Thrown out of CC last friday
This topic has been discussed many times over in QL but I am writing as I was myself a victim this time.
We all know friday in City Center is a family day, however I used to visit the place many times on friday (with or wihout family).
On last friday (06-02-2009), I went with two of my friends and we were stopped at the entrance.
I confronted with the guy that some males (bachelors) of European and Arab natinalities did go in front of us and without any problem. The reply was shocking, he said the ban is only for Indians, Nepalis, Pakistanis, Srilankans and Bangladeshis.
I wonder was I smelling like a (so called) bloody smelly Indian or was I not dressed decent enough.
Had my family been in Qatar on that day, I would have entered the same gate again but they are on vaccation back home.
The same type of thing happens with the bars.
If you look at Irish at the Sheraton.... granted they only let couples in from a set time but there is actually a ban on letting Lebanese go in. And it all comes down to the management apparently. sometimes they'll let Lebanese couples in, sometimes not. Sometimes they'll let the Lebanese guys in single-y but most of the time not.... and even then, a lot of the time its normally if they 'know someone' its the only way they're getting in.
Women obviously have free-reign on the pub scene and Westerners have it very easy in getting in pretty much anywhere...couples or not.
so, is it racism? Its not just the indians, pakistani, etc.... it hits others as well.
Brin
It all sounds good till the Qatar Living part......but I dont think they stop women from entering :P
i wonder what nationality is the guard, well the same rules can be apply for going clubbing everywhere else. Just be nice to the guard so that you can get in the door every time.
they may pick on you once, but once you become 'friend' to them, you are to enter freely for life.
Nothing.....speak to the Emir?
* Sigh *
What CAN we do about this? This is just unfair. See, their motives were correct in a way. Assigning a day for Families so that it prevents some perverts to enter and make trouble, BUT that doesnt mean they put a blanket ban on all single men and people from third-world countries. The reason these people are not here with their family, the majority being that they are not being paid enough so that they can bring their families here and support them. Is it their fault?
Any solutions?
This unfortunate discrimination problem has been exposed to the world, published in CNN i–report.
If we keep applying pressure to those who have the power to change, it will eventually change!
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-23074
Sorry, yeah you were (blush). Got carried away laughing at the granny in the hoody.
My thoughts are my own, but I doubt my Mum would agree with some of them.
All these pin pointed nationalities should boycot CC. Thats too racist to declare so..
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Listen to Many..Speak to a few.
Going by your experience, it means family to these policy makers mean Husband-Wife.
For them all other members need go to hell.
red_pope-- that was hilarious! just read your post...hahahahahhaha
"Only the supremely wise & the abysmally ignorant do not change."
Let's all try and find the manager's contact details and let him know what's happening. Sometimes the security guys are just saying things to make their own lives easier. It need not be a policy matter.
Life is Beautiful...Indeed!
"Only the supremely wise & the abysmally ignorant do not change."
Let me tell you what my husband & I did when the guard wouldn't let my 2 male cousins go inside CC with us. When he so obviously just let a western expat by, well I saw red & I yelled at the (Nepali) guards' face saying "cousin" is family in my book then went straight in with my cousins in tow. We went straight to the Security Supervisor to report on the very rude behaviour of this particular guard & asked for clarification what exactly "family" means to them & why the hell they let western bachelor expats go in unmolested. The supe said that they never instructed their guards to discriminate against Third-country nationals. The rule is to bar those who are not properly dressed & single males in huge groups who might look like "trouble" (ie taking videos or pictures of ladies in the mall, etc). He (Qatari) was very apologetic & did very good pr "damage-control". At least he was able to calm me down with his excellent explanation.
However, since the situation remains the same, I suppose all my complaints was for naught. So depressing...
No one is blaming security guard
At the end of the day a security guard getting paid peanuts is never actually going to go to great lengths to stop you getting in. I bet that 9 times out of 10 if you just walk past them they wont do anything.
I kind of feel sorry for the security guards, as they're only doing what they're told. It must be one of the worst jobs in Qatar having to carry out the racist orders of the shopping mall management.
I got stop once, did manage to get in.
Why?
I told the stupid guard:
I'm here only with two purposes only.
To pay off my bill at the Persian carpet shop and to give some lunch money to my wife, that works in carrefour.
