Today's date is July 31, 2019. I am deaf and I read lips and understand what people are saying sometimes. Anyway, last week, my sister went inside with a backpack and was taking so long in the store, so I went in and this woman named Missy (I don't know last name) spoke and I told her I can't hear and I show her by my hand patting my ear and shaking my head no then mouthing "I can't hear" then she pointed to my backpack then told me NO backpack in the store when my sister literally was carrying a backpack herself. I was already in a foul mood and I was not in the mood for this thing so I called out my sister's name and found her at checkout and seeing as she was already at checkout, I left the store. I believe it was the next day that I went in second time to get something and a different employee did not say anything about my backpack. Today, I went in to get a Red Bull for my sister and a water bottle for my nephew and niece and as I was done with taking those items out of the refrigerator, this customer came up and told me an employee wanted my attention and this employee was Missy, the same woman who complained the previous time. I read some lips, I believe she said "I told you no backpack! Three days ago!" She also pointed to the door and I think she said, "A sign." I looked but I could not find the sign. She showed three fingers and pointed to a space where I was supposed to put my backpack at, so I just dumped it there. Also I was not there three days ago, it was Sunday and I was working that day. I came into town on Monday and I did not go in the store on Monday either. I typed in my phone in my notes to show the woman and I typed exactly this: "There were a woman walk in store with her own backpack before I walked in." I did not mention my sister because I did not want her to go up to my sister and speak of this because it's not my sister's fault. Anyway, I did not put items down first in fear of her ignoring what I typed. I spoke "read." I can speak some words. Missy read then told me no backpack. I tried to speak again and was saying, "But you let the girl carry her backpack, " but she cut me off at ‘girl' so I did not get to finish my sentence. She turned her face away and told me to go and I guess she said something I did not understand, but I understood she shake her head no. I pushed the items towards her and she said "no" then pushed them back toward me. I left the store. I forgot to put back the items but I was angry. I did not understand why she said no backpack in the store to me when she let other customers carry backpacks in the store. I have been made aware by several members of this community that I am not the first to have a complaint about this woman, Missy McGee. I now understand there is a no backpack policy but I felt she was unfair and discriminatory towards me possibly because of either 1. I am young, and fit her stereotypical profile of someone who was going to steal; 2, I am deaf; or 3, I am from out of town.
I just want to ensure that your customers are being treated equally, fairly, and with kindness, and to try to save someone else, especially with a disability, the same experience as my own. Thank you.