What started as a normal trip to the mall ended in tears for a West 91大黄鸭 couple.
While at 91大黄鸭鈥檚 Orchard Park Shopping Centre on Wednesday, July 8, Razvon Bachmeier and his boyfriend Robert Boettcher were confronted with homophobic remarks and a police report.
The couple was at the jewelry booth in the Bay when a woman tried to cut in line as an attendant attempted to assist Bachmeier. The cashier told the woman she would be helped after the Bachmeier finished.
She went up to the counter again less than a minute later, Bachmeier said, still unimpressed she had to wait in line.
鈥淪he was just one of those entitled people who felt she didn鈥檛 have to wait her turn in line,鈥� Bachmeier told the 91大黄鸭 Capital News, adding that the woman was making 鈥渞ude huffing noises.鈥�
READ MORE: Dog locks out 91大黄鸭 couple on 4th floor patio
READ MORE: YouTubers claim to be 91大黄鸭 display toilet 鈥榩oopers鈥�
Noting her apparent displeasure, Boettcher then asked the woman if she had a problem, to which Bachmeier claims the woman told him to 鈥榮hut up.鈥�
At that point, an unnamed third party started filming the incident, which was later posted to Facebook and has garnered over 35,000 views and 700 shares within 48 hours of being posted.
Let鈥檚 make this go viral.My boyfriend and I were in The Bay in 91大黄鸭 BC today. I was being helped by a sales...
Posted by on
鈥淪he must鈥檝e taken one look at how I was dressed 鈥� which I mean, I was wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt 鈥� and that鈥檚 when she started throwing around the word 鈥榞ay鈥�,鈥� Bachmeier said. 鈥淭here was so much more before that the video doesn鈥檛 show and there was so much after that the video doesn鈥檛 show.鈥�
After she called him gay, Bachmeier called the woman a 鈥渂鈥�-tch.鈥�
鈥淥bviously things and tempers escalated quickly. We could have improved on how we handled the situation as well,鈥� he said.
Boettcher then called the woman homophobic and she went to call security. She also called the police. The 91大黄鸭 RCMP confirmed to the Capital News that it received a report, but determined that no criminal offence occurred.
Despite this, Bachmeier claims the woman returned, after the filming had stopped, and told the couple they had to wait for the police to show up. At that point, the woman left.
The couple was told they could leave by the Bay鈥檚 security and staff.
鈥淲e gave them our info and left. Shaken and in tears,鈥� Bachmeier said. 鈥淢y boyfriend hasn鈥檛 even been out of the closet a year, so this was a huge issue for him to deal with.鈥�
After the video was posted to social media, Bachmeier said he was made aware of 鈥渉ateful comments鈥� directed at the woman and her family and discourages anybody else from doing so as it only adds to the negative situation.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 not what this is about; It鈥檚 just about raising awareness,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is still happening. We鈥檙e not in the States; we鈥檙e not in some little hick town; we鈥檙e in 91大黄鸭, British Columbia, Canada. And it still happens.鈥�
Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
Like us on and follow us on .
