Full disclosure: I'm an old white guy, who grew up in an environment with a lot of prejudiced people. I like to think that I don't carry that baggage, but sometimes, I realize that it's still there, waiting.
Meagan and her husband drove in from St. Louis Friday. They were delayed and got to the house about 2:00. Joey was really tired and turned in right away, but Meagan was hungry. She had missed Whattaburger, and we have one just off the tollway, which stays open all night. So I took her there.
Now, at 2:00 A.M. on Saturday morning, it's a zoo. Dopers with the munchies, drunks, and travelers looking for a quick stop to eat and run. So it's crowded, and they are short on workers, and it's long wait. Just ahead of me is a big black guy, overweight, with his pants sagging way down so his red underwear is showing. His white girlfriend is with him. And all that bad stuff in the back of my head starts to come out. He's clean and neat other than the sagging, but here I am thinking "doper thug." He gives his order, pays, and sits down to wait. It's going to be a long time; there's a new kid at the register, and the kitchen crew is running as fast as they can crank out food.
About then, an obviously irate customer walks up and starts loudly berating the manager about how slow things are. The manager apologizes and says that they are short of people, and they're going as fast as they can. The guy starts shouting about how bad it is.
The black guy gets up and walks over. "Ya'll better sit down, now."
Irate guy turns and sees what looks like a refrigerator in a hoodie. He shuts up and sits down.
The manager apologizes again, to the black guy, who shakes his hand.
"Ya'll doin' fine. Doin' just fine." And he goes and sits down.
Turns out to be a man and a gentleman at that. Lesson learned.
Meagan and her husband drove in from St. Louis Friday. They were delayed and got to the house about 2:00. Joey was really tired and turned in right away, but Meagan was hungry. She had missed Whattaburger, and we have one just off the tollway, which stays open all night. So I took her there.
Now, at 2:00 A.M. on Saturday morning, it's a zoo. Dopers with the munchies, drunks, and travelers looking for a quick stop to eat and run. So it's crowded, and they are short on workers, and it's long wait. Just ahead of me is a big black guy, overweight, with his pants sagging way down so his red underwear is showing. His white girlfriend is with him. And all that bad stuff in the back of my head starts to come out. He's clean and neat other than the sagging, but here I am thinking "doper thug." He gives his order, pays, and sits down to wait. It's going to be a long time; there's a new kid at the register, and the kitchen crew is running as fast as they can crank out food.
About then, an obviously irate customer walks up and starts loudly berating the manager about how slow things are. The manager apologizes and says that they are short of people, and they're going as fast as they can. The guy starts shouting about how bad it is.
The black guy gets up and walks over. "Ya'll better sit down, now."
Irate guy turns and sees what looks like a refrigerator in a hoodie. He shuts up and sits down.
The manager apologizes again, to the black guy, who shakes his hand.
"Ya'll doin' fine. Doin' just fine." And he goes and sits down.
Turns out to be a man and a gentleman at that. Lesson learned.