Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Walking While Black

lithub.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

161–170 of 177 posts

Re: Walking While Black

#161

Post by prawn »

alex_young wrote: post #45
superkuh wrote: post #31

This was a wonderfully written piece and a lot of it rings true to me even as a white as you can be person in a smallish state university town in the midwest. But maybe being 6'2" with a big unkempt hobo beard is almost as scary as being black. I too love walking the streets at night. And I too have to not be myself and behave in very conscious ways to avoid being hassled and detained by the police. Police just assum…

Just another anecdote, but mine is a fully different experience. As a 6'1 white male, I find that I can walk most anywhere without fear. I often find that I need to reassess my privileged notion that this is normal when conversing with friends who are shorter, darker or female. They describe a world much like the author of this piece does. That's not to say I've never had trouble on the street. Years ago I was assaul…

I don't know the PIN for my main credit card. I can use PayWave here in AU for anything under $100. When racking up more than $100, I say "I don't know my PIN. Can we put that through as x purchases instead?" or I make up something about needing to split payments for business receipt purposes.

I've never been asked for ID or had anything other than the staff member accommodate without hesitation. I haven't needed my PIN in years now.

But every time, I think, "I bet I wouldn't get away with this if I wasn't a plain white guy."

Re: Walking While Black

#162

Post by locusm »

arctice wrote: post #108
locusm wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinkenba_Six

I don't understand what point you were trying to make by linking to a wiki article of a single incident that happened over two decades ago?

http://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/one-nation-candid...

Re: Walking While Black

#163

Post by Symbiote »

verylittlemeat wrote: post #116
Jaruzel wrote: post #47

North America's attitude towards people of colour, absolutely disgusts me. I simply do not understand why that a country that was founded on on the principles of freedom continues to act this way. The fourth amendment clearly states that all citizens should be treated equally if suspected of a crime, yet this simply does not happen. Yeah, the UK (my homeland) has it's problems, but in the main, racial in-equality is…

You mean like football fans in the UK and across europe throwing bananas at black players? http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/richard-evans-thr...

Did you even read the first sentence of the article you quote?

  HURLING a banana at a black soccer player was commonplace in England
  in the 1980s but has, thankfully, long been eradicated from its
  national game.

Re: Walking While Black

#164

Post by ImaCake »

ubermonkey wrote: post #114
ImaCake wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The police in New Zealand and Australia seem to be a lot less agressive than their American counterparts. I don't ever hear of stories like the original post come from either country.

I'm a cyclist, and one of the big cycle equipment blogs is DCRainmaker. He ran a story about a run-in with some Australian cops while on a ride that is just mind-blowing in how different it is from similar run-ins with American police. See here: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2018/03/getting-pulled-over-by-f...

Great to see some anecdotes to support my gut feelings on this! I am amazed that Americans would consider this pleasant police behaviour. As an Australian, I consider this unnecessary and heavy handed, although it gives me more than a little pride that the cops were able to admit to being wrong.

Re: Walking While Black

#165

Post by ImaCake »

locusm wrote: post #100
ImaCake wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The police in New Zealand and Australia seem to be a lot less agressive than their American counterparts. I don't ever hear of stories like the original post come from either country.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinkenba_Six

Yes. Australian police are racist specifically against indigenous peoples. To even suggest this is really dangerous in Australia, which is why it continues to happen without most people noticing. It's terrible.

Re: Walking While Black

#166

Post by mercer »

DoreenMichele wrote: post #55
alex_young wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just another anecdote, but mine is a fully different experience. As a 6'1 white male, I find that I can walk most anywhere without fear. I often find that I need to reassess my privileged notion that this is normal when conversing with friends who are shorter, darker or female. They describe a world much like the author of this piece does. That's not to say I've never had trouble on the street. Years ago I was assaul…

I often find that I need to reassess my privileged notion that this is normal when conversing with friends who are shorter, darker or female. I'm about 5'8" and female.* Except for the phenomenon I mentioned in another comment of being hassled for Walking While Homeless, I feel fairly comfortable walking almost any time, almost anywhere. I don't have an explanation for that. But it makes me wonder about what all fact…

Speaking from my own experience, there's a degree of 'blending in' that is distinct from the more obvious race/gender/affluence 'visible' factors, and more to do with behavior.

