The Dollar Tree Store discriminates against nonwhites.

Case in point. A couple of weeks ago I was visiting the Dollar Tree Store in Riverside, California. The store is on Van Buren, next to the NY Buffet.

While shopping, I needed to use the rest room. It was being used. As I waited, a Caucasian woman came out. By the time I reached the rest room the doors was locked. I walked to the front and asked for a key. I was told the manager had it. I walked to the back of the store and found the manager, named Sheyla. She said the restroom was „out of order.¾ I mention that I just saw a person come out of it. Sheyla snapped, „It is out of order!¾ As we continue to discuss about why there no „Out of Order¾ sign posted, an employee opened the restroom for a Caucasian man.

When I pointed that out to Sheyla, she became angry. I asked for a phone number for the district manager. She said she was not allowed to give the name or phone number out. I asked for a corporate number. She said she did not have it. Then told me to go wait in the front. A few minutes later, she came to the front, gave me a number, (757-321-5000), and said I could report my complaint there. I called that number twice, left two messages, never received a response from The Dollar Tree Store.

Today, April 1, 2005, I went to a Dollar Tree Store in Garden Grove, California. The store is in the Brookhurst shopping center, next to Rite-Aid. As I was walking around, I notice a Caucasian man coming out of the restroom. He was wearing a nice dress shirt and a tie. I saw an employee near by, and I asked if I needed a key to the rest room. She said, „We do not have a public restroom.¾ I mention that the man with the tie just came out of the restroom. She said, „he¼s an employee.¾ BIG LIE! The man was a customer. Thinking he was the manager by the way he was dressed, I tried to ask him about the restroom policy. He said he was not an employee, then paid for his items and left.

I asked for the manager. It turned out that the employee who lied to me is the manager. She said her name is Brenda. I asked her for a phone number to the district manager. Same as before, she said she could not give out the number. I asked for their corporate number. She said I could get it myself, that it was posted by the registers. I could not find it. I went back to ask her for it. Same as with Sheyla, she became agitated, and said she¼ll take me to find it. The number was posted on the side of the store, next to the office. I called the number. No response. Seems the number is just a recorder, to make the consumer think that The Dollar Tree Store cares. However, no one seems to be checking those messages.