A Not-So-Funny Thing Happened On Aisle Three @ Kroger.

I am usually a very happy go lucky and carefree person. Sure some of my blogs of a political or religious nature tend to be a little cynical and jaded, but for the most part, I am an even-tempered, mellow kind of guy. And I don't usually ever go around screaming that I'm not a racist. My opinion is that if you have to say it every 5 minutes, then you probably are a racist. But in this case, I will make an exception. I AM NOT A RACIST!! Now, why, may you ask, would I feel that I have to strongly declare this?
Answer: I went to Kroger this evening and was doing a little shopping for the weekend (once I am in on the weekend, I don't like to go out unless I absolutely have to). I bumped shopping carts with this young woman who is black and as I am prone to do, I said, "Excuse me." She gave me the 'evil eye' and said rather loudly for grocery store volume level, "Uh Huh!" It really wasn't what she said, so much as how she said it. I picked up on a trace of an attitude and excused myself from the aisle. Fast forward to frozen foods. I was on the aisle and was intently looking at a few items in the case and didn't see this young lady coming down the aisle. I made a u-turn with my basket and accidentally bumped her shopping cart again, purely be accident I assure you.
This time the 'evil eye' got more intense if that's possible and instead of her initial "uh huh," I received obscenities and racial slurs. I believe her exact words were, "Watch where the fuck you're going you cracker-ass son-of-a-bitch! You are intentionally fuckin with me because I'm black!" All I could say was that i was sorry and moved my cart out of her way. I wasn't really offended at first until I was over by the dairy products and it hit me. Don't get me wrong. I heard what she said and understood the words that were coming out of her mouth. It didn't affect me until I had a minute to think about it. I became angry and then emotionally upset a little bit. This woman didn't know me! And she certainly had no right to say what she said. It was rude, it was mean, and the words she said were WAY off base. One of my ex-boyfriends is black and another is hispanic. I just believe that the racial tension is still alive in this city. And in some people it is boiling over.