Guy walks into a fancy NY restaurant. He’s wearing a grungy t-shirt, cut offs, and brogans sans socks.
He has shirt and shoes; trousers – albeit short ones – too.
But, the maître d’ says the guy can’t come in dressed “that way.”
The guy objects , a scene evolves, and the cops are called.
The cops arrive and tell the guy to move on else he’ll be eating jail chow.
Girl walks into a store wearing a tube top, Daisy Dukes, and $600 platform sandals.
Like the guy above, she has a shirt, albeit “brief,” a bikini bottom, and shoes.
The proprietor tells the girl she can’t stay.
The girl objects , a scene evolves, and the cops are called.
The cops arrive and tell the proprietor to serve the girl else the proprietor may be eating jail chow.
What’s the difference?
The obvious suspicion: One place is a classy joint whose owners likely are contributors to Hiz Honor’s campaign fund. The other place is a store in a haredi neighborhood that caters to haredim who have modesty issues. The store most likely does not contribute to Hiz Honors campaign fund.
For what it’s worth, the incumbent cannot run again. Maybe things will get better for the haredim under a new administration.
I am hardly a haredi. I’ve got a short beard not because I’m “datee,” but to hide a multitude of chins.
I am shomer Shabat and shomer kashrut and shomer many mitzvot, but I don’t wear a black suit or a Hasidic stremmel, nor do I have peyot to my waist. I would not – and I know this for a fact – be welcome in the haredi neighborhood. Been there.
I once visited a city and went to a local synagogue. It was summer. It was hot. I left suit coat and tie in my room and hiked for about 45 minutes to get to “shul.” It turned out to be a Reform or Liberal congregation; uncomfortable for me, but it has a Torah after all.
An usher, an older gentleman, approached and in a soft voice told me that if I had a coat and tie he could arrange an aliyah for me. The synagogue would even loan me a coat and tie.
The congregation was in Florida and this was circa 1978. Had it been NYC today, I could have asked the ACLU to file suit for me claiming I was denied my civil right to an aliyah because I refused to wear a coat and tie to services. I didn’t get an aliyah that Shabat.
Why is it that I must dress to a standard to avoid offending fellow diners, but I can violate community mores in dress and demand service in a retail outlet – or an aliyah for that matter?
I know New Yorkers have a reputation as lacking basic courtesies. “It’s all about ME.”
I also know that baksheesh is a way of life for almost everyone in business – any business. Been there.
But I cannot understand why refusing service in once place is legal and refusing service in another is illegal.
