Today ( November 19th, 2025) I went to meet my sister for lunch at one of our favorite places in Cookeville to eat, Cheddar's, only to be told we were both banned for life for being racists. When I got there my sister was crying and they would not tell her why we were banned. I went in alone and talked to the assistant manger. She told me a woman was offended by something I had said last week (I believe on the 3rd of Nov.) Said I had made racist slurs and made her scared. Let me make it perfectly clear I, nor my sister are NOT racist, we were not raised that way. We were banned without them hearing our side of this drama. Gee, I thought we lived in America where you are innocent until proven guilty. They prejudged us without a trial. My sister and I are long time patrons of Cheddar's, some of our friends are too. I told the manager, “You know us, you know we are not racist.” She responded with, “I know, but it is company policy....” “To ban people for life for something you know is not true?” I say back to her. I remember talking with this trainee. I thought she was sweet. She never indicated that anything I said bothered her. She should have told me. I don't agree, but I still would have apologized. I treated her no different than any other person I ever talked to. Keep in mind my sister never even talked to this girl, she was involved chatting with someone else) so why was she banned? My sister is also deaf in one ear and can hardly hear out the other, so I highly doubt she even heard our conversation. I was told that she accused both of us. I am 72 and my sister is 68. I don't know the purpose behind this, to get two old white women banned? I hope not, I am old enough to remember the riots of the 60's, I thought we had progressed away from those times. I realize people get offended very easily these days. This girl wants to work in a customer service position? She better get a tougher skin if she was offended by anything I said. This girl isn't from here, will not work here, we will never see each other again, so why get us banned as a parting shot and why is Cheddar's a partner in this? I like the people at Cheddar's that is why we always go there. We like to sit at the bar (Neither of us drink) and chat. The people in the bar know us well. But this is wrong. I am offended. My sister is horrified. We are being banned from coming in, sitting a spell and talking to old friends because of what one person said we did. Is this what we have come to? One person has the power to ruin part of another person's life, to take away something important to them? We are being accused of something we thought we would never be accused of. I feel Cheddar's has not done right by us. She was an employee, we were customers. How is she going to react when someone really does insult her? It will probably happen sooner than later if she plans on being a bartender or manager. I used to waitress, I have dealt plenty with rude, food throwing, insulting people when I was no older than that girl is now. I didn't dwell on it, I went on to the next customer. I represented the company I worked for as an adult. Oh yes, I forgot. What ever happened to free speech? What do I want from this? An apology from Cheddar's and the ban dropped.
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