It all started with a torn throw pillow.
Byron Batista says he dropped off four decorative throw pillows to be professionally laundered at Rosali Cleaners in North Hollywood. When he returned a few days later, three of the pillows had been cleaned but the fourth was torn.
Naturally, Batista complained to the owner. That’s when things got ugly. According to Batista, the owner “blamed me and said I tore them apart all the while running around behind her counter, flipping me off and pretending to stick her finger in her backside.”
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Batista wasted no time taking the woman to small claims court, where a judge ruled in his favor. The dry cleaner was ordered to pay $75 for damaging the throw pillow.
That should have been the end of things. But when Batista received his check, it was made out to “Byron ‘the buggerer’ Batista.” (In case you didn’t know, Buggerer is an 18th-century term for sodomite.)
“I went back to court and showed the judge,” Batista told Frontiers in an interview. “He sent her out another letter asking her for a cashiers check with the proper spelling.”
Here’s what he received:
And that’s when Batista decided to go to the press with his story.
He says he wants to “let our community know that they should not spend their money there.”
“People like her need to be exposed.”
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Dennis C. McGrath
Buggerer. Illiterate and stupod
Tommy O'Brien
Yet the “press” does not name the business.
Trent Stevens
Let’s repeat it here: ROSALI CLEANERS
Realitycheck
Wait, isn’t that defiance of court? Doesn’t the judge get to have that
woman arrested and dragged in court for an apology?
This sounds absurd. Or is there more to it?
Uncv1
Did the business owner not do any research about the community she might be serving? Hoping they are out of business by the time I visit in June! It is just amazing how many people feel they have the right to get into my business as a gay man. Don’t they have any other problems to worry about?
Giancarlo85
As someone who lives not far from this horrible business, I will never go there. The best thing people can do is leave bad reviews on yelp and not go to that business. North Hollywood isn’t West Hollywood, but one of my gay friends lives there and I would tell him not to go to this business.
Tobi
I expect a GoFundMe page any second… nasty gays destroyed my business, etc.
Giancarlo85
And yes this nasty business owner is in contempt of court. He should be suing for a lot more at this point.
enfilmigult
What a complete loon. I wonder how she managed to keep a lid on it up to now.
Leonard Woodrow
We can only hope that enough people with guts and intelligence react, and put this stupid cow out of business!
blondeboyz
In imitation of the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld “No wedding cake or clean pillows for you!”
mattydean
http://www.yelp.com/biz/rosali-cleaners-north-hollywood
Go for it.
Darryl Moir
Burn him out.
Clark35
If someone called me those terms I’d laugh in their face, and if they owned a business possibly sue after I’d documented that they had done this.
fagburn
Presuming this isn’t yet another ‘Cry homophobia! boo hoo squish’ made-up story that’ll be disproved later, this isn’t really that important, even in the gay general scheme of things.
David
Agreed. I have no problem with being called a buggerer or a sodomite. It’s a shoe that fits.
Saint Law
@fagburn: If it were made up she would have contested it the first time rather than doubled down on the abuse.
“the gay scheme of things”
Um, you’re a gay blogger – albeit a minor one – blogging on matters gay in gay Brighton. And yet you write as if you’re somehow above it all.
Bad Ass Biker
@fagburn: This is a big deal. Would you give a pass to a business owner who called their customers n****ers or Kikes?
Blazipitous
Lmao!
GG
Pillow fight!
Lee-Gwen Booth
What, they missed out “pillow biter”? Well, that was an opportunity wasted.
Idiot on just so many levels.
jsmu
Sue the beeyotchkunt into oblivion, and get her jailed for various things including contempt of court.
BRENT
This is all rather unpleasant. Why can’t people just grow up?
TampaBayTed
The backside she was pointing to with her finger was probably six ax handles wide.
David Bolton
A better story would be how a gay man with a torn pillow slapped the shit out of some bitch at a dry cleaner. Why don’t we ever get to read THAT?
rwnsocal
@Lee-Gwen Booth:
The business owner is probably not that smart.
James Rouse Iñiguez
All the more reason to clean our sheets!
IcarusD
I’m surprised the judge simply sent letter requesting a cashier’s check. I would think a fine for contempt of court would be in order.
boring
As someone who has worked in Dry Cleaning for eight years now, I guarantee you the rip was already there.
That’s not to say she isn’t a total hellbeast (because she is) but I would put money on it that the tear was there, marked with a defective tag, which was then placed on the invoice IF these people know how to run a motherfucking business, yo.
Otherwise, put your order in to Cleaner’s Supply and get your shit fixed, dawg.
Giancarlo85
@fagburn: You are an illiterate idiot. Go post on some right wing site.
Sprtman
I’m not seeing the problem. Can you not call a spade a spade? And why not not?
jwtraveler
@GG: LOL:)
BBNoHo
“As someone who has worked in Dry Cleaning for eight years now, I guarantee you the rip was already there.”
And as the owner of the pillow and a theatrical costumer, I can tell you it wasn’t there. It’s obvious the zipper got stuck in her dryer and just twisted it around. Why would I take a pillow that was chewed up, in for cleaning?
And NO, fagburn, it’s not made up. Take your jizz filled chaps in to her and see if she will clean them…