A Florida luxury hotel refused to let America's first black billionaire into his room because he was

[workinclasszero]

A Florida luxury hotel refused to let America’s first black billionaire into his room because he was wearing sunglasses
Noor Al-Sibai 03 SEP 2018 AT 14:44 ET

A luxury hotel in Florida reportedly refused to let Black Entertainment Television co-founder Bob Johnson into his room last week because he was wearing sunglasses.

West Palm Beach’s WPBF reported that Johnson was checking into his room at the Eau Palm Beach hotel on August 24 after a fishing trip when a receptionist asked him to remove his sunglasses.


The mogul, who became the first African American billionaire after selling BET in 2001, said he thought the woman working at the front desk was joking at first, but she remained firm. He refused to take them off because they’re prescription, Johnson told WPBF.

“She said well, I can’t check you in if you don’t take off your glasses,” he said.

Johnson then asked that the police be called and when no compromise was reached, he left the hotel.

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/09/florida-luxury-hotel-refused-let-worlds-first-black-billionaire-room-wearing-sunglasses/

[DemocratSinceBirth]

1. Bob Johnson is a Trumpster. This is the environment Trump has created.

[workinclasszero]

2. No shit?

The biggest fools of all are rich POC that are Trump lovers!

Well he voted for in your face racism so enjoy it ASSHOLE!!!!

[MaryMagdaline]

3. Shades of Crazy Rich Asians

Billionaire bought the hotel when her reservation was denied.

[jberryhill]

4. Face coverings of all kinds are heading toward being banned in all sorts of situations

Sunglasses, hats, niquabs, burquas... anything that can be used to obscure any part of the face from facial recognition systems are becoming more restricted in more settings.

[workinclasszero]

5. My bank has a sign on the door about no hats allowed

Which I routinely ignore and have never been called out for it.

[maveric]

12. No hats or sunglasses at my bank in SoCal.

Sign posted on the front door.

[onenote]

6. Yep. Hotels typically ask for a photo id when someone checks in

it wouldn't be a shock that they asked the person to remove their sunglasses for a moment to compare the photo. Two caveats, however: one, did Johnson give them a photo id and did the picture show him with glasses? two, are all guests checking in asked to remove their sunglasses (I'm guessing that Johnson isn't the only guest to check into that hotel while wearing sunglasses).

[lsewpershad]

8. If it were a rich white dude?

[Golden Raisin]

7. I recently renewed and upgraded

my driver's license. The upgrade (at extra $$ cost) was specifically for the ability to use the photo ID license, among other security issues, to board a plane. The DMV clerk who took my photo told me to remove my (regular, not sun) glasses because there was some "glare". I explained that I ALWAYS wear my glasses (since age 8 and I'm now almost 70) unless I'm asleep and since this was supposed to be for ID could he please try again. He refused and sort of nastily too.

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. I think he was right to refuse in that case

though he shouldn't have been nasty. Any glare will make the photo useless. I know British passport rules now say the ID photo must be with glasses off, even if you always wear them, and even if you have a photo without any apparent glare.

[jberryhill]

13. It'll say elsewhere that you normally wear glasses

But all of those sorts of routine photographs are going into facial recognition databases. The real-time ID and tracking technology has really taken off:



Entire crowds of people can be ID'd in one go.

What's utterly brilliant about this is that despite, literally, centuries of various groups - including some Christian sects - engaging in a variety of face or head coverings, is the ongoing successful social campaign to stigmatize and, where possible, criminalize face covering in public.

[MineralMan]

9. You'll be asked to remove your glasses for passport photos, too.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/requirements/photos.html

No hats, either.

It's all about facial recognition software that is now in use in many places, including places you would not expect.

[lame54]

10. Buy it and fire them

[NCTraveler]

14. He might just buy it, pat her on the back,

and say "here's a raise my fellow Trumpster".

[Blue_true]

15. Neither person displayed commonsense.

He could have inquired about why she needed him to take off the glasses. Or she could have explained that her request was made due to a particular policy.