4 ms·

Uh, how common is it for police to hold people like that? Is there some racist undertone here not mentioned in the article? Or do they just bully people randoml

by fsloth 10y ago

Uh, how common is it for police to hold people like that? Is there some racist undertone here not mentioned in the article? Or do they just bully people randomly? I know when traveling one should avoid seedier parts of town but now apparently one should avoid the police as well if and when I come visit the states...?

millzlane 10y ago
Not very common. But you're right you do not want to be in the seedier parts of town. It's usually random as they pick and choose, they're not stupid. I live in one of the seediest parts in a small major city in the north east. And the police will stop you for being a different color. Yep you guessed it...white. My friends have been stopped multiple times for those exact reasons. or because they have a shitty car, or seemed disoriented because they're not familiar with the one way traps.
- azinman2 10y ago
  Here in the nice parts of the bay area my friend who is black is pulled over once a month because he drives a Lexus SUV, and the police don't believe that it's his car. They ask him "is this your car?" He'll reply, "yes," to which they always ask "are you sure?" Every month.
  - millzlane 10y ago
    I can relate. I'm biracial and I'm stopped often with a branded company polo and they're always amusingly surprised to learn I work in IT but live in the ghetto.
khedoros 10y ago
This level of abuse is rare. The victim is black. It's possible that this was an example of racial profiling, or that he'd had previous contact with the police. I don't know the whole situation. The U.S. is a large country, and local police departments are managed by themselves, so there's a lot of local and regional variation, but within the bounds you'd expect from "humans that self-selected for a position of power and authority". It's hard to make a categorical statement beyond "Beware those with power over you."

by fsloth 10y ago

millzlane 10y ago

Not very common. But you're right you do not want to be in the seedier parts of town. It's usually random as they pick and choose, they're not stupid. I live in one of the seediest parts in a small major city in the north east. And the police will stop you for being a different color. Yep you guessed it...white. My friends have been stopped multiple times for those exact reasons. or because they have a shitty car, or seemed disoriented because they're not familiar with the one way traps.

azinman2 10y ago
Here in the nice parts of the bay area my friend who is black is pulled over once a month because he drives a Lexus SUV, and the police don't believe that it's his car. They ask him "is this your car?" He'll reply, "yes," to which they always ask "are you sure?" Every month.
- millzlane 10y ago
  I can relate. I'm biracial and I'm stopped often with a branded company polo and they're always amusingly surprised to learn I work in IT but live in the ghetto.

khedoros 10y ago

This level of abuse is rare. The victim is black. It's possible that this was an example of racial profiling, or that he'd had previous contact with the police. I don't know the whole situation. The U.S. is a large country, and local police departments are managed by themselves, so there's a lot of local and regional variation, but within the bounds you'd expect from "humans that self-selected for a position of power and authority". It's hard to make a categorical statement beyond "Beware those with power over you."