KARACHI – A Facebook user has triggered a debate on social media alleging that he was denied entry at a Karachi restaurant as he went there while riding a motorbike.
In a post, Waqar Siddiqui claimed that Café Flo’s staff discriminated him on the basis of his mode of transportation. Waqar was supposed to meet two of his friends and a client at the restaurant when the guard refused to let him in. When the guard questioned him further, he replied that he wanted coffee and was informed that the restaurant didn’t serve any.
“I had a meeting with my friends and clients at the cafe, but the guard refused to let me in. Upon his further questioning, we told him that we wanted coffee and he replied that they don’t serve it,” he said.
“I said do you ask every customer what they want to eat before entering? He said no. I said then why did you stop me? He said because you are on a bike. I just went in shock. I said, what did you say? He said you are on a bike and you are trying to enter. That’s not our policy,” Siddiqui has been quoted as saying in The Express Tribune.
Meanwhile, Café Flo has dismissed the allegation saying that the guy was not discriminated on the basis of the motorbike but due to his suspicious behavior.
The restaurant administration also issued a detailed statement, saying: “…an individual came on his motorcycle outside Cafe Flo and was loitering about while talking continuously on his phone and staring at the customers walking in. What seemed like about 15 minutes later, another motorcycle pulled up with 2 men and they immediately hopped off to head inside the restaurant. All this seemed very suspicious to our guard and considering that the restaurant had a lot of customers inside, mostly women, he stopped them at the gate…”.
