8-4-07
Originally uploaded by chrismaverick.
Note:Generally I don’t crosspost my 365mav daily posts. But this was interesting enough that I felt like I should. I make light of it here, but I guess in reality I’m lucky I didn’t get shot and had some crack spinkled on me.
Day 358 of 365 days.
The trials and tribulations of being a black man.
Had a wrestling show today. My car was acting up again, so Steph dropped me off. After the show I walked to a gas station not far away to buy cigarettes, a bottle of water and a cookie and wait for her to pick me up. Just as I was standing around wondering what the hell I was going to use for my 365 days shot so late in the day, two cop cars pulled up next to me.
"What are you doing sir?"
"I’m waiting for a ride."
If my people have learned anything over the years, it’s to be as polite and cordial to the police as possible. I certainly wasn’t looking to have my ass Rodney Kinged tonight.
Apparently someone decided I looked suspicious standing around in front of a gas station and eating a cookie so they called the cops. The cops rushed to the scene to apprehend the suspicious looking 5’8 black man brandishing a chocolate chip cookie and a bottle of Aquafina. They took my license and ran it through their computer and of course came up with nothing. Then they asked me what I was doing so far from home (the show was about 30 min away) and I had to explain being a professional wrestler. Eventually they decided to buy my story and wished me a good day. I did manage to get one of them to agree to pose with me for this shot. That kind of threw them I think. They probably don’t have many suspects asking them to pose for pictures. I thought of having him pretend to arrest and cuff me, but decided that it was better not to push my luck.
I’m glad I didn’t wear my "I’d rather be fighting the man" T-shirt today.
Steph arrived to pick me about 5 min. after they finally left me alone. I wonder if they would have arrested me on the spot if they knew I was boinking a white woman.
Re: “Sir! Put the cookie down on the ground”
maybe they thought it was a crack cookie. *shrug* Also, I was wearing a cleveand cavs jersey. Clearly I was a gang member.
Being a black man coming out of an IWC show, they probably figured you were a Canadien. You cant blame them…
hahaha… that’s way inside there.
Re: “Sir! Put the cookie down on the ground”
well, it was frusterating, but sadly, I’ve had it happen before.
…
That is…so not funny. And the thing is, I keep being surprised when things like this happen to friends of mine, as if I actually expect the world to be just and reasonable despite knowing perfectly well that it is not.
I’m actually amazed that so many people were surprised by it. It’s just one of those things that happens when you’re a black guy. No, that doesn’t make it ok. But I guess I just don’t find it surprising. I’m more surprised that it doesn’t happen more often.
I guess that’s kind of the thing.
If you are white, you can forget this kind of thing happens, because after all, it only gets called to your attention every so often. It never happens to _you_, only maybe to people you know, now and then.
Whereas if you are, say, Mr Black America, you are probably always aware that this kind of thing might happen to you at any time.
wow. I totally should have changed my name to “Mr. Black America”
then you could give those cops what for. “don’t you know who I am? I am MR BLACK AMERICA.”
see, again… this is one of those things that my people know not to do.
…
ok for serious clearly I am whiter than white.
not your fault. you were born that way. 🙂
well, I was born ignorant, too, but that doesn’t mean I have to stay that way.
If he calls himself MR BLACK AMERICA, he is so getting Rodney Kinged next time.
pretty much.
What were they going to do, book you for brandishing a pastry in a threatening manner?
Anyway, I’m sorry you had to deal with that crap.
well, by the time they got there, I had eaten the weapon, so I don’t know if they could even do that.
As I mentioned over IM, I had the same thing happen to me during college, only I was sitting on my mother’s front step.
“What are you doing here?”
“I live here.”
Since I didn’t have a driver’s license or state ID, I pulled the keys out of my pocket, turned around, and unlocked the door.
they should have shot your high yellow ass for brandishing a key at them. You could put an eye out with that thing.
yet another priveleged, ignorant whitie says..
unbelievable.
I too am impressed at the way you handled the situation and kept your sense of humor (without laughing *at them*)
which Township was this?
Re: yet another priveleged, ignorant whitie says..
Also:
great pic
Re: yet another priveleged, ignorant whitie says..
honestly, it really wasn’t all that scary or anything. They had absolutely nothing on me. So the only thing that could have made it bad was being an asshole to them.
And thank you.
So, yeah – where was this?
And I couldn’t help but laugh at the way you’ve written the story, but together with the pic I was dying inside. It shouldn’t be a crime to be black!