I faced overt racism for the first time and can't get over it.
For context: I'm a middle aged dude originally from Indian subcontinent living in the USA for over 30 years, all of this time in Michigan.
Yesterday, I was visiting one of the Metroparks, doing leisurely walk, came to a small lake and stopped to enjoy the fall view. I barely noticed another dude about 10 yards away from me until he shouted
Him: Don't come any closer
Me: what?
Him: I am warning you, leave now or I am calling the police.
Me: are you serious?
Him: I'm d*** serious. You are lucky I'm not carrying today.
Of course I am pissed now. So I say
"Call whoever you want. I'm going nowhere "
At this point, to my surprise, he actually dials 911 and says loudly, "there is this guy" goes on to describe me and my appearance in detail but some important part "Mexican looking, seems to be illegal ", "I am sure he is up to no good, just sneaked up to me".
Once he is done talking to the cops, he takes my picture, sends to someone and calls that person, still speaking loudly, "if anything happens to me, it's this guy " and again describes me in details.
Cops come. He takes my ID and asks me what happened. I instead ask the cop to ask him what law did I break? Cops go to talk to him, I don't hear their discussion but he leaves. Cops come to me, tells me that I didn't break any law, and he was probably having a bad day. But I didn't like cop making this comment "6 thousand acre of park and you had to come right here".
Cops leave too, and I am still dumb founded about what has just happened. I can't get over it.
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This tale from u/My1stTW is really sad. It’s ridiculous someone is evidently racist enough for doing this. This person needs to take a break from watching the news, and find something better to do (like maybe more outdoor time in this park). I don’t love that the cop had the comment, but who knows what people go through and he might also have been having a bad day. This would actually be more justified than the person who called them. That’s my take - what’s yours?