Is that a problem?
Anyhow I'm the Pope of Qatar living...
The guy look at me, like he was lost with my last reply.
Always think of something that you always will have to do as important inside any mall, besides walking and eye shopping.
HERE IS A FEW HINTS:
1- I'm here to take advantage of the special at the store of ...........
2- I need to buy baby food for my baby.............
3- I need to use the bathroom right know..........
4- I;m here to pay off my bill........The ATM did not had sufficient cash, I had to get it from another bank....
Fu^k it, if you have to lie to the SOB!
Talk to them like you are serious about it, cut off their chit, chat!!
etc, etc
Westerners will do a mental count of Hadji's inside any aircraft, at any airport, before take off...
Peter Russel
When in a foreign country we are but strangers!
Its ok.Try to take it cool.
They are fools!!!
penny - I'm talking about the Tesco ads, not the BT ones.
You dont need to be sorry for highjacking this thread.
I have ample experience in QL and trust my fellow QLers.
If 99% of the threads are not highjacked, then we are not pure QLers.
As for changing the name.. who cares for the name.
I was thrown out of the mall, means atlest I was inside the parking lot. LOL
TCOM: i have a ton of those polybags at home. Will carry some next friday with some stuff in it.
Thread Hijack? :P
it was not prune-ella is was Moanreen and her ologies.
Can I just stop this now, I am NOT, Dora or Super or cutie or anybody else.
I am me. Only just joined.
Seen that some people who have made digs and wondered what the hell they were talking about.
I have ignored them.
I am me, Nobody else. Can we just please have a laugh?
My thoughts are my own, but I doubt my Mum would agree with some of them.
stop
Well SuperNurse has disappeared as well as Cutydog..
I have tracked down Charan, Pajju but dont know what happened Rania...
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HE WHO DARES WINS
That her Maureen Lipman..man I am getting old cant even remember simple actors from the BBC anymore.
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HE WHO DARES WINS
Don't get started on who pennypitstop is or you'll have PM in here arguing with her!
The old woman in the Tesco ads is Prunella Scales. Jane Horrocks played her daughter.
Doratheexplorer hmm I did spell the surgical spirit every time she posts..Hmmm so who is pennypitstop? the third triplet
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HE WHO DARES WINS
I don't know about the add for Tescos with the Jewish lady. I just remember Maureen Lipman and her 'ologies' and I think that was BT.
Anyway, back to the thread. What was it again.
Oh yeah men being kicked out of malls.
Plain daft if you ask me.
My thoughts are my own, but I doubt my Mum would agree with some of them.
The reply of the security person is not only shocking but insultig too...
Dora makes guest appearance
tallg stop teasing me and spill the beans what happened to spernurse?
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HE WHO DARES WINS
Pay attention man!
skdkak.. I think you should change the title of thread to refuse entry rather than thrown out..coz from your post it appears that you never got in..lol
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HE WHO DARES WINS
sorry tallg did I miss some thing?
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HE WHO DARES WINS
UK - you seriously don't know what happened to supernurse?
supernurse or supanurse ??
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rms..!!
skdkak,
Suggestion for entering a mall on a family day.. Borrow you neighbours kids for a few hours, it always works with me...
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HE WHO DARES WINS
There use to be one Ql member by the name of supanurse I wonder what happened to her?
Sorry Skdkak.. for the hijack
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HE WHO DARES WINS
Well I do remember that Tesco add by (the jewish lady) cant remember her name, anyway the message there was that if they shop here then surely it mus be the cheapest supermarket in town.
Sorry I grew in North London which is has the secondest largest Jewish commuinty in the world outside of Israel after New York.. So I know what a penny means for my friend Sam, Jacob and Jon.
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HE WHO DARES WINS
Laughing so much at the thought of a granny in a hoody. I now have this image of a wrinkly lady going, 'yo man give me 5'. Or whatever is the cool thing to say.
Fancy banning a granny.
Mind you on a different note and I hope this is not hijacking or trolling.
Did you read in the paper the other day about the woman in Tescos (I think) who was refused whine (sic) as she could not prove she was over 21. She was about 80.
My thoughts are my own, but I doubt my Mum would agree with some of them.
