The night I almost died -- except I'm white

[nichomachus]

This was about 20 years ago. I was on a business trip to Detroit. I had flown in that morning, been to a couple of mind-numbing meetings, and was on my way to my hotel.

I took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up in a neighborhood nobody wants to be in. Lots of burned out building, piles of rubble, burned out or broken street lights, glass and rubble in the street. No people anywhere. And I was lost. All I wanted to do was find the highway, but there were no signs for it.

I had one of those shitty rental-car maps. The street I was on was on the map, but the cross streets weren't. So I was trying to get to a place where I could see where I was on the map. I drove from functioning street lamp to functioning street lamp, trying to see where I was and whether I was getting closer to a better area. During one of these stops, the rental car paperwork slipped down between the passenger seat and the console. (This become important later.)

After I pulled into the light of one street lamp, I saw blue lights behind me. I wasn't upset -- my behavior could have been considered suspicious -- and I figure the cops would know the way to the interstate.

The cops got out of their car and came up to each side of my car. They asked for my license and registration. Knowing that the paperwork was between the seat and the console -- without even thinking (remember, I was frazzled and tired) I stuck my hand between the passenger seat and the console. Even as I was reaching down there, my brain was saying "WTF kind of idiot are you?" I heard two clicks and saw two guns pointed in each side of the car aimed at my head.

I stopped cold and just said, "Sorry, officer, this is a rental car and the paperwork slipped down here." He said "OK, just take it out -- very slowly -- with two fingers." I did. Guns were re-holstered. Even they weren't quite sure of the way to interstate, but after a lot of discussion between them, they showed me a way.

As I was driving to my hotel, all I could think of was how close I came to having what few brains I have splattered all over the inside of that car (Avis would not have been pleased). I was also thinking of how lucky it was that I'm white. I can't say for sure that the cops would have shot me if I had been black, but the odds would definitely not have been in my favor.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

1. White privilege allowed you, probably, the assumption that you were not an animal

and for that reason and that reason only at least one of those guns didnt fire.

The difference is cops will and do treat white people like shit, all the time, mainly because cops believe they are gods, but being treated like shit or whatever and being shot in the head until dead, or choked to death, etc.

you know, not the same

Denial of white privilege is the epitome of white privilege...was thinking about that last night

[marble falls]

2. Absolutely. One perk of white privelege is you probably won't get shot by mistake by cops.

[upaloopa]

3. Maybe if cops are that afraid they should not be cops

But both cases lately the cops killed someone with their hands up. The cops say they feared for their lives because of the size of the person they killed. I think these cops did not qualify to be cops if that is the case.

[nichomachus]

4. If they're basing it on size

I'm in double trouble.

[RufusTFirefly]

5. And were you able to safely get the illicit drugs to their destination without further delay?

Actually, that's a great -- and very telling -- story!

If more people were able to walk a mile in the other guy's shoes, we wouldn't have many of the woes we suffer from today.

Unfortunately, empathy appears to be beyond the capabilities of an alarming number of people.

In some cases, a simple question like "How would you feel if that happened to your child?" could be all it takes.

[nichomachus]

6. No drugs -- I was looking for ho's

Those are the two assumptions cops make when they see a white guy driving around in a neighborhood like that.

[bettyellen]

21. but if you were black, they likely would have searched your car, while treating you like

a piece of shit.

[nichomachus]

22. No

Probably would have searched it after they shot me -- and would have "found" the gun that a fellow cop placed there.

[bettyellen]

24. my one recent stop was scary, the officers lied, definitely tried to intimidate me

An undercover car, suddenly pulling out of nowhere and blaring the siren when I was going like 10 mph under the EL in the Bronx.
They claimed I didn't signal for a lane change, my blinker was still on!!
Demanded I roll window down all the way with anger in his voice. I was flustered.
I explained I had to rifle through the abyss that was my purse, and he asked what I was doing "there" - the Bronx, and I have Jersey plates. So, I explained I grew up there, went to Blessed Sacrament, and was fixing up my Mom's house on Underhill since she just died a few months ago. He still wasn;t sure. I added that I had just come from a certain PCT, where my brother was a Sargent. Then he left me alone. But seriously, what a waste of resources.

