EXCLUSIVE: Racial Incident Rocks Worcester This Weekend

Monday, December 01, 2014

Patrick Sargent, GoLocal Worcester Contributor

View from Spring's Car Being Blocked in Pub 99 Parking Lot

On Saturday night, Danielle Spring of Worcester, was verbally attacked with racial slurs and was reportedly told to "go back to Ferguson," outside of a Pub 99 in Worcester.

"It was a night to remember," said Spring, a former Pub 99 employee. "I'm still in shock that it even happened."

Incident at Pub 99

Spring's girlfriend works at the restaurant and had been out of work sick for the past two weeks. Spring was bringing her by to drop off doctor's notes that were requested by management. As her girlfriend went in to the restaurant, Spring backed her car into a handicap spot. There are three handicap spots at the Pub 99. Spring parked in the one furthest from the door. According to Spring, she wasn't in the spot more than two minutes before a man in a white SUV blocked her in.

"It was during their busy time. There's nowhere to pull over to the side," said Spring. "I made sure there were two other spots open in case anyone came and needed them. I backed in because I knew I wasn't going to be there long, and in case anyone needed the spot, I could pull out easy for them."

According to Spring, the man got out of his car and told her she needed to "get out of the (expletive) handicap spot." The man wanted to park in her spot. Spring said, "He said to me, 'I want to park in that spot, get out of the (expletive) spot, you (expletive) "n-word".'"

"I started ignoring him because there was nothing I could do. He had backed up and blocked me in. Because of the way he was parked in front of my car, traffic behind him was backed up. No one could go anywhere. He came up to my car and said, "You (expletive) "n-word", take your black ass back to Ferguson." Spring said the man went inside to call the police and as he did so, he said "'You're going to get what you deserve tonight, (n-word).'"

Spring continued to ignore the man. "I tried to keep my cool, he was older than me. And I was taught to respect my elders," said Spring. "I knew if I did something, and he did call the police, I would be the one going to jail and not him."

According to Spring, employees at the 99 told the man that he cannot block her in no matter what. And he was told to move his car. "He moves his car, and I continue to ignore him. He pounded on my windshield and continued to call me (n-word). At that point, I began to get scared. He went on and called me a 'disrespectful (n-word).'" Spring said people were hurrying their children inside the restaurant because they were so offended by what the man was saying.

The manager came out when he heard there was an altercation outside. "By the time the manager came out, I was crying. I said to the man, 'If you call me (n-word) one more time, I will slam my fist against the side of your face,'" said Spring. "I wasn't going to hit the guy, but I was so upset, I didn't know what else to say."

When the manager came out to find out what was happening, the man reportedly denied saying any of it to Spring. However, two witnesses that were there that wished to remain anonymous both confirmed the incident and that the man called Spring the "n-word" "at least seven times."

According to Spring, the manager told the man to just go inside and told Spring to get back into her car. "I was shocked, he didn't do anything. Someone inside told my girlfriend that the manager 'took care of it,'" said Spring.