Guaging Trust

Shopping cart blocks a vacant check-out isle.

    Are minorities trusted less?
    Yesterday I visited a market. Call it Store 1. It’s not my usual shopping destination.
    Two check-out isles weren’t in use. They were situated near the exit of the store. Physical barriers, including a shopping cart, obstructed movement through those isles.
    Chances are, the isles were blocked to prevent stealing. A thief could easily make off with a cart full of food.
    I usually shop in a market twelve miles away. Call it Store 2. That market is owned by the same company. Prices are identical. But one aspect is different. Empty isles are not blocked.
    Why the difference in trust?
    Do ethnic perceptions factor in? Many of the customers in Store 1 are minorities. Most of the customers at Store 2 are whites like me.
    Or is the difference in trust attributable to mathematics? The number of thefts might be greater at Store 1 than at Store 2. Preventing theft makes sense.
   In my opinion, minorities are trusted less in this country. But jumping to that conclusion in every situation is wrong.