[nichomachus]

25. This is why I just got a dashboard cam

A friend got stopped the other night for going through a stop sign (he didn't), was accused of drinking (he doesn't drink), and was verbally abused by the cop.

[hfojvt]

7. well, you did the smart thing too

you froze and you explained things.

I did something similar in Iowa when I was stopped for a seatbelt ticket. For some reason, maybe my long hair, maybe my grumpy driver's license picture, he decided to call for back-up and start questioning me about weapons. Being tired or something, I reached into the car to check. Sorta midway through thinking - ah, that was dumb. But hey, if you ask me if I have change for a five, I might logically grab my wallet and check.

But if you told this same story as a black man, you might very well think, and say, "the cops only pulled their guns on me, because I am a black man."

And then if you told this story to show, no, they do things like this to white men as well.

You'd get replies like "cool story, bro" or "false equivalence" or explaining how your anecdote and point of view makes you a racist.

[uppityperson]

13. If he was black, he'd been likely shot, even if he froze.

But if you told this same story as a black man, you might very well think, and say, "the cops only pulled their guns on me, because I am a black man."

And then if you told this story to show, no, they do things like this to white men as well.

You'd get replies like "cool story, bro" or "false equivalence" or explaining how your anecdote and point of view makes you a racist.

WTF? If he told the story as a black man how he as a white man did not get shot? what?

[noiretextatique]

15. no thinking person believes white people don't get abused by the police

but then, there is racial profiling. and sometimes, people are stopped just because of race. the problem is people who deny that people DO get stopped, just because of race.

[hfojvt]

16. no thinking person

is gonna deny that people do get stopped, just because of race.

Unless they are very young or otherwise sheltered.

[noiretextatique]

17. +1000 dammit, hfojvt

we agree on something,!!! that requires a

[noiretextatique]

18. the teevee show "Cops" opened my eyes

99.9% of their work is involving drugs, and many of the "suspects" are white. it is time to stop the war on people, of all races.

[hfojvt]

19. I cannot stand that show

Not sure why. I watch a lot of the "fake cop shows" like NCIS, SVU, CSI, but every time I watch a little bit of Cops, the cops seem abusive and I cannot stand to watch it.

[noiretextatique]

20. i can only watch a few epsidoes

they are ALWAYS about "drugs"...99.9 % of the time; imagine the resources that could be used on actual crimes? i think i am .understanding you. poor white people do hot have a voice, just like the poor of any race, i do hear you,

[MrScorpio]

8. Do you remember the street that you were on?

Because it's almost impossible to drive on a main street in Detroit and completely avoid a freeway…

Sounds like you were in my old hangout… The East Side.

[nichomachus]

9. Don't recall

But actually, I was kind of running parallel to the freeway, not too far away, but with a large stand of trees in between, and I couldn't see it. The only place in the neighborhood that was lighted was a fast-food joint of some kind. Next to it was an alleged ramp to the highway -- unmarked and unlighted. The cops told me to go down there. It was dark, there were a lot of rocks and crap in the roadway, and weeds growing up through the cracks. It looked like no one had driven down there in years. I just knew the cops had directed me into a trap, but then, all of a sudden, there was the highway. And I made my escape.

[MrScorpio]

10. Sounds like you were on Grand Boulevard or Outer Drive.

Your problem was that you panicked.

You were more in danger of running into something from not paying attention that any harm coming to you from someone else.

Yes, Detroit had a bad rep, but it's not like it's Baghdad.

[nichomachus]

11. I wasn't panicking

I was just getting frustrated because I wanted to get back to my hotel and the Avis map was useless. In fact, I was happy to see the cops. I figured they could get me on the right road. There wasn't a whole lot there to frighten me. It was pretty much deserted.

However, I still feel that had I been black, I could have been seen as "reaching for a gun" when I went for the rental contract.

[MrScorpio]

14. There's no such thing as a "good" firebombing. nt

[ScreamingMeemie]

26. I was going to say unless you're on the East side.

Coming from Metro airport, you can get real messed up if you take the wrong Gratiot exit.

[B Calm]

23. Sounds like you were on East 9 Mile road