Scarlett there was a ban on Hoodies throught most of the malls in the UK, Coz Hoodies were been associated with anti-social behaviour and teenage crime so public malls and shopping centres banned any one from entering a mall if he or she was wearing a hoodie.
There was famous case in UK a few years ago when a granny was refused entry to a restaurant becasue she was wearing a hoodie..
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HE WHO DARES WINS
I was told the reason for not allowing single men in the malls was to stop them 'looking' and because most of them were poorly paid they just looked and did not buy and thier prescence put people off going.
Once you are in the Malls it is difficult to see who is single or married. When we go to Villagio etc, partner goes one way and I go another. He has never been asked to prove he is with a family. As said before, he is white and 'not smelly'. However, what if he was white and smelly? Would they let him in them?
Security is a joke over here. They won't allow a bunch of men in who are bored but they allow terrible behaviour of some children, smoking in non smoking areas etc.
I wish we all could boycot these places. The press made a bit of a noise a while back but nothing happened.
My thoughts are my own, but I doubt my Mum would agree with some of them.
I am searching for a skunk odour perfume! One of these days if I am stopped by a fellow Indian, I will surely spray Pfzzzz...pfzzzzz... the skunk odor on his body before I am ejected. That way I can be sure he too will be ejected very soon!
Quite easy to walk inside any mall have a carrefour
carry those QR1 bag and no Guard will stop you
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did that to some pakistani friends of mine. The guard probably still remembers what they called his mother/wife/sister before flipping him off and walking away. I couldve walked in just fine but I refuse to go into a place with such racist policies.
if i do come across the security guards stopping single guys, i do allow them to come along with us (My wife & myself).
Surprisingly once a security guard stopped me and said that i could only take one guy along with us. This guy left his friend out and came along with us!!!! Quite a selfish guy i would say hehe
Ok here's how you can get into the mall even on Friday without being with a woman:
- wear a bra filled with two big-sized oranges
- on top of it wear an abaya
- wear the veil covering all your head and face
- wear gloves or shave off those ugly hair on your fingers
Then sit down on any bench inside the mall and check out all the women that you want and no one will give a damn.
;-)
Getting in is difficult, but not impossible :P
Just find the soft spot in the Guards heart :P
Edited Comment :P
sssshhh. no one will notice. lol!!!
Apparently, we had a lot of alibis just to enter the premises of certain malls. All our techniques were successful. Even we were stopped at first, we find our ways just to get in. Other says, every policy has an exception that's why I am saying, if there's a will, there's a way.
lol.
Saurabh & pinoyaccountant Never reveal such secret in open forum, always use private msgs, who knows who is reading! and next time they place all their security guards at the mentioned gates :)
oo i also remember this Indian dude telling that hes living in Dukhan and hes leaving Qatar the next day, so he has to buy some toys for his new born. The guard let him in.
And yea , another incident was, a guard stopped two guys from coming in explaining them that it is Family day, and then these 2 Bachelor Brits come, smoothly walk in, turn around and tell the guys , " Its family day now, come tomorrow"
By the way, Family Day timings are from 10am to 10pm...How about getting inside before that? :P
One day a large group of bachelors will make a stand against this racism and force there way past security.
it is definitely a shame..
hi skdkak... i must admit that I too became a victim of this seemingly racial policy. but i can tell you a secret. yeah saurabh is right.
you can go from the other door without the others disturbing you. take the second gate at the back. i think that they have only tight security on the main gate. stupid policy, eh!
I surely read that bhai and i really feel u... i agree to what u did, u confronted him and u should have called the authorities.. but would it make any difference?? its not just one case it happens on every 'Family Day'!! its purely WRONG its discrimination and racism!!! everybody knows it and am sure even the authorities very well know abt it.. BUT...
You or everybody might hate me for my comment, call me undemocratic, discriminator, racist or whatever.. but am not!! coz i'm in The List '3rd place' they have banned... no matter how hard i shout or cry nothing will change till their mentality changes!... as i said was to avoid this humiliation and agony 'I' simply dont go there.. i have enough worries in my life already and dont need anymore!
No hard feeling plzz!!
Do read the post properly and then comment.
"""....I confronted with the guy that some males (bachelors) of European and Arab natinalities did go in front of us and without any problem. The reply was shocking, he said the ban is only for Indians, Nepalis, Pakistanis, Srilankans and Bangladeshis."""
