7-Eleven Store #23893 Located at 1660 Elmwood Ave. in Brighton, NY
For the past 10-plus years me and my family have supported a minority owned 7-Eleven store in Brighton, NY, just outside of Rochester, NY, spending an average of $75-$100 a week on everything from milk, hot prepared foods, coffee, snacks, and refreshments.
This morning, after I had just paid for some items, Rachid Messalti, an Algerian-born immigrant who along with his Rwanda-born wife Louise own the 7-Eleven store #23893 located at 1660 Elmwood Avenue, at the corner of Elmwood and South Clinton Avenues, told me I'm no longer welcomed in his store.
According to Messalti, he didn't "appreciate" my having mentioned his store in my blog.
I asked Messalti for a full refund, and left.
Now, some background.
As many of you who regularly follow my blog and my YouTube channel DavyVTV already know, a couple of weeks ago I was stopped by a Brighton, NY cop who falsely accused me of speeding, an issued me a ticket.
Brighton, NY Police officer Brian Cecere is the same cop who I video recorded just one month earlier, pulling over a black motorist.
A week after Brighton, NY Police officer Brian Cecere pulled me over, I ran into Brighton Police officer Marcus Capeder, at the same 7-Eleven store owned by Messalti.
The Elmwood Avenue 7-Eleven store is actually a popular cop hangout, especially late at night and into the early morning hours, where bored on-duty Brighton cops are known to kill time as they talk women, gambling, and golf with the night manager, Messalti's brother.
But this time it was actually a good interaction with Officer Capeder.
In a video I recorded of my talk with officer Capeder, he was very courteous, and professional, even stating that he fully supports the first amendment protected right of citizens to record police officers.
But Rachid Messalti, was clearly none too happy with my having video recorded my interaction with officer Capeder outside of his store, or the fact that I mentioned his store in my blog.
Even though I've been loyal, regular customer for a decade.
I regret not having video recorded Messalti when he told me he didn't want me to come into his store anymore, but to be honest I never imagined he would do what he did or treat me the way he did.
Over the years I've had many people, including family members and so-called "friends" distance themselves from me as a result of my work, some even telling me I'm "too controversial", whatever that means, but I've never been banned from a business.
Especially a business I've spent thousands of dollars in and supported for years.
Perhaps even more disturbing, and ironic, is that an immigrant who came to this country in search of a better life, much like my own parents did, would not only try to interfere with my rights as an American, specifically my first amendment right to free speech, but in doing so, would discriminate against me, by telling me I'm not allowed in his store.
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