A bar patron in England claims that another customer sent him a racist food order.
The Richmal Crompton has an app that allows customers to order an item off the menu and have it sent to any table in the establishment. Mark D’arcy-Smith, a black man, says that he was visiting the establishment with a friend when a waiter suddenly brought over a banana.
“We both looked at each other then looked at the banana,” D’arcy-Smith told South West News Service, a British news agency. “It clicked that it wasn’t ours. It was clearly sent by someone who was trying to be racist. My friend went to talk to a staff member but they didn’t see what the issue was. He said: ‘Do you know what’s wrong here?’”
According to D’arcy-Smith, the staff initially thought they had just brought over an incorrect order.
“I was sat on my own at this point,” he continued. “I looked around to see if I could spot anyone. I got anxious. I think someone sent it because it was anonymous. Two girls came over and asked if I was okay, if I was going to stay.”
The incident and the staff’s response has left D’arcy-Smith feeling unwanted and uncomfortable at the bar.
“When I walked past [the other day] I had this weird moment,” he said. “My hands were shaking and my palms were sweating. I don’t think I was very comfortable. I had hoped they [Wetherspoon] would take the situation seriously. They just treated it like other incidents – like a bar fight.”
In a statement obtained by SWNS, a spokesman for the company that runs the bar said, “We apologize to the customer and appreciate the distress caused. This is now a police matter. We have responded to the customer and pointed out that the pub cannot be held responsible for app orders.”