vote for Pedro on 15/04/2022 - 12:00
                      -1

                      @EightImmortals: Ah yes, lets blame the victim.

                      How about not being a racist? Would that fix things? Or is that too hard a proposition that it’s easier to ‘fix’ the victims?

        • GrueHunter on 15/04/2022 - 11:27
          +1

          See this is the problem with the world.

          Damn people, standing up for what's right, making moral cowards like me look bad

        • pencilhead on 15/04/2022 - 11:56
          +2

          If it's not called out as wrong, then nothing will ever change for the better.

        • ChatCPT on 17/04/2022 - 00:04

          See this is the problem with the world.

          How ironic. The problem with the world is people like you EightImmortals

      • johnno07 on 15/04/2022 - 09:41
        +1

        You're well within your rights to report him. It's pretty cut and dry racial discrimination under the RDA.

      • CommuterPolluter on 15/04/2022 - 09:51
        -5

        Yeah, getting him raked over the coals for judging which jobs he takes based on his experience with clients is going to suddenly make him love Arabs/Indians/Chinese/Vietnamese/whatever ethnicity you are.

        • johnno07 on 16/04/2022 - 08:52
          -1

          So it would be the OP's fault for making the tradie MORE racist? Please.

      • pompompom on 16/04/2022 - 15:27
        +3

        I wouldn't report the tradie. I would report the service provider for promoting discriminatory behaviour.

      • Kmartsecurityguard on 17/04/2022 - 07:49

        Lol.

        Maybe we shoukd report you https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/568195

        You're no differen't, harden up.

      • simonjb on 17/04/2022 - 12:21

        Yes reporting him violation of your human rights will definitely convince him he wants to work with you. Not only do you want him to provide his skills , you also want to govern his opinions and thoughts and have them governed and punished to be inline with how you feel, direct path to guaranteed success congrats.

      • DoctorCalculon on 18/04/2022 - 00:32

        LOL! You would have to be an absolute muppet for wasting their time when they have more pressing cases to attend to.

      • bluebo on 18/04/2022 - 11:27

        calm down

      • Jason Genova on 19/04/2022 - 09:30

        cringe

  • pegaxs on 14/04/2022 - 20:06
    +15

    And 110% the tradie was also an ethnic minority with a similar stereotype.

    Just be glad you found out now, before this dick brain turned up at your house. Now you know 100% to avoid and to let all your friends know also who to avoid.

    • ChatCPT on 17/04/2022 - 00:07
      +1

      Name and shame
      Why only OPs friends are saved. I want to be safe too

  • GrueHunter on 14/04/2022 - 20:26
    +21

    Dodged a bullet mate

    • gimli on 16/04/2022 - 12:19

      Sad but true.
      Much worse to someone be racist to your face/probably do crappy job

  • sjj89 on 14/04/2022 - 20:31
    +1

    100% illegal for them to flat out say the reason they are refusing a service to you is due to your race.
    Chargeable

    • mskeggs on 14/04/2022 - 22:36
      +1

      It isn't chargeable, because it isn't a criminal matter. But OP could make a complaint to the anti-discrimination tribunal.

      • EightImmortals on 15/04/2022 - 06:48
        -8

        Those guys are worse than regular clown-court. A law unto themselves, they disregard jurisdictions (at least the NSW one does) and disregard rulings of the High Court in their pogrom against thought criminals. I'm sure there are genuine cases that get dealt with as well but I know of at least couple of totally frivolous ones that have (are)being prosecute for ideological reasons at great expense to the taxpayer for years on end. I wouldn't have anything to do with them and consider them no better than the witchfinders of the inquisition. (IMO)

        Unless there was real physical or financial damage involved I would not sik those dogs on my worst enemy.

        • FlyingMiffy on 15/04/2022 - 09:12
          +5

          Racism is like dying by a thousand cuts, the majority of the incidents are small and not many will get reported. Quite a few observers will comment with "walk away", "don't be precious" etc. But once you experience it, you'll understand why tribunals like this exist and why sometimes they attempt to tackle "frivolous" cases. Things like the High Courts are designed to rule on law and precedent - not judge on whether something is good or bad. Sometimes the pursuit of an ideology ultimately changes the law itself - think slavery and closer to home the stolen generation. But it needs something to first chase it…

          • EightImmortals on 15/04/2022 - 09:18
            +4

            @FlyingMiffy: Yes lets' not equate a single tradie who doesn't like Russians for 'some' reason with slavery mmmk? :)

            As I said, if you want to blame someone then blame the media and politicians for fanning the flames of prejudice. Hell even facetwit decided to 'relax' it's hate speech policies to make it OK to call for violence against 'certain' Russians.

            The system always needs an 'enemy', someone they can use to divert the masses attention away from themselves, and to let them have the power they crave. They've been using the technique for at least 100 years, probably longer.

            Can you blame some poor dumb tradie for falling for it again?

