Profiled Today - Life of a Black Dude

[Lester Burnham]

So today I stop by my business partner's house in a nice middle class neighborhood. He isn't home, so I call him, and he says he'll be there in two minutes. So I step outside my Benz and light up a cigarette. His neighbor walks out, and asks me why I'm "loitering" lol.

Then, about a minute later, some Real Housewives of Orange County type lady comes down the street with her dog, she looks at me, and says, "hey there, are you just hanging out?". Frustrated, I said, "yea, I'm just casing the place out for future robberies" and laugh. She gives a nervous laugh and in an apologetic tone says, "sorry, I've had my car broken into recently).

*sigh* At least they didn't call the cops. Not the first time, and won't be the last time...

[TCLGirls]

Your benz rolling on dubs?

What did you say to the nosy neighbor?

[xenigo]

Inquiring minds want to know... Does your sense of fashion revolve around "thug appeal"?

[Lester Burnham]

Originally Posted by xenigo

Inquiring minds want to know... Does your sense of fashion revolve around "thug appeal"?

I thug it out every once in awhile, but not today. Today, just a late model E series benz with a little bling but not ghetto. Jeans (not sagging below my ass lol) and a ski jacket. Maybe the Adidas and Louis Vuitton skull cap did me in.

Though I've been hounded before (I'm a middle class black dude in the U.S., so you get used to it), I was actually going on a pretty good streak of not getting hassled by cops or suburbanites. Just unusual that in a 5 minute period I get hassled by 2 different morons. I'm fairly certain if I looked like Kevin Spacey with a shirt and tie nobody would have said a thing.

[kazbalah]

Did you ever see that video with a white kid trying to steal a bike - no one said a thing to him.

Then they get a black kid doing the exact same thing, and WHOA the whole neighbor hood is onto him within minutes.

[kazbalah]

He wasnt even a bad lookin black kid either looking like a thug or something, he was a well dressed middle class looking kid, looked like a nice guy.

[Lester Burnham]

Originally Posted by kazbalah

Did you ever see that video with a white kid trying to steal a bike - no one said a thing to him.

Then they get a black kid doing the exact same thing, and WHOA the whole neighbor hood is onto him within minutes.

When I was young, my dad told me this "what it means to be black in the U.S." story. I never forgot it:

There is this high school with a faulty soda machine. If you kick the soda machine on its side, a soda comes out for free....

So one day the school principle and his secretary are walking by, and they see a group of H.S. white kids laughing, having a good time, and kicking the soda machine to get the soda.

The principle turns to the secretary and says, smiling, "Ahh..boys will be boys." They continue walking.

The next day the principle and his secretary walk by the soda machine again. The principle sees a group of black kids laughing, having a good time, and kicking the soda machine.

The principle turns to the secretary and says with a concerned look on his face, "It's time to fix the soda machine."

My dad is wise....

[Alky]

I'm not saying racial profiling doesn't exist.... but when people see people who don't live in a neighborhood, they ask questions.

If his neighbor was black, and he asked you the same question... would it have bothered you?

[Lester Burnham]

Originally Posted by Alky

I'm not saying racial profiling doesn't exist.... but when people see people who don't live in a neighborhood, they ask questions.

If his neighbor was black, and he asked you the same question... would it have bothered you?

Seriously dude? So when your neighbors throw a BBQ or invite family over, when they take a smoke break you ask them if they are "loitering"? And when they say they are waiting for a friend to come home, you say, "I had my car broken into recently..."?

If the neighbor was black and had the same tone, I would be annoyed as well.

It is what it is. I try not to get worked up over it. At least I wasn't taken to the police station and accused of robbery (that has happened btw lol)

[$5 submissions]

Just fucking with you. Profiling is for real.

I bought into the bullshit that it was media hype UNTIL I rolled with my college buddy Errol back in college. Stopped by cops 3 times in 4 hours. Downtown Oakland. Profiling is real as a heart attack. I definitely learned the saying "walk a mile in my shoes..." So I feel for you, man. Stay strong. Stay positive.

[DWB]

You didn't steal their bike did you?

[Seth Manson]

cool story bro

[FlexxAeon]

Originally Posted by Lester Burnham

So today I stop by my business partner's house in a nice middle class neighborhood. He isn't home, so I call him, and he says he'll be there in two minutes. So I step outside my Benz and light up a cigarette. His neighbor walks out, and asks me why I'm "loitering" lol.

