Harrods bars uniformed soldiers
posted at 7:40 pm on November 18, 2006 by Allahpundit
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Including on Remembrance Day, a.k.a. British Veterans Day.
Their pathetic, incredible explanation:
The store has stood by their dress policy, saying: “There is a long-standing tradition at Harrods that would normally preclude customers who are wearing non-civilian attire from entering the store.
“A lot of people assume that somebody in uniform is either there on official duty, which could cause them alarm, or they assume they’re a member of staff and ask them where the lavatories are and so on.”
Question one: are cops barred too unless they’re responding to an emergency? Question two: what kind of uniforms do British soldiers wear that shoppers might mistake them for Harrods security guards? Question three: assuming shoppers would occasionally mistake them for Harrods security guards, is that a reason to bar them from the premises? Question four: are Britons such hopeless slackjawed morons that the site of a soldier buying shoes might make them think the store was under attack? Question five: even on Remembrance Day, when the streets are full of them? Question six: how does Harvey Nichols manage to admit soldiers yet still continue to function? Do they pipe some sort of sedative gas into the store to keep patrons from freaking at the site of the uniform? Question seven: is the fact that the policy is “long-standing” a good thing or bad?
This makes at least two places in Britain now where the uniform isn’t welcome, the other being hospitals in Birmingham. Which brings us to question eight: might the real reason Harrods frowns on soldiers be the same as the one given in Selly Oak’s E/R?
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Isn’t Harrods owned by an Arab?
Marvin on November 18, 2006 at 7:43 PM
Yep
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Al-Fayed
lorien1973 on November 18, 2006 at 7:46 PM
Perhaps they should read the “Horrorism” by Martin Amis which outlines what we are all looking forward to with this new Qutbism (no longer Islamofasciam). Mr. Amis lays it out, a bit long for my taste, but, everyone should read it. You can read it at The Observer, UK edition. Anyone with a brain will want to read it and those without will soon not have a head to worry about such mundane details.
Beat read I’ve come across that the point wasn’t lost on me, cuz, afterall, I’m a woman.
sharinlite on November 18, 2006 at 7:46 PM
So, are the Brits and the royal family going to do something about this? Or, are they going to bend over for allah?
EF on November 18, 2006 at 7:50 PM
But can I wear my burka ?
Scotsman on November 18, 2006 at 7:50 PM
I knew that but unless you can find me something showing he’s not a moderate I’m going to assume that he is.
Allahpundit on November 18, 2006 at 7:50 PM
If I remember my Kipling correctly:
“It’s Tommy this and Tommy that
And chuck him out, the brute,
But it’s ‘ero of the country
When the guns begin to shoot.”
Tommy is what the Brits call their soldiers,
something like we call ours GIs or grunts.
With Rudyard’s wise counsel in mind, I’m sure that Harrod’s will rescind their no-uniform policy once the jihadis launch their first RPG at Buckingham Palace.
Tantor on November 18, 2006 at 7:51 PM
Fair enough. Since he clearly doesn’t support the troops who help keep his sorry a$$ safe, perhaps Mohamed ought to uproot the whole operation out of Londonistan and move it where he’ll feel more comfortable, like Kabul, Fallujah, or what have you.
SpartRan on November 18, 2006 at 7:53 PM
The fix is simple.
Boycott Herrod’s until they change their little minds.
harrison on November 18, 2006 at 7:55 PM
Of course, he’s a moderate. His security officer just barred the soldier from the store; he didn’t beat him senseless.
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on November 18, 2006 at 7:56 PM
Moderate muslims and conservative democrats both need to prove themselves to me before I’ll beleive in either
conservativecaveman on November 18, 2006 at 8:00 PM
I seriously doubt that Mohamed al Fayed is an Islamist. He’s a very “western” kinda dude. He may be an a$$hole, but an Islamist? Doubtful. His mission in life is Dodi and Princess Diana.
bamapachyderm on November 18, 2006 at 8:11 PM
…when we lived over in the UK (’95-’98), Al-Fayed was something of a running joke on newscasts. “Not of good character” is putting it mildly. He’s sort of the Rupert Murdoch of retailing over there.