Dear all..
As i said in my post 'no offence to anyone, its purely my humble Opinion i could be wrong.'
Yeah am surely wrong.. i should have gone there alone or with friends when it says or i knew its a 'Family Day' and if stopped or denied access, come here and rant!
I never said i support discrimination or racism or this whole idea of Family day.
BTW aren't we suppose to follow/obey the laws of the land?
and as tallg mentioned 'The authorities line on this is that the shopping malls can set whatever entrance policies they want. The authorities will not interfere.' (sorry tallg copied and pasted ur lines with out permission)
now where am i doing wrong?? am just avoiding that place on certain days!
Jackfrost u said.. 'you would have to be a supporter of this discimination act to say your comments. shame on you... i bet you have never been denied access because of your race,, how in the hell would you know to make comment like that, racist' well thx for calling me racist :), as if u personally know me :P
I'm a Pakistani and hell yeah i know what discrimination or racism is,, i kinda live it every day!!!
and yes i really i havent been denied access coz i dont go to the places where/when i'm not supposed to.. cant help it,, coz i happen to read the 'signs/notices' or maybe am not one of those adventurous types.
Am not here to argue, i just stated my opinion, to which i have rights to (Freedom of speech!! remember,,any1) and surely it doesnt make The Supporter of discrimination or racism!!
Hope i havent offended anyone...
You are better off without a LC. We need foot paths to walk dear.
give me a Cruiser and I'm hopping curbs and driving through people's yards...
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked,the good fortune to run into the ones I do,and the eyesight to tell the difference.
Poor fellas. what can they think, just another one of those Land Cruiser ones
been known to cross those little curbs when traffic gets a bit too much..don't know WHAT those pedestrians were thinking when they are in my way on the sidewalks!!
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked,the good fortune to run into the ones I do,and the eyesight to tell the difference.
I know what you mean. driving half on the footpaths and road dividers.
Sorry bro, Its ridiculous :(
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Listen to Many..Speak to a few.
they are the same...I drive in a fun manner but never at the risk of anyone else...
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked,the good fortune to run into the ones I do,and the eyesight to tell the difference.
You better stick to one form of driving.
Your two posts say two diff things.
I will wait for your comments.
I have to admit that I have never and hope to never run redlights...I've seen what that results in...
but I do have to say that when someone else is in the car with me, I am extremely cautious..
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked,the good fortune to run into the ones I do,and the eyesight to tell the difference.
.
if you do what you just said...then even IF you are not supporting the racist viewpoint, you are definitely allowing it to happen by your lack of action.
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked,the good fortune to run into the ones I do,and the eyesight to tell the difference.
LOL Scar. i was almost new to Doha those days and might have excused you on a red signal :)
as a matter of fact, I DO remember that....but you might have been right in refusing...you haven't seen how I drive here in Doha!! I'm as bad as some of the locals! In fact, I've gotten a "thumbs up" and a grin from a few of them for my maneuvers on the road. I'm proof that there is a reason those handles that are above the riders' side door, are called "oh sh*t!" handles.
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked,the good fortune to run into the ones I do,and the eyesight to tell the difference.
I have NEVER seen anyone refused to be allowed into a mall due to dress...unless they aren't wearing a shirt or shoes..but those are due to health regulations and are posted outside the doors. People are not banned due to gender, marital status, religion or race...its against the law in the US to do that. That kind of discrimination went out in the 1950's mindset. Check your facts before posting, please.
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked,the good fortune to run into the ones I do,and the eyesight to tell the difference.
mr_listener does not know or believe in democratic may of life.
He goes by the book irrespective of whether that law is against the fundamental rights of a human being.
you would have to be a supporter of this discimination act to say your comments. shame on you... i bet you have never been denied access because of your race,, how in the hell would you know to make comment like that, racist
It is always the lost that need my guidance
Remember last time I said NO to you for a ride.
This time I will sure call you in advance :))
not just Qatar, there many places in the US and Europe where you cannot get in because of dress gender etc.
Me personally I can't figure what the big thrill of any of the malls is unless it is to look at the women and well that explains it all.
