The unusual phone calls started at about 9:30. "Do you have rabbit-ear antennas? I need one today....." And then some dork or dorkette in the proverbial Entry-Level Business Attire would come swooping in to buy the rabbit-ear antenna. It didn't dawn on me until about the third one that these were all corporate offices, with TVs that they use to watch training and presentation videos only, (no antenna) wanting to watch the OJ thing at 1:00. So I started writing on all the receipts, "Exchange only--no refunds on antennas." Then I set up my OWN set of rabbit ears at about 11:45, with a sign that read, "The OJ Hanging Tree," but I took that down before anyone saw it.

At about 12:45, life as we know it simply ceased. Nobody in the store, no phone calls, no cars in the parking lot or on the street. Simply unbelievable. At roughly 12:55, a black man wanders in and goes into one of the rear alcoves where the parts are, where he stays, looking for miscellany. Remember that..

I'm watching (or trying to watch) the verdict when another guy walks in. He's a regular. He has never bought anything in my store but I see him once a month like clockwork. Apparently he purchased a computer some time ago, from the NANUET store, on a new Radio Shack charge plan, and the company allows you to pay your monthly bill at any store, so he comes in once a month with his $120 check, which I have to take, for a purchase made elsewhere, which I receive NOTHING for but for which I bear all the exposure if the check should bounce.

Well, Mr. Harold Bosworth (should you ever meet him) is standing in the store when the fat lady sings, as it were, "Not Guilty." I angrily turn off the TV and crank up Jeff Buckley--loud. Mr. Bosworth exclaims as he hands me his bill and check,

"Whaddaya expect from those people?"
"Which people?"
"The blacks. The damn blacks."

"Please, sir, don't talk like that in here, okay? I don't appreciate it."
"Whadda you, love 'em or somethin'?"
"Love WHOM exactly?"
"The blacks, the damn blacks."
"I was never taught to think like that, and I'll thank you AGAIN not to TALK like that in the store if you don't mind."
"Whadda you know about 'em? You don't know nothin' about 'em!"
"About WHOM exactly?"
"They're all the same, and you oughtta know that."

"You really ought to take this somewhere else."
"What???"
"You heard me. Take your money somewhere else."
"YOU RING THAT UP!"
"No. Now get out." (Pointing at the door with a flourish.)
"Ring that up now or I'm calling the head office!"
"Please do. And make sure you tell them WHY I threw you out."

This, of course, is going to come back and bite me right in the ass. Believe it?

Meanwhile, the black guy--who HAS to have heard every word--quickly leaves the store. I had sorta kinda wanted to get his name in case I needed backup.

The verdict alone would've been bad enough. This really ruined the whole day.