Madgestie

Hello everyone - I want to share an awful experience I recently had whilst trying to pay my Municipal Tax at the Treasury Building in Bridgetown. I am a very conservatively dressed lady nearing my 60th birthday but was very rudely told by a female security person that I could not enter the building as I was 'obscenely dresses'. I had been poorly the previous evening, so after some discussion asked if I could sit in the empty chair by her and wait for my husband to go and conduct our business as I did not want to stand outside in the searing heat. 'Its hot in Barbados - get used to it!' Was her response. So, outside I had to go and stand alone, not well, whilst husband went inside to pay our due taxes. But this was not good enough for her - she started banging the glass window at me telling me to move away out of the shade of the building and stand in the road as I was 'obscenely dressed!' To be frank I was horrified and terribly upset. And my obscene dress? I was wearing a tailored pair of trousers down to my ankles, a pair of strong walking shoes, and a t-shirt that covered everything with a full supportive bra underneath. I have never felt so humiliated in my life.

Gordon Barlow

Gosh, that sounds pretty heavy, Madge. I hope you complained to the security officer's employer, in writing.

(I don't live in Barbados, but have always found Bajans very courteous; this one sounds mad, actually!)

Madgestie

Thank you Gordon - I did indeed report this and sought the help of a very helpful 'police officer' to no avail. However, sharing this with Bajan friends later in the day - they were all of the view it happened because I am white!!!!! At least my taxes are paid now though - so I will spare a repeat of this happening until next year lol!!

Serendipidy

Madgestie ..sorry you have had the experience..it was indeed unnecessary but not an isolated event sigh...I have heard numerous stories of the security at government offices complaining about the dress codes of visitors and I have heard this story often...dont turn it into a racist thing as such because its not helpful to you ..you just came across a very unhappy person with an unhealthy attitude and you were her target at that moment. Bajan people talk straight but they use the Queens english and use words differently form the brits...ie Malicious in UK means evil, nasty minded and something done on purpose to hurt..in Bim it means nosey...wish her peace and love from your heart as she must be in pain to treat someone so poorly..then let it go.. it can serve you no purpose and she has not broken any law or indeed any cultural ethos for her work..she will not have given it a second thought but you are carrying it around with you..

Sunniebgi

I'm going to ask.. did the T-shirt have anything on it or was it plain, and I'm going to assume it was rounded at the neck with sleeves.. and maybe you could give us a photo of the same outfit.. because I'd honestly like to send it to someone in Government incharge of the security guards and ask what is wrong with this outfit... and agreed.. please don't let colour come into this.. Blacks and whites get it.. and I've seen it happen.. 2 young black couples walking in to the new court building to register their newborns.. both women had on tank top shirts.. and were immediately and swiftly turned away..

I have never had the opportunity to be told by any security guard that I was dressed incorrectly when using the Government facilities to do so. I go into get my license or pay my road tax in the same tailored but sleevelss shirts and capri pants or skirt to just above my knee that I would wear anywhere. I have worn same said outfit into the Old Police station area when purchasing a liquor license but was told by someone don't go to the same area to get a copy of a birth certificate in the same outfit.

I would have had to make my case known to someone other than the police officer, but someone in the building who outranked this women.. (and they are the worse.. the women).

I will tell you that one day, while unemployed I paid my usually 3 week visit to the NIS Unemployment office (this was a few years ago).. I was dressed as I normally do, with a piece of cloth in my bag, just in case someone didn't like my underarms showing out of my taylored sleeveless shirt (cause it's HOT in Barbados).. the area was packed with people and I had been walking to get there. I tried to sit down on the floor, around a corner somewhat out of site of the main room, to gather my thoughts, text my husband to let him know I was there, and prepare for what was sure to be a 3 hour wait.. when the security guard announced .. loudly.. i was NOT alllowed to sit on the floor.. I said.. why.. does it say it somewhere.. ??? I can sit where I want and if I choose to sit on the floor there isn't anything that says I can't.. well he didn't like that.. and continued to tell me to get up.. The best part of the day.. The lady, who at the time, was in charge of this room.. as in.. making sure people were orderly, given numbers and told when to into the room to have their unemployment slip stamped.. looked at me.. motioned for me to come.. and within 10 minutes I was on my merry way... sometimes it pays to speak up.. (which you tried to do, but it obviously didn't work).

Bentham

Never mind. The same here. Went to the immigration department in shorts. The lady at the entrance said "shorts - no,no". She was polite though. Actually the billboard at the entrance says "no revealing tops/bottoms". Those shorts were not 'revealing', the skirt in which they let me in the last time was far way more revealing. Asked my bf later in the evening whether I ever put anything revealing, he said that, on the contrary, I am insufficiently revealing. And I am white tool.