I've spent quite a bit of time in various dangerous neighborhoods, cities in general and other parts of the world. In quite a few of these places I should stand out and/or be a target, being a scrawny/weak and very white person.

Yet somehow, I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually run into trouble. What's even stranger is that quite a few of the locals I'd spend time with would be bothered or even robbed during my stay with them.

The only thing I can point to that was different about these locals was that they (understandably) had a bigger fear of 'the streets', were raised in a much more sheltered way than I was, and just stuck out like a sore thumb in the way they carried themselves.

I've experienced a few occasions where, for example, the local's insistence on crossing the street to avoid trouble actually drew attention. Or they'd pull out their fancy phone right in sight of a group of 'loitering youth'. Or stop and act like they didn't know where they were going. Or make (fearful) eye contact. etc.

Could be maybe you're also better at the way you 'carry' yourself, aside from other factors that might make you blend in or stand out?

Re: Walking While Black

#167

Post by DoreenMichele »

mercer wrote: post #166
DoreenMichele wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I often find that I need to reassess my privileged notion that this is normal when conversing with friends who are shorter, darker or female. I'm about 5'8" and female.* Except for the phenomenon I mentioned in another comment of being hassled for Walking While Homeless, I feel fairly comfortable walking almost any time, almost anywhere. I don't have an explanation for that. But it makes me wonder about what all fact…

Speaking from my own experience, there's a degree of 'blending in' that is distinct from the more obvious race/gender/affluence 'visible' factors, and more to do with behavior. I've spent quite a bit of time in various dangerous neighborhoods, cities in general and other parts of the world. In quite a few of these places I should stand out and/or be a target, being a scrawny/weak and very white person. Yet somehow, I…

Could be maybe you're also better at the way you 'carry' yourself

This is possible.

I come from a multicultural background. I never entirely fit in anywhere, so I always feel a little "alien," yet I am not easily intimidated, I generally like people and I am comfortable socializing with all kinds of people. I certainly don't actively broadcast that I'm scared, and I actively downplay any special privilege or assets that I have which might make me a target.

Re: Walking While Black

#168

Post by verylittlemeat »

Symbiote wrote: post #163
verylittlemeat wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You mean like football fans in the UK and across europe throwing bananas at black players? http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/richard-evans-thr...

Did you even read the first sentence of the article you quote? HURLING a banana at a black soccer player was commonplace in England in the 1980s but has, thankfully, long been eradicated from its national game.

Did you even read the second sentence of the article you opened?

While it might not be happening in the UK so often now, the blatantly racist act — synonymous with treating players as apes or monkeys — endures elsewhere in European stadiums from Spain to Russia.

Re: Walking While Black

#169

Post by Symbiote »

verylittlemeat wrote: post #168
Symbiote wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you even read the first sentence of the article you quote? HURLING a banana at a black soccer player was commonplace in England in the 1980s but has, thankfully, long been eradicated from its national game.

Did you even read the second sentence of the article you opened? While it might not be happening in the UK so often now, the blatantly racist act — synonymous with treating players as apes or monkeys — endures elsewhere in European stadiums from Spain to Russia.

The comparison was about North America compared to the UK.

Re: Walking While Black

#170

Post by simonh »

faitswulff wrote: post #142
simonh wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the area where I live there aren't very many coloured people. When I (rarely) walk at night I find myself estimating the social category of people. If I see a young man in sweat pants and a baseball cap, I think 'possible Chav' (low class white person here in the UK) and I'm wary. Low income young men are more likely to be a possible source of trouble. I think in the UK and US since black people are far more likel…

> aren't very many coloured people Highly recommend using "people of colour," instead.

Fair enough, but that's more of an Americanism. It's not really used here in the UK.
Post reply on HN