Berkley Foto
Central Parkway Mall
Mississauga, ON
(905) 896-8884
Rating:
1 out of 5 stars
(
2 reviews)
Description
Berkley Foto offers these services: photo finishing.
by ourbis
on October 07, 2013 from ourbis
Reviews
Berlkley Foto: It saddens me to be writing you as a victim of harassment, <br/><br/>To be a woman and to live in a woman’s body is to be held to a set of paradoxical standards. To be sexually discriminated against or harassed is extremely frustrating, and even if you could, sometimes you just don’t have it in you to instigate a losing battle. It leaves you feeling frustrated and silenced. It’s a lose –lose no matter which way you slice it. I needed to expedite a quick renewal of my passport. I drove to the passport office and they required me to take another photo, sending me to a shop owner downstairs. As soon as I approached the retailer the man told me to go to a washroom and wash and scrub my face, he couldn’t take a photo of me with makeup. I told him the only makeup I was wearing was a hint of eyebrow shadow and lipstick, which I would remove with a tissue. The rest of my make-up is tattooed.<br/><br/>He demanded that I wash my face. I did what he said, using hand soap from a public bathroom and toilet paper to cleanse and scrub it clean. I knew I needed to get this photo done immediately if I was going to go back to the States to care for my twin nephews born premature at 31 weeks 3.5 pounds each. When I returned he told me it was not good enough; “Wash it again!” I then asked to speak to his head office, and he would not give me the number. I took out my phone to call mall security and he pointed to a decal and said “no cell phone use in his store.” Frustrated, I washed my face again, in a public restroom. My hair wet all around my face. And then again, as the same events continued. And again. I washed my face 4 times.<br/><br/>Then he told me to stand and wait for 15 mins in the middle of the store. There was apparently a shine. Then he told me to pat my face with a tissue. I told him I did not have a tissue, and as humiliating as it was, I was using toilet paper from a public washroom. He went to the back of the store and handed me a tissue. Pointed to approximately twelve spots on my face and told me to wipe. wipe. wipe... Then he took the tissue and began to wipe, adding, 'This is what you need, this will be good for you.”<br/><br/>I began to cry, and he then said: "I’m ready to take your photo.”<br/><br/>Today a stranger took whatever control he could to declare his opinion about my body to – control and emotionally tortured me. Women are closer than ever than ever to be living as equals but when it comes to our bodies, it still seems shockingly easy to tear us down “put us in our place. <br/><br/>"I took the photo, my neck blotchy with emotion, tears in my eyes to the guard at the passport office. She immediately put her arms around me when I entered, and expedited me to a booth. She looked at me and holding both my hands and said, did that man make you wash your face and remove all your make-up. I said, “Yes, yes he did.” And she said: “Don’t ever let someone do that to you again.”<br/><br/>And so, for the next five years, the life of this new passport I have this photo, with wet dripping hair, 4 times washed face, red tearful eyes, too remind me never to fix my eyes on the ground and ignore harassment again.<br/>
I have decided to make this public and give my photo to the Mississauga News, Consulate Development, Area MP's, BBB, Passport office, my personal blog and online reviews. <br/><br/>The owner of the Berkley Foto is Yeong Soo Kang<br/>
He told me his name was Berkley in the store, which is untrue.<br/>
He would not give me a phone number<br/><br/>The phone number listed for Berkley foto online is not a valid one.<br/><br/>Berkley Photo only takes cash, before the photo is taken. <br/>
His store receipt does not have any information about the store except for the name of it.
Rated 1 stars by Tammy Phinney
on February 12, 2013