On: Agatha Christie could afford a maid and a nanny bu...

[wbobeirne]

I get what you're going for, but this simply isn't comparable. I pretty much can't walk into the same store and purchase the same item but be quoted a different price than anyone else.

There are rich areas and poor areas, touristy areas and off-the-beaten-path areas. But in US retail you won't find sellers discriminate based solely on the look of the customer in 99% of cases.

[alasdair_ → wbobeirne]

> I pretty much can't walk into the same store and purchase the same item but be quoted a different price than anyone else.

The USA only does this for trivial unnecessary frivolities like medical care.

[lodovic → wbobeirne]

Depends on the goods; in normal retail, surely, but if you walk into a used car store, a pawn shop, or try to get insurance, YMMV.

[danans → wbobeirne]

All I said is that class based pricing exists in the US, but it works via physical separation rather than directly based on how the customer looks.

That physical separation is maintained by the actual physical class separation along policed municipal boundaries that exists in the US.

Developing societies instead use walls with barbed wire and hired security for that function.

That said, there are pretty strong correlations between the tier of the grocery store and the appearance of their average customer.

And yes, there are wealthier but frugal people who shop at cheaper stores, but they are an exception.

[fvdessen → wbobeirne]

When I was in the USA a few years ago with an hispanic looking friend, he was often offered a steep discount at the various shops and restaurants. Often enough that we would ask him to do all the shopping.

This happened to us in multiple cities (NY/Miami/SF)

[CSMastermind → fvdessen]

I've been all over the US and lived in two of the cities you mentioned. Dated and been friends with many different hispanic people and I've never seen this happen.

That's true of my friends and romantic partners of all races by the way. I can't think of a single time I've seen someone be given a racial discount here.

There were a few times at restaurants and grocery stores where they had access to items I wouldn't have, but that almost always came from speaking the right language and knowing what to ask for. I'm sure those places would have been equally happy to accommodate me if I know what to say.

I do have stories of those friends and romantic partners being discriminated against a few times.

[fvdessen → CSMastermind]

Well we found it all the more surprising because our hispanic looking friend didn't even speak Spanish. But that's what happened. Maybe they mistook him for an illegal migrant ? In a similar vein, We also noticed that when our white looking friend was not with us, people started to offer us drugs in the streets, which we found hilarious.

[gavinray → fvdessen]

I live in Miami and when going out with Cuban friends, have never seen this.

But I also don't go out often, and if I do, it's just to eat usually.