Review of downtown Seattle Target (Yelp.com)

Target is a great boon for everyone, especially those who work or have to go through downtown on their way to work.

It is a good alternative to online amazon shopping, where I had been doing most of my shopping because I wanted to avoid the hassles of crowds downtown.

However, I need to warn others that the area is not necessarily very safe, even from other shoppers!

Wednesday evening I went down to Target to pick up a soundbar speaker. I found it on the shelf and brought it over to the check-out electronics counter on the third floor.

I was standing about 5 feet from (to the side and to the back of) a young neatly dressed African-American woman who was paying for something. She turned and walked away. In fact she almost walked into me. Instead of brushing past me, she started to yell at me, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE IN MY WAY?"

In a state of shock by this nastiness, I could only stammer, "You don't need to have to be so rude..." but she mumbled "You were in my way" and walked away.

(I'm sure if I had behaved that way towards her, she would have screamed in my face, or even smacked me, a racial minority like herself. As a person of color, I have the obligation to speak out against racism, whatever its color).

The store clerk witnessed the incident and was sympathetic, the other customers did not appear to take notice, which I think is typical of Seattle. Shop till you drop.

But something more than merchandise is being transacted: social dynamics (even if few shoppers are aware of or choose to admit it).

The experience left me shaken. Racism can upset even a simple shopping expedition.

I'm not so sure I want to continue shopping at Target, if it changes the way Westlake Plaza did only a few years after it opened and began to attract an aggressive crowd.

But I hope it doesn't, because having a Target downtown, one that is well lit and well organized, is so convenient.