            • FlyingMiffy on 15/04/2022 - 09:24
              +1

              @EightImmortals: Like I said, death by a thousand cuts. And I bet the first slave owner also said, just one little dude, don't get too hung up, just one dumb trade don't worry about it, just a bunch of kids in the playground, just one publication online, just one comment on social media, just a passing comment in the shopping mall, just Freedom of speech, and my personal favorite, just my right to be a bigot from none other than someone whom was the AG of a country.

              • EightImmortals on 15/04/2022 - 09:31
                +2

                @FlyingMiffy: Ahh, the 'ol slippery slope argument eh?

                Tell us what you know about the slave trade?
                Did you know that black slavery was started by blacks, perpetuated by Arabs and eventually stopped by white Christians?
                Or what about the Barbary slave trade that was mostly white slaves enslaved by black and middle eastern 'racists'?
                Or do you just want to focus on the abuses of 'white' slave owners?
                Was slavery about racism or about greed?

                Anyway, getting way off topic and way ott for me. Not every problem should be fixed with a sledge hammer. State violence can only force obedience, it can't force allegiance and it definitely wont force people to change their beliefs. Only patience and understanding can do that.

            • GrueHunter on 15/04/2022 - 11:32

              @EightImmortals:

              the system always needs an 'enemy', someone they can use to divert the masses attention away from themselves

              So kinda like how you believe in "thought police" and mysterious tribunals that wage ideological warfare on behalf of…you know, THEM, for REASONS

        • dcash on 16/04/2022 - 10:16
          +1

          Indeed, they are just looking for a reason to exist and continue to bleed the taxpayer by entertaining frivolous cases. Poor old Bernard has been raked over the coals for years by this mob. It's truly shameful what they are getting away with, and the way they are destroying lives.

      • sjj89 on 15/04/2022 - 07:57
        +4

        Racial Discrimination Act 1975 would disagree with your analysis

        • EightImmortals on 15/04/2022 - 08:22

          I was commenting on the abuses perpetrated by the 'Anti discrimination' star chamber on issues that have nothing to do with racism. Real racism or woke 'racism'.

          • sjj89 on 15/04/2022 - 18:03

            @EightImmortals: So you responded to my comment with something completely irrelevant to what I said?

            The actions of the aforementioned tradie are in contravention of The Racial Discrimination Act 1975, and are therefore a chargeable offence under the eyes of federal law.

            • EightImmortals on 16/04/2022 - 10:21
              +1

              @sjj89: Whatever. Nobody mentioned that act until you brought it up. What is the exact wording of the legislation that you were referring to and how does it apply to the OP's situation vis-a-vis the details they disclosed in their OP?
              .

      • payless69 on 16/04/2022 - 07:45

        All tribunals now tell me that they were flat out with procecuting biggots.
        Nothing else worth cashing in for!
        Just google the scandels within Amnesty International!

  • Trying2SaveABuck on 14/04/2022 - 20:31
    +1

    airtasker is hopeless at support every community has a percentage of flogs this tradie one of them

  • Ryanek on 14/04/2022 - 20:38
    +1

    I don't work for furries

    Who cares how you want to dress in your spare time. More power to you OP.

  • Pluto88 on 14/04/2022 - 20:55

    Doubt he's even licenced, spend a little more and get it done right the first time.

  • garetz on 14/04/2022 - 20:58
    +4

    Better to find out they are racist early on, than later when he does a terrible job and you have to take him to vcat.

  • rektrading on 14/04/2022 - 21:01
    +1

    Ironh59 2 hours 30 min ago
    I am originally not from Australia and you can tell from my name.

    Can someone please decode the name?
    Thanks.

    • ihbh on 14/04/2022 - 21:10
      +6

      Ironhide 59 - Transformers fan?

      • rektrading on 14/04/2022 - 21:10
        +1

        What race is that?

        • ihbh on 14/04/2022 - 21:11
          +22

          Autobot of course.

          • rektrading on 14/04/2022 - 21:13
            +1

            @ihbh: Autonomous bots don't have rights. Discrimination laws doesn't apply to them.

          • SF3 on 15/04/2022 - 00:55
            +4

            @ihbh: Perhaps the tradie is a Decepticon? Hence the animosity towards Autobots.

            • dufflover on 15/04/2022 - 14:01

              @SF3: Probably. So many deceptive tradies I've had to screen out when getting quotes for various jobs.

      • Ironh59 on 14/04/2022 - 23:27

        Yes

    • Daabido on 14/04/2022 - 21:17
      +3

      L. Ron Hubbard 59

      1959 - Hubbard moved to England and bought Saint Hill Manor in Sussex, from which he would direct international operations and expansion until 1967.

    • GoldenDragon888 on 14/04/2022 - 21:36
      -1

      Ironh59 is a Russian.

      • rektrading on 14/04/2022 - 21:42
        +2

        Russians aren't a race.

      • EightImmortals on 15/04/2022 - 06:54
        +5

        Well that would explain it. You can blame the media/political propaganda machine for that one. My SIL is Russian so they are copping a fair bit of racism ATM and I have had a couple of people express similar sentiments to me (even though I'm not Russian). Even had a couple ask me to remove Kaspersky from their PC's because they didn't want to 'support Russia'. A lot of people are pathetic and so easily led around by the nose that I'm amazed they can manage to tie their own shoelaces. And blaming all the people of a country for the actions of their politicians is just as dumb. Those people have as much say in what their governments do as we do….i.e. 'none whatsoever'.