He’s not a militant Muslim by any means. He put a bunch of Egyptian-themed decorations up in Harrods, and a “shrine” to Dodi and Diana at one point, I remember from a documentary. He lives too “champagne and oysters” to be a jihadi…he’s just bitter about Britain.
I don’t think that this has the smell of Al-Fayed…the British Left aroma is all over this one. The British Left would make our Left here look like Young Republicans.
Been to Harrods. Go once, and you’ll never have to go again.
Puritan1648 on November 18, 2006 at 8:12 PM
I think he is a big enough a-hole to do business with anyone.
EF on November 18, 2006 at 8:13 PM
Pathetic
Defector01 on November 18, 2006 at 8:31 PM
Well, heck. They’re welcome in my house any time they’d like. I’ll even feed ‘em, no charge.
Bob's Kid on November 18, 2006 at 8:34 PM
The sun has set on the British Empire.
infidel4life on November 18, 2006 at 8:43 PM
But I must say that yummy steak makes me hungry every time it’s posted.
infidel4life on November 18, 2006 at 8:44 PM
If there wouldn’t be British soldiers, would there be a Harrods?
harrison, you confuse the British with their American cousins. Unfortunately Europeans don’t have the same spine. Also, British and Australian soldiers would give anything for the reverance and love given to their counterparts in the U.S. Sad.
Surprise me to the contrary and I’ll back down my statement, gladly!
Entelechy on November 18, 2006 at 8:50 PM
That’s horrible.
Christoph on November 18, 2006 at 9:15 PM
In 1982 I went to a Virginia Beach restaurant in uniform, where I was promptly ignored. I sat for 30 min just outta spite before leaving. I was young and was in A-School in Dam Neck VA. At the time we were not allowed to have civilian clothes on base. After this I rented a storage locker off base to change before going anywhere.
Gwillie on November 18, 2006 at 10:04 PM
They will bend over for allah, which means, they will not do anything about it. After all, the Brits are actually seeking approval from Muslim “leaders” in the community before the Brits raid a suspected Muslim terrorist plot site, or group, and the Muslims have been freely spreading their message of hate in the streets of London and elsewhere and not being arrested for spreading hate speech.
Are they Dihmmies yet?
William
William2006 on November 18, 2006 at 10:11 PM
Oh inscrutable one, what is the meaning of this zen-like phrase? Harrod’s was big and Not Cheap, IMHO, unless you happened to hit a sale.
Janos Hunyadi on November 18, 2006 at 10:11 PM
You mean “are they ever going to stop bending over for allah?”
All they’ve seen for years now is their feet, which might explain why they only perceive important issues in peripheral vision. Whether they’ll ever walk erect again is an open question.
Aylios on November 18, 2006 at 10:12 PM
It’s funny. I can be in a store, wearing clothes that in no way look like a uniform, and people come up to me and ask questions as if they thought I worked there. I always assumed it was because I seemed like someone who knew WTF was going on, and perhaps because I grew up working in retail and might have some subconscious bearing about me that people just pick up on somehow.
Does this mean I can’t shop there? Not that I’m the least bit interested in putting a single pound into Abu Dodi’s bank account, if I ever happen to go to London in the first place (an event becoming ever less likely as this sort of thing happens).
I once lived in Manhattan, KS (the Little Apple), right next door to Fort Riley. Some of the bars near the KSU campus would discriminate against anyone who showed an Army ID at the door, or had a military-style haircut, charging higher covers than they did for civilians. I thought that was dispicable, and so is this.
The Monster on November 18, 2006 at 10:14 PM
The way some of us GI’s acted, we probably deserved to be treated that way, or worse.
