Discrimination[Jobs] - Rant/Opinion

[Pix]

Hotels typically exist to make money first before any other ethical considerations are considered and that depends on patronage which I expect are fiercely competed for where you're at. And a great many who come over can be expected to come from upper class (or close enough) backgrounds who would be startled, frightened, and/or offended by people who don't adhere to the dress codes, and these businesses probably do all they can to keep from alienating those potential guests. It wouldn't surprise me if those hotels are ultimately owned by people who aren't native to your island and the codes and policies are made in other countries.

That's not a defense of it, just an explanation. These visual cues mean A LOT to people. Having had experience among criminals I learned that enough that I'm actually less trusting of those who adhere to the dress codes than I am of those who deviate far from it (especially if they make sure you "know" they're religious). One lesson for that was when I and other kids were made to look innocent (or at least harmless) until one or more guys acting as a distraction (preferably black, but anyone with a lot of piercings, unconventional hair and dress, etc) made a scene, and while all attention was focused on them we'd shoplift like crazy--some boys would even steal cartons of cigarettes which involved setting off an alarm (more of a chirp but still audible) and I could clearly see the outlines of the cartons in their pants & shirt. These stores all had cams. And we got away with it over & over again because people are stupid and believe you can know a person by how they look. (And btw, I found that such organized retail crime operates on a much bigger scale than I ever experienced as a runaway, this goes on everywhere.)

I was naive that way once myself and nearly got raped for it when I was 15. I knew I wasn't supposed to get in a car with strangers yet the guy seemed really nice, clean cut, professional appearance, looked like a family man (he probably was), and in all the "stranger danger" vids I'd seen the bad guys all looked scary with lots of blacks, predatory glares and/or dark shades (and lots of scary music), not some guy who looked like that. At least I learned better. Many people never do. And as a great many people remain that stupid then a hotel catering to wealthy vacationers will lose money (and possibly go out of business) if they don't adhere to a dress code that inspires trust.

'Course racism and all that play a part, too. I know a black guy who is soft spoken yet articulate and has a name common to white men. More than once he saw surprise and hostility when he showed up and in one case he was actually hired over the phone (paperwork still pending) but after he showed up the security on the set tried to eject him until he explained who he was and when escorted to those who were going to get him to do the paperwork to get him on the staff the shock that he was black was tangible and they invented some reason to not hire him, but thanks for coming. Btw, he usually conformed to the expected dress codes so that had nothing to do with it.