        • rektrading on 15/04/2022 - 06:59

          My SIL is Russian so they are copping a fair bit of racism ATM and I have had a couple of people express similar sentiments to me (even though I'm not Russian).

          I'm curious to what they are saying.

          Are they yelling out "bloody white Russian? Or bloody black Russian?"

        • Tyrx on 16/04/2022 - 00:09

          The term "Russian" refers to nationality rather than a particular ethnicity. If someone is refusing to service Russians due to the actions taken by the Russian nation-state with respect to Ukraine, that would be bigotry and not racism. On a side thought, this is also the case with the term "Indian" - but I think it's safe to say in the OP case that the tradie is too stupid to realise that and mistakes nationality for ethnicity.

      • Gnostikos on 15/04/2022 - 14:24
        +7

        Ironh59 is a Russian.

        I'd love to know how you came to this conclusion?

        A quick 30-second look at the OP's posting history suggests he's more likely to be Indian/South Asian judging by the fact he's a subscriber of a Bollywood streaming service. I can't think of too many people who would be using that other than people from the Indian subcontinent.

        I honestly doubt most politically-clueless tradies in Australia would actually A) know a Russian person by their name and B) care enough to discriminate against Russians due to recent geo-political events.

      • d86 on 15/04/2022 - 16:13
        +4

        He is not, because he previously complained about a barber not wearing a mask. Russians don't give a shit about a matter like this. Well, at least I wouldn't care or post flat nonsense online.

        • Gnostikos on 15/04/2022 - 16:28
          +2

          Yeah that too. All of the Russians I've known in Australia are the furthest thing possible from woke, easily-offended snowflakes.

    • CalmLemons on 15/04/2022 - 20:50
      +1

      I believe OP means his real name that was posted on the tradie site.

    • payless69 on 16/04/2022 - 07:46

      just load the right avatar decode bot from the dark net!

      • rektrading on 16/04/2022 - 07:53

        No, no. I don't want three-letter agencies kicking down my front 🚪 and 💦 board me.

  • BewareOfThe Dog on 14/04/2022 - 21:11
    +3

    Regrettably some people may have had bad experiences with a certain race, or someone they know has. They have probably been drinking with their tradie pals and they've all had a whinge.
    I thank you for your kind comments, but I disagree. Australia has a heap of racism, especially in the country, but as each generation comes along, this hopefully diminishes more, and we accept more cultures. As already said, he probably was a $hit tradie etc.

  • BewareOfThe Dog on 14/04/2022 - 21:14
    +1

    I worked with someone who was born in Hong Kong, but spoke Australian fluently. I used to love when People came in asked for Adrian, and the look on their face was funny when I pointed him out.

    • Scythic on 15/04/2022 - 09:45
      +3

      My sister told me how some customers were rude and discriminated her for her ethnicity. But then they changed their attitude completely when they found out the owner is her husband

  • Benoffie on 14/04/2022 - 21:53
    +2

    Why tie it up in racism?

    He's a prick, plain and simple.

    Lots of tradies are. Discriminate for all sorts of reasons.

    That's their prerogative and personally I wouldn't want to have someone that didn't like me working for me.

    Other common points of prick-ness:

    • jacking price up on women, elderly and foreigners - edit that, people who don't look like them. Anglo to Anglo, Italian to Italian, doesn't matter
    • talking to customers like they're idiots simply because they're not in trade x

    Sometimes I think it's a course they take. When you find a good tradie, they're like gold!!

    • Cave Fire on 14/04/2022 - 22:43
      +6

      because they made a comment that the OP found racially offensive…?

        • Autonomic on 19/04/2022 - 16:22
          +2

          You sound like a racist

    • GrueHunter on 15/04/2022 - 00:13
      +10

      Why tie it up in racism?

      Maybe ask the tradie who made it about race?

    • morse on 15/04/2022 - 09:00
      +11

      Why tie it up in racism?

      It’s not tying it up in racism - it is racism.

      Tradie: I don't work for *******s
      Tradie: They are cheap

      Yes there are other ways to be a prick - but on this occasion it was the racist variety.

      • cookie2 on 15/04/2022 - 11:09
        -3

        I know some races that are more cheap than others in spending for services etc. I am generalising as i don't know everyone of every race but from my experience some races are more difficult in getting $ from. I think that's just a statement of opinion, not racism, but ride as he believes he's speaking to someone of that race. Also some races are more willing to spend money for services. People are different because they grow up differently and with different value, morals, experiences, environments, money etc.

        • Cave Fire on 15/04/2022 - 11:22
          +1

          Blocked

        • morse on 15/04/2022 - 13:56
          +4

          Sure you can make those generalisations for yourself, sometimes you’ll be right, others wrong, but refusing someone service because of those generalisations is the problem.

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