The man had waited in the long line for about 45 minutes. Once he got to the counter to place his order, the waitress refused to serve him. This confused him, and he wondered why he had been subjected to such treatment. Though exasperated, he returned. Here is his story.
Time Off
Karl Baker needed to recharge after his 12-hour shift the day before. It was a good thing he had today off, where he could sleep in. After watching some television, he thought he could round the day out with some delicious food.

Time Off
Time for Lunch
Karl’s puppy woke him up, and he glanced at the clock to see it was lunchtime. He took his time drinking some coffee. Then, he thought he’d treat himself to lunch at one of the local restaurants.

Time for Lunch
Back of the Line
The moment Karl walked into the restaurant, he noticed the line waiting to get seated. He felt slight tension in the air but couldn’t discern why. Plus, he had no reason to feel like he’d be mistreated because of his line of business. Still, these people didn’t know him.

Back of the Line
Bad Choice
The restaurant’s line was quite long, so he stood patiently and waited. However, he realized just how hungry he was because his stomach growled. Karl was picky about his food, so he wondered if he would like anything on the menu.

Bad Choice
Long Wait
Karl had to assume that the food here was good because of the long line. He was starving when it was his turn to order, but he never knew that he’d deal with a situation that delayed his meal and made him question everything.

Long Wait
Not a Good Day
He got to the front of the line, greeting the cashier warmly. She didn’t respond in kind, so he wondered if she was having a bad day. Karl decided to continue the friendliness, but that didn’t improve matters.

Not a Good Day
Unavailable
Karl placed his order, but the waitress told him that it wasn’t available. He was disappointed, but he chose something else to try. He told her this his dish, but she claimed that she couldn’t serve him anything on the menu!

Unavailable
Poor Attitude
This made Karl frustrated and confused. How could none of the dishes be available?! The specials were clearly listed on the chalkboard, and he wouldn’t have waited in the line for so long if he’d known he couldn’t order anything.

Poor Attitude
Must Leave
Karl tried to figure out what was happening, and the waitress rolled her eyes. The combination of her attitude, being told he could not eat, and being hungry got to the man. He told her off, and she said he must leave now.

Must Leave
Causing a Scene
Though the waitress told him to leave, Karl demanded to speak with the manager. She didn’t respond, calling toward the back for the woman. When the manager appeared, she said Karl was holding up the line!

Causing a Scene
The Manager
Slowly, Karl realized why these people were acting like this. He said he wasn’t holding up their line and tried explaining that it was long when he got there. The manager reacted in a way that shocked him.

The Manager
Laughing
Karl was explaining the situation, but someone from the back came to the manager and whispered something in her ear. He pointed at Karl, claiming he should be forcefully removed from the restaurant. The manager then laughed at Karl!

Laughing
Won’t Listen
No one would listen to him, and the manager didn’t take his complaint seriously, which caused frustration. She said the establishment wouldn’t serve someone “like him.” This astounded Karl, though he thought he knew what she meant by the words.

Won’t Listen
Enough Was Enough
Karl had had enough at that point. He wouldn’t be polite and nice now. Though he continued to explain this situation and said she should serve him like other customers, they ignored him. However, he surprised them with his next move.

Enough Was Enough
Looking Down on Karl
The manager was cold and arrogant toward Karl, saying that he must leave the establishment and that she didn’t have to explain her reasons. Karl wasn’t used to the treatment or being looked down upon.

Looking Down on Karl
No Uniform
Karl knew that the restaurant employees and manager didn’t know the influence he carried in the community because he wasn’t wearing his uniform. This left him feeling upset and mistreated, so he decided to do something as soon as possible.

No Uniform
The Audacity
He looked around for witnesses who could corroborate his story. Everyone stared at him, which led him to feel embarrassed. He couldn’t understand the audacity of the establishment workers or the mistreatment he’d received.

The Audacity
Not Letting Things Go
Karl now knew he couldn’t do much anymore and left the establishment. He was humiliated, angry, sad, and hurt by the ordeal, but he vowed not to let it go at that. This man came up with a plan of revenge.

Not Letting Things Go
The Man in a Uniform
The following morning, Karl put on the uniform. He had many things to do that day, but he had to confront those who had mistreated him previously. Though nervous, he promised to go back and rectify everything.