25or6to4 on November 18, 2006 at 10:51 PM
Monster – I never worked in retail, but I get the “I thought you worked here” thing darned near everywhere I go – hardware stores, computer stores, department stores…
…you know, I really should work on a way to make money from that “skill.” Except I don’t really know why it happens.
Merovign on November 18, 2006 at 10:55 PM
The don’t like to be called Britons. They prefer to be called by their nationality – English, Scots, Irish, Celtic, Gaelic, etc. Anything but Britons.
d-rock on November 18, 2006 at 11:58 PM
Well Harrods lost the Royal Warant some years ago so since the Royal Family no longer endorses Harrods there really is no reason to shop there.
Hyacinth Bucket
(Yes, I am a big fan of “Keeping Up Appearances”!)
Catie96706 on November 19, 2006 at 12:54 AM
Camelot, indeed…
Jaibones on November 19, 2006 at 1:38 AM
I’ve shopped there, though after this, I’ll go elsewhere. One question though: When did they start paying military personel enough money in order for them to afford to shop there?
james hooker on November 19, 2006 at 5:56 AM
“Scuse me Sergeant-Major, where’s the lavatory? Oh, you’re a soldier? You look so much like a member of the store staff! Honest!”
Reaps on November 19, 2006 at 7:35 AM
…just what I said…*harrumph*…*(narrows eyes, looks inscrutiable)*…once you’ve been, it’s sort of like viginity…been there once, just another snooty, over-priced tourist attraction thereafter.
Puritan1648 on November 19, 2006 at 9:48 AM
What is Harrods’ policy when 7 Middle Easterners are lurking around their premises wearing black baggy clothing?
Coronagold on November 19, 2006 at 10:22 AM
Harrods is like that, though. You’ll never see an armed or uniformed cop in dress down: its always the spit-shined uniform in the most dress they can possibly get. Harrods isn’t like Macys or any American department store. Its a different world, royal Britain.
But seriously, you all know that Harrods is owned by Al-Fayed, right? Muhammed Al-Fayed.
E. M. on November 19, 2006 at 11:54 AM
But it’s ‘ero of the country
When the guns begin to shoot.”
Yeah, but the guns ARE shooting, and yet the “chuck ‘im out” policy is in effect.
Lehuster on November 19, 2006 at 12:28 PM
It isn’t called “Londonistan” for nothing.
http://www.encounterbooks.com/books/londonistan/
SpartRan on November 19, 2006 at 1:28 PM
Not for a long, long time. The current Brit nickname for soldiers is squaddies.
From the early-to-mid ’80s until the mid-to-late ’90s, British military personnel almost always travelled in “mufti” (civilian dress). It was rare to see a uniform in public, even in ‘army towns’ like Aldershot. The reason for this was that the PIRA was regularly targeting the British military in the rest of the UK and even in continental Europe, not just in Northern Ireland. While I think that this policy did send the wrong message, there was a genuine concern on the part of the military that the public would be caught in attacks. I think that the main reason for Harrods’ policy is probably a similar concern, even if it is misguided.
jic on November 19, 2006 at 3:41 PM
The Monster: “It’s funny. I can be in a store, wearing clothes that in no way look like a uniform, and people come up to me and ask questions as if they thought I worked there. I always assumed it was because I seemed like someone who knew WTF was going on, and perhaps because I grew up working in retail and might have some subconscious bearing about me that people just pick up on somehow.”
They probably come to you because military meet other people’s gaze while clerks avoid eye contact.
Tantor on November 19, 2006 at 5:20 PM
Terrorists dont wear uniforms. “Attention Harrods shoppers we have a special in aile 10 – 33% off our stylish suicide vests!.”
infidel on November 20, 2006 at 10:28 AM
In Old Europe an anti-military attitude pervades.
Gobal peace, not war is on their mind. Ostriches!
Entelechy on November 20, 2006 at 3:53 PM
Start boycotting Harrods, they are over priced, anyway.
oldelpasoan on November 24, 2007 at 1:19 PM
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