There are two kinds of people in this world: those who “get it” and those who don’t.
Sometimes, people who don’t necessarily “get it” wander into my store. I don’t mind. Cute handbags, cool shoes, and “Skinny Bitch” appeal to people who aren’t necessarily vegetarian or vegan. If they want to shop here, that’s fine with me. (I’m not in the habit of asking people about their choices, unless they need my help with something and I need more information.)
Unless, of course, they decide to cause trouble. Anyone with any self-respect would take exception to that.
Much in the same way that some omnivores get obnoxiously vocal and defensive the instant they find out someone quietly eating black bean soup at the next table is a veg*n, I’ve had a few people, upon realizing this is a vegan store, throw screaming fits that would make Naomi Campbell seem like the sweet girl next door.
The door inscription reads “Humane Attire for Men and Women.” There is a small sign on the door serving as a gentle reminder that real fur is not allowed inside our store (faux is fine with us). Apparently, nobody reads them or takes our location into account.
I wasn’t actually in the store at the time, but a few weeks after the grand opening, some woman came in and browsed, and asked what the store was all about. She didn’t even wait for the entire answer to commence howling like a banshee about how much she loved her leather Coach bags and didn’t care what poor unfortunate creatures had to disappear so she could keep living like that. (I’m paraphrasing, of course. Like I said, I wasn’t there.)
Don’t get me started on the former fur trapper (!) who threw an even bigger fit and had to be removed by security.
On another occasion, a sales representative for a sheepskin boot company actually came in the store with the intention of selling me some hideous UGG knockoffs (imagine me gagging here). When I very calmly said “No thank you, we are not interested” he refused to leave the store and started arguing with me! (Wholesale reps, a word of advice: being rude, obnoxious, pushy, or belligerent with ANY retailer will NOT help you sell things. It will have the opposite effect.) This is a respectable establishment; consequently, I don’t allow that sort of behavior and very nearly had to have him removed by the police (the security guards weren’t on duty yet).
Every few months, one particular woman comes in and asks for sheepskin boots. Every time, we tell her we have never carried them and never will. (Why would a store with a no-fur dress code carry sheep fur?!) We have politely reminded her, many times, that this is an animal-friendly business and consequently fur is banned. Usually she storms out, this time she exploded. If her temper tantrum had been an earthquake, it would have been at least an 8.0 on the Richter scale. She demanded to see my business partner (which will never happen, since she recently spent some time in the hospital for a stress-related illness and it’s my responsibility to keep people like that away from her), then stomped out screaming about ME being hostile. Since she has repeatedly been rude to my staff on top of her appalling behavior, she’s not allowed in the store anymore.
This is NOT the pot calling the kettle black. This is the pot calling the red enameled roasting pan black.
And fur-wearers wonder why animal lovers are more inclined to see them as violent.