“A lot of the people who keep a gun at home for safety are the same ones who refuse to wear a seat belt”
how in the world can you compare animal cruelty to refusing to let someone into a mall due to being a single Indian male? Get real, dude...sheesh...
Skdkak...Man...sorry for all the hassle that idiot gave you. Personally, I think family day at the mall is a bunch of horse hockey because the males that go in with their wives, stare just as much if not more than the single guys that go into the mall!!! And that's when their wives are WITH them!!
Racism isn't right, period, the end.
Skdkak..next time give me a call and I'll meet you at the parking lot and get you inside the mall!!
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked,the good fortune to run into the ones I do,and the eyesight to tell the difference.
kwan - the papers discussed this issue a while ago. Apparently doing so got them in to trouble.
The authorities line on this is that the shopping malls can set whatever entrance policies they want. The authorities will not interfere.
Well with due respect to all, as i have rights to express my opinion.
If i were u, i wouldn't have gone there knowing that its a so called "Family Day" without my family, (racism/favourism whatever).
As we say in my language 'Apni izzet apnay haath mein hai' meaning your respect is in your own hands.
If its mentioned that its a family day why challenge their rules, no matter how wrong/racist. You sneaked in earlier as u mentioned maybe you were lucky or they didn't noticed you, it was just not your day.
I personally wouldn't even bother to go there esp. on certain days, they allow certain people so be it, coz if i'm stopped, its me who is humiliated no them.. so to save me from that agony i would rather stay at home..
Again, no offence to anyone, its purely my humble opinion i could be wrong.
Better luck nxt time :)
Actually "FAMILY DAY" is a polite terminology for "NO INDIANS, PAKIS, BANGLAS, NEPALiS DAY"
Nobody should be subjected to that! This is the 21st century and is just another area where Doha falls way behind.
No wonder the UN report said that Qatar Human Rights record is still not good enough..
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HE WHO DARES WINS
ohhhh that's not good idea from CC
oh too bad..
again, I say... humans make their own misery... Animals fend for themselves....
"if you don't like the heat... get out of the kitchen... but stop trying to fan the flames before you leave... it will burn you on the a** as you go through the doorway...." ME
visit www.qaws.org
As I said, I did enter CC many times in last year on family day & I certainly dont look like European.
But this was the first time. Maybe because my skin colour has turned more brownish due to heat of Qatar.
where else is the place to eat / see movie and do some shopping under one roof in Qatar??????
Actually my husband was denied entry to CC when he was meeting me there - I had to go and get him (he is British and looks like it too). So perhaps the guard has mis-understood something but they do seem on occasion to ban any nationality (I have heard of them challenging Qatari men too).
what you can do and all those single men is to avoid those malls, shop in any other malls that is not discriminating, whether family day or bachelors day or anything, just keep away from those places. If you're there on bachelors days, you're just tolerating their rules, keep away from it, the decision is yours.
Thanks.
Will let you know for sure.
Maybe this friday again I will try again.. U never know.
But this time it will certainly be without my other two smelly Indian friends :)
I am really sorry to hear that. No one should be denied anything, especially the right to enter a MALL for cryin out loud. I have noticed this problem in souq waqif as well. Kind of sad really. Racial profiling is soemthing that no one should ever have to deal with no matter where or when.
ye Alexa, just to show that they got some powers.. yukk !!
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rms..!!
Racial profiling amounts to racism.
QL should take the lead and initiate a campaign against this. Interesting to note that local news papers take up cruelty against animals but not against Human Beings!
Wotever they do but I was thrown out and my friday was sort of screwed (sorry to use that word)
These guys in Qatar have a looooooooong way to go to recognise a couple as a family.
Family here means "with a marriage certificate".
We could communicate with him in Hindi, so he said straight on my face.
Sorry to hear about that.
I saw something pretty terrible myself a few weeks ago. There was a Filipino couple trying to get into Villaggio at the weekend, and the security guard was testing the couple on each other to check whether they were married or just pretending.
It seemed to me a pretty humiliating exercise.
Yep good idea BritExpat.. as long he is not a Qatari...lol
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HE WHO DARES WINS
Ouch that sucks man!
Sorry to hear that. i mentioned this in my post last week. Perhaps the only answer is to find the email of the manager at CC and bombard him/her with our thoughts on the matter.
Sorry to hear that
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