Racism at the crosswalk

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

While trolling the PSU website for pictures of my professors to make sure I haven't accidentally made out with any of them, I ran into this very interesting piece of recent research:

http://otrec.us/news/entry/study_examines_racial_bias_at_crosswalks

In a pilot study funded by the NITC Small Starts program, researchers explored whether drivers behave differently toward pedestrians waiting to use a crosswalk based on the pedestrian's race. The study – the first examining the effects of race on pedestrian crossing experiences – found that black pedestrians were passed by twice as many cars and waited nearly a third longer to cross than white pedestrians.

Minorities are disproportionately represented among pedestrian fatalities in the United States. The Center for Disease Control reported in 2013 that in the first decade of this century, the fatality rates for black and Hispanic men were twice as high as they were for white men.

Researchers Kimberly Barsamian Kahn and Tara Goddard of Portland State University, and Arlie Adkins, of the University of Arizona, hypothesized that if minority pedestrians experience more delay at crosswalks, they might take greater risks when crossing – risks that could contribute to the disparate fatality rates.

[LMNO]

RACISM IS OVER!  WE HAVE A BLACK PRESIDENT!
              \

[The Good Reverend Roger]

That's interesting.  I shall have to watch my own inner reactions in Tucson for a while, just to see how my brain reacts.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

It's particularly interesting to me because it reflects a perfect example of "I can't see it so it doesn't exist" unconscious racism that leads many white people to conclude that we live in a postracial society... and is also a perfect example of "I'm getting subtly fucked over everywhere I go but I can't prove it" that is so frustrating for people of color.

[Cardinal Pizza Deliverance.]

I've been observing this in the downtown area. I thought I was making shit up because I see this shit everywhere. But no. It's a thing. Fucking hell. It's everywhere.

[LMNO]

I agree.  Sorry if my first response was overly glib.  I'll have to keep an eye on my own behaviors while driving.  My first defensive response is, "In Boston, everyone can fuck off while crossing the street."  But I'm probably guilty of it.

[Cardinal Pizza Deliverance.]

It's particularly interesting to me because it reflects a perfect example of "I can't see it so it doesn't exist" unconscious racism that leads many white people to conclude that we live in a postracial society... and is also a perfect example of "I'm getting subtly fucked over everywhere I go but I can't prove it" that is so frustrating for people of color.

This is the truth.

[Cain]

Emoticon Theatre Presents: Racism at the Crosswalk


     

     

   

     

[minuspace]

Yea, it's crazy, and then they feel entitled to honk at me if I don't run them minorities down.   So I follow the hot-head and park so as to be right there when he gets out of his Escalade.  The guy's a west-African.  I still stare him down.  He was driving a bunch of drunk princesses going to the ball, TLC.  We were all just leaving Cape Coast again.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I've been observing this in the downtown area. I thought I was making shit up because I see this shit everywhere. But no. It's a thing. Fucking hell. It's everywhere.

That's the thing, too, is that when you see this shit, and you don't have anything to back you up except anecdotes from other people who see it, it's so easy to dismiss it because it sounds crazy or paranoid.

"No, really, black people have a harder time crossing the street because people won't stop for them!"

"Seriously though, people of color don't get waited on as fast and get worse service."

"I'm not kidding, brown-skinned folks get skipped over in line, like, a lot. I swear."

[minuspace]

...

"No, really, black people have a harder time crossing the street because people won't stop for them!"

"Seriously though, people of color don't get waited on as fast and get worse service."

"I'm not kidding, brown-skinned folks get skipped over in line, like, a lot. I swear."

THAT'S BECAUSE THEY DON'T STAND OUT - LACK OF RELATION BY DISTINCTION

THAT'S TO BE EXPECTED - PEOPLE PROCESS NOVEL TASKS WITH DIFFICULTY

OF COURSE - THEY BELONG ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COUNTER

[ñͤͣ̄ͦ̌̑͗͊͛͂͗ ̸̨̨̣̺̼̣̜͙͈͕̮̊̈́̈͂͛̽͊ͭ̓͆ͅé ̰̓̓́ͯ́́͞]

Thanks for posting this. I can't wait to trot it out next time someone gets all post-racial on me.

[Cardinal Pizza Deliverance.]

I've been observing this in the downtown area. I thought I was making shit up because I see this shit everywhere. But no. It's a thing. Fucking hell. It's everywhere.

That's the thing, too, is that when you see this shit, and you don't have anything to back you up except anecdotes from other people who see it, it's so easy to dismiss it because it sounds crazy or paranoid.

"No, really, black people have a harder time crossing the street because people won't stop for them!"

"Seriously though, people of color don't get waited on as fast and get worse service."

"I'm not kidding, brown-skinned folks get skipped over in line, like, a lot. I swear."

When I worked in a deli, my co-workers would skip POC rather frequently, claiming to not understand them, or not like 'dirty' people. And got away with it. Our department ass. man. was Hispanic and our department manager was black. But the store manager and assistant store manager were both white. It drove my manager insane being made complicit in this bullshit but he felt he couldn't stand up because the store manager was a holy roller and yeah.

I have so many fucked up anecdotes about Georgia but they're all such subtle things that when I say them out loud to someone, it sounds ridiculous.

It is shit that this happens and I correct it where I can. It boggles my god damn mind.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I've been observing this in the downtown area. I thought I was making shit up because I see this shit everywhere. But no. It's a thing. Fucking hell. It's everywhere.

That's the thing, too, is that when you see this shit, and you don't have anything to back you up except anecdotes from other people who see it, it's so easy to dismiss it because it sounds crazy or paranoid.

"No, really, black people have a harder time crossing the street because people won't stop for them!"

"Seriously though, people of color don't get waited on as fast and get worse service."

"I'm not kidding, brown-skinned folks get skipped over in line, like, a lot. I swear."

When I worked in a deli, my co-workers would skip POC rather frequently, claiming to not understand them, or not like 'dirty' people. And got away with it. Our department ass. man. was Hispanic and our department manager was black. But the store manager and assistant store manager were both white. It drove my manager insane being made complicit in this bullshit but he felt he couldn't stand up because the store manager was a holy roller and yeah.

I have so many fucked up anecdotes about Georgia but they're all such subtle things that when I say them out loud to someone, it sounds ridiculous.

It is shit that this happens and I correct it where I can. It boggles my god damn mind.

Say it to the right person and they'll do research to back you up.

Say it to the wrong person, and they'll have you fired. It's a bit of a quandary.

[Sir Squid Diddimus]

I never noticed this behavior before.
It made me realize how frustrated I get at the upper crust white folk on Park Ave who take their sweet ass time crossing, yet I'll stop my damn car on a three lane highway to move a turtle.

I live near Full Sail, where there are students of all nationalities. It's a really diverse area. They don't really bother me cause they're all just trying to get to their overpriced sham classes. But those skeevy rich people downtown... I hate them.

shit.
I'm guilty.