The Man in a Uniform
His Appearance
Karl had a call-out to deal with, and then he went back to the restaurant. He parked the cruiser and stepped out. Everyone sensed his presence. Now, it was time to walk into the establishment and get his revenge!

His Appearance
All Smiles
The staff members greeted him politely, and the waitress from the day before was there. She finally realized who he was, which caused her to look horrified and scared. Now, Karl wanted to face that rude manager.

All Smiles
Calling the Manager
He asked the woman to call for the manager once again, waiting patiently for her to arrive. Karl was in full control of the situation, and he had one hand on the radio and one on his hip.

Calling the Manager
Going Viral
Karl’s story of the restaurant staff’s mistreatment went viral. The establishment’s representative made no attempt to deny the situation or what happened. She actually said that everything he’d mentioned was true!

Going Viral
The Consequences
When the restaurant representative found out what Karl had dealt with, she knew she had to do something to rectify the situation. What did the establishment do? Would they face the consequences for his mistreatment?

The Consequences
Discrimination
When the public learned of the situation, they were in Karl’s favor. One person said he should sue the establishment for $150,000. That’s the amount one gay couple received from an Oregon bakery when it refused to make a wedding cake.

Discrimination
Saving Face
Those in charge at the establishment tried reaching out to Karl but weren’t able to get in touch. Regardless, it promised to investigate what had happened and to take the next steps to fix the problem.

Saving Face
The Outrage
The people who heard the story were outraged and furious to learn that the restaurant staff had mistreated Karl. It was a breach of his customer rights! They were all on his side and said he’d been the victim of discrimination!

The Outrage
Damage Done
Pete Feltham is the representative for the Alexandria Police Union, and he praised the establishment for its quick apology. However, people were still angry with the restaurant workers. Feltham also claimed Karl handled that situation well.

Damage Done
Can’t Turn Back
Though Feltham said the restaurant did well for apologizing, the public wouldn’t forgive it. The establishment had many angry comments on its social media pages, and most said it would be okay to steal from it. Karl was clear on his opinion.

Can’t Turn Back
Karl’s Stance
Karl said he didn’t like “cancel culture.” Plus, he said he couldn’t support nor condone criminal activity because of his situation. Likewise, he mentioned that people shouldn’t boycott the establishment; the high road was the best solution.

Karl’s Stance
The Backlash
The restaurant was facing criticism from the public and made an official announcement because of it. Its statement was that the staff’s actions and opinions were inexcusable and didn’t reflect the owner’s beliefs.

The Backlash
Dismissal
Within the announcement, it mentioned that two employees involved in that situation had been terminated for their actions. The restaurant emphasized that it respected all law enforcement and had a good relationship with the police department in Alexandria.

Dismissal
The Extra Mile
The establishment’s night manager tracked down Karl to offer a proper apology for the situation. Allison Silberberg, Alexandria’s mayor, heard about it and made sure everyone else understood that she appreciated the gesture.

The Extra Mile
Police Department Reaction
Alexandria’s police chief said he was initially angry about the occurrence. It shocked him to hear that officers were refused service because the police department had a good relationship with the community as a whole.

Police Department Reaction
Being a Police Officer
The big issue here was that the restaurant only got upset when it learned that the staff had mistreated a police officer. When Karl was out of uniform, he got treated badly and with no respect.

Being a Police Officer
Another Situation
What would have occurred if a normal citizen had been discriminated against? Would the restaurant have rectified the matter similarly? If he had been a black man and not a black police officer, what might have happened?

Another Situation
The Result
Karl used his police officer uniform to make the restaurant face the consequences for discrimination. Truthfully, this type of behavior doesn’t go away, and people must know there are repercussions because of that.

The Result
In the End
Everyone who saw what Karl went through that day at the restaurant didn’t speak up. They didn’t try to help or fix the problem. Likewise, no apology was given until the staff knew he was a cop.

In the End
Not Enough
Police officers deserve respect, but ordinary citizens should be afforded the same, even without the position of authority. It wasn’t okay for the staff to treat Karl badly because he was just like everyone else.

Not Enough
Change Is Coming
Society hasn’t eradicated discrimination, but it is working on it. Hopefully, people will become more considerate and sympathetic to others’ situations to eliminate the problem, though it likely won’t happen for a while.

Change Is Coming