Then, about a minute later, some Real Housewives of Orange County type lady comes down the street with her dog, she looks at me, and says, "hey there, are you just hanging out?". Frustrated, I said, "yea, I'm just casing the place out for future robberies" and laugh. She gives a nervous laugh and in an apologetic tone says, "sorry, I've had my car broken into recently).

*sigh* At least they didn't call the cops. Not the first time, and won't be the last time...

comes with the territory, sadly.

[Grapesoda]

Originally Posted by Lester Burnham

So today I stop by my business partner's house in a nice middle class neighborhood. He isn't home, so I call him, and he says he'll be there in two minutes. So I step outside my Benz and light up a cigarette. His neighbor walks out, and asks me why I'm "loitering" lol.

Then, about a minute later, some Real Housewives of Orange County type lady comes down the street with her dog, she looks at me, and says, "hey there, are you just hanging out?". Frustrated, I said, "yea, I'm just casing the place out for future robberies" and laugh. She gives a nervous laugh and in an apologetic tone says, "sorry, I've had my car broken into recently).

*sigh* At least they didn't call the cops. Not the first time, and won't be the last time...

pretty funny... try being a white dude and doing that in south central, you would be killed

[DamianJ]

I remember a tv show, maybe Michael Moore, and they were in NYC. Had a black guy on the street trying to hail a cab, and a white guy about 100 yards further on also trying to hail a cab.

If I remember right, every cab drove past the black guy to pick up the white guy.

White guy was a murderer, just got out of prison, black guy was a lawyer.

[C H R I S]

You should have taken off the ski mask.

[FlexxAeon]

Originally Posted by bm bradley

pretty funny... try being a white dude and doing that in south central, you would be killed

you'd be surprised how untrue this is lol

[digitaldivas]

Originally Posted by Lester Burnham

So today I stop by my business partner's house in a nice middle class neighborhood. He isn't home, so I call him, and he says he'll be there in two minutes. So I step outside my Benz and light up a cigarette. His neighbor walks out, and asks me why I'm "loitering" lol.

Then, about a minute later, some Real Housewives of Orange County type lady comes down the street with her dog, she looks at me, and says, "hey there, are you just hanging out?". Frustrated, I said, "yea, I'm just casing the place out for future robberies" and laugh. She gives a nervous laugh and in an apologetic tone says, "sorry, I've had my car broken into recently).

*sigh* At least they didn't call the cops. Not the first time, and won't be the last time...

well don't let it get you down Lester, not everyone is "socially retarded"

[MaDalton]

i'd be really interested in trying two things:

- you in normal jeans, t-shirt and no "bling" to the car in the same situation

- me doing the same in some black only area

[Amputate Your Head]

i get profiled all the time. i feel your pain.

[Grapesoda]

Originally Posted by FlexxAeon

you'd be surprised how untrue this is lol

Reginald Oliver Denny lol

[FlexxAeon]

Originally Posted by bm bradley

Reginald Oliver Denny lol

PLEASE Denny was in the middle of a riot

a black person in a white neighborhood... stereotype = loitering, stealing, etc

a white person in a black neighborhood... stereotype = police business, social service, etc

Originally Posted by MaDalton

i'd be really interested in trying two things:

- you in normal jeans, t-shirt and no "bling" to the car in the same situation

- me doing the same in some black only area

see above

[ottopottomouse]

Originally Posted by MaDalton

i'd be really interested in trying two things:

- you in normal jeans, t-shirt and no "bling" to the car in the same situation

- me doing the same in some black only area

Difference i've found in a black area is that about 40 people seem to appear out of nowhere to try and intimidate you.

[KillerK]

you are pretty rare if you are a middle class black man.

most live off the "system" and feel they are owed something.

[Varius]

While I believe profiling does exist, there is also something to be said for statistics.

If you are in a neighborhood where 80% of the robberies are attributed to a specific race, won't you be 80% more likely to be suspicious of / profile that race?

[Mutt]

that sucks, it wouldn't have happened if you were white.

but what a couple of others have said it goes both ways, a middle class white guy standing around in a poor black neighborhood would get some 'unwanted attention'.

tho, a white middle class guy standing around waiting on a friend in a black middle class neighborhood would be a fairer comparison.

i assume there are some predominantly black middle class neighborhoods in cities like Atlanta.