One of a my co-workers is discussing his unplanned exit from the freeway.

[eyesroll]

"I missed my exit due to the construction so I had to exit at North, but I couldn't turn around, so I drove around North and MLK and wow, was that a colorful neighborhood. I saw ankle monitors, and I think I saw a prostitute, and people were smoking pot and maybe even crack right there on the street, and everyone was just hanging out without a sense of purpose, and I saw two kids, couldn't be older than 10, walking enormous pit bulls. Now, I'm not saying that ALL black neighborhoods are like this..."

Of course, I passed through MLK and North every day for 18 months (until my recent move), and I saw people waiting for the bus, people buying hot dogs from the street vendor, and people walking their dogs and baby carriages. I'm not saying that this neighborhood is free of problems, but it's amazing what happens when you bring a sheltered, suburban man into the city.



Three more months...

[Sugar Smack]

1. Oh, WOW. That guy sounds like he's straight out of "Bonfire of

the Vanities".:wow:

[no name no slogan]

2. What, hasn't he ever seen any of "those people" before?

sheesh. I know that the upper midwest is fairly minority deficient, but c'mon...

[eyesroll]

3. He lives in rural Waukesha County.

I would say "the only poor, brown people he sees are the ones who mow his lawn," but he has one of those giant tractors.

[no name no slogan]

5. Oh, that explains everything

I grew up in one of those areas, back when it was mostly farmland, before it became populated with mini-mansions. In my high school graduating class of 700, I could count the number of non-whites on both hands.

[dolo amber]

4. I've been in that neighborhood every day for the past month

I've seen none of those things excepting the kids w/dogs, but not all of them were pits and perhaps a prostitue although the way young girls of all races are dressing these days how do you tell anymore? :shrug:

Man, I want to see the colorful black neighborhood! :eyes:

[DS1]

6. You work with Bill O'Reilly?

[Ravenseye]

7. Could have been just bad luck

I have to drive through a so called 'bad' neighborhood (read 'bad' as 'black') frequently to go someplace or to get home. 99% of the time it's no different than the 'good' neighborhoods (read 'good' as 'white'). Very rarely there is something questionable such as a woman wearing prostitute garb, or people just sitting outside doing nothing.

I think that if you drive through a white city neighborhood and a black one, most of the time they are no different. The only real difference is in the color of people's skins. Sheltered suburbanites drive through a white city neighborhood and see white kids running around while white folks sit on their porches talking to each other and joking around, while a couple of teenagers are heading down the sidewalk...they see that and think "Wow this is a nice neighborhood. Very friendly."

Meanwhile if thosepeople were black they'd think the kids running around were out of control and wondering why they weren't in school, no matter what time of day it was. The people on the porches should get off their lazy asses and get jobs, and those two teenagers are probably in a gang and might pull a gun on my car.

It's sad really how racist so many people are even when they dont' realize it.

[DrGonzoLives]

9. The only real difference

at least, that I've seen, when it comes to neighborhoods, is class. There are poor black and white neighborhoods here in town, and they look exactly the same.

Of course, people naturally find the black one "scarier," especially the little runts who come into the private colleges around here. Frankly, the poor whites scare me a hell of a lot more.

[Ravenseye]

10. Class Warfare eh?

I agree. There are plenty of decent black neighborhoods that people are still afraid to walk through. There are other ones though that are just....well half the buildings are boarded up or literally falling apart, dealers on the streets...

The thing is that people drive through a perfectly fine black neighborhood and they practically feel the same way about it as those run down areas. To get to my house you have to go through a lower middle, upper lower class black neighborhood. It's fine. I've walked through it. Lots of nice houses. I know people though who avoid that neighborhood entirely even if it means that they have to add 10-15 minutes or more to their drive.

[Brigid]

8. This guy . . .

sounds like he was describing a trip to Mars or something. Sheesh. Even central Indiana isn't that lily white.

[RebelOne]

11. This wouldn't happen to be Atlanta, would it?

[eyesroll]

12. Milwaukee.

We do have a lot of racial tension here, and it's a very segregated metro area, but still.

[dolo amber]

13. You should tell dude if he really wants to see that sorta thing

he should come hang out in the strip mall at 35th and Juneau I just got back from. Makes North and MLK look like Mayberry.

Middle of the day, in a public parking lot...cars parked all askew, music blasting, substances being drunk and smoked. I mean, everyone seemed to be just minding their own business, didn't glance sideways at us, but dang. Nervy! :D