What Did This Man Do Wrong?

[AztecPadre]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/28/us/black-man-kicked-out-hotel-portland.html

[concha]

Nothing.

I think that is the point of the article.

[DarterBlue]

1 hour ago, AztecPadre said:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/28/us/black-man-kicked-out-hotel-portland.html

I had a somewhat similar experience at a Embassy Suites in the Fort Lauderdale area back in 1993 when I was there for an extended period on business. I tired of waiting for the elevator, and having an 8 am meeting, decided to take the stairs down with my rather large laptop bag (it was 1993) from the 6th floor when I was accosted by security. The man was incredibly rude, accused me of theft, and made me walk back to the front desk with him behind me where I had to show my driver's license to prove I was a registered guest. the dick did not even apologize for his bad behavior.

I promptly checked out immediately and spent the remaining two weeks at a nearby Hampton Inn which was the only acceptable place nearby (it was the middle of winter and there were tons of northerners around). 

So, I am totally not surprised by the current gentleman's experience. The more things change ...

[concha]

3 minutes ago, DarterBlue said:

I had a somewhat similar experience at a Embassy Suites in the Fort Lauderdale area back in 1993 when I was there for an extended period on business. I tired of waiting for the elevator, and having an 8 am meeting, decided to take the stairs down with my rather large laptop bag (it was 1993) from the 6th floor when I was accosted by security. The man was incredibly rude, accused me of theft, and made me walk back to the front desk with him behind me where I had to show my driver's license to prove I was a registered guest. the dick did not even apologize for his bad behavior.

I promptly checked out immediately and spent the remaining two weeks at a nearby Hampton Inn which was the only acceptable place nearby (it was the middle of winter and there were tons of northerners around). 

So, I am totally not surprised by the current gentleman's experience. The more things change ...

Were you sporting dreads and smoking a fat old blunt at the time?

[ohio]

20 minutes ago, DarterBlue said:

I had a somewhat similar experience at a Embassy Suites in the Fort Lauderdale area back in 1993 when I was there for an extended period on business. I tired of waiting for the elevator, and having an 8 am meeting, decided to take the stairs down with my rather large laptop bag (it was 1993) from the 6th floor when I was accosted by security. The man was incredibly rude, accused me of theft, and made me walk back to the front desk with him behind me where I had to show my driver's license to prove I was a registered guest. the dick did not even apologize for his bad behavior.

I promptly checked out immediately and spent the remaining two weeks at a nearby Hampton Inn which was the only acceptable place nearby (it was the middle of winter and there were tons of northerners around). 

So, I am totally not surprised by the current gentleman's experience. The more things change ...

Sorry to hear about that.

Some people should not be in the security business.

Though, security may have had the right to approach you according to hotel rules; however, they did not have the right to accuse you of theft and be rude.  The only thing that they should have done, is to make sure that you actually stayed at their hotel; and then apologized.  Maybe even given you a reduced rate or a free room for your inconvenience.

[DarterBlue]

26 minutes ago, concha said:

Were you sporting dreads and smoking a fat old blunt at the time?

Actually, no. I was in a dark, pinstriped suit with red tie. Believe me I did not find it funny. Aside from choosing to take the stairs, there was absolutely nothing about me other than the hue of my skin that should have made anyone suspicious or uncomfortable. If the guy had said something like, "Excuse me sir, but the fact you are taking the stairs makes me question your purpose here, would you be so kind as to accompany me to the front desk so I can verify that you are a valid guest ..." while I would have been slightly peeved, I would have complied and not checked out.

However, he behaved like a total dick, accused me of being a  thief never mind the fact that his dumb ass was born and raised here and somehow did not take advantage of all the opportunities to better himself. But somehow, I was a thief just because ... 

[concha]

9 minutes ago, DarterBlue said:

Actually, no. I was in a dark, pinstriped suit with red tie. Believe me I did not find it funny. Aside from choosing to take the stairs, there was absolutely nothing about me other than the hue of my skin that should have made anyone suspicious or uncomfortable. If the guy had said something like, "Excuse me sir, but the fact you are taking the stairs makes me question your purpose here, would you be so kind as to accompany me to the front desk so I can verify that you are a valid guest ..." while I would have been slightly peeved, I would have complied and not checked out.

However, he behaved like a total dick, accused me of being a  thief never mind the fact that his dumb ass was born and raised here and somehow did not take advantage of all the opportunities to better himself. But somehow, I was a thief just because ... 

Sounds like you were looking sharp.

Fortunately, I'm guessing he probably soon found himself working alongside Chip the WonderRacist tearing up the fries station at Mickey D's.

[ohio]

31 minutes ago, DarterBlue said:

Actually, no. I was in a dark, pinstriped suit with red tie. Believe me I did not find it funny. Aside from choosing to take the stairs, there was absolutely nothing about me other than the hue of my skin that should have made anyone suspicious or uncomfortable. If the guy had said something like, "Excuse me sir, but the fact you are taking the stairs makes me question your purpose here, would you be so kind as to accompany me to the front desk so I can verify that you are a valid guest ..." while I would have been slightly peeved, I would have complied and not checked out.

However, he behaved like a total dick, accused me of being a  thief never mind the fact that his dumb ass was born and raised here and somehow did not take advantage of all the opportunities to better himself. But somehow, I was a thief just because ... 

Kind of a let down, I pictured you wearing this.  Lol.

[DarterBlue]

30 minutes ago, ohio said:

Kind of a let down, I pictured you wearing this.  Lol.

LOL. Probably would not have worked. I was working on a project with a MacAndrews and Forbes owned company. I don't think the Jamaican colors would have gone down too well there. 

[ohio]

1 minute ago, DarterBlue said:

LOL. Probably would not have worked. I was working on a project with a MacAndrews and Forbes owned company. I don't think the Jamaican colors would have gone down too well there. 

Well, if you ever decide to leave the US and do a gig, then they would let you get away with this.  Lol

[DarterBlue]

4 minutes ago, ohio said:

Well, if you ever decide to leave the US and do a gig, then they would let you get away with this.  Lol

Good colors!!

[ohio]

1 minute ago, DarterBlue said:

Good colors!!

The Jamaican ones are pretty cool as well.

[World Citizen]

5 hours ago, AztecPadre said:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/28/us/black-man-kicked-out-hotel-portland.html

Strange that after all the stories about people calling cops on other people for being black, people still don't take 1 minute to figure out what's up.  

[noonereal]

21 hours ago, DarterBlue said:

The man was incredibly rude, accused me of theft, and made me walk back to the front desk with him behind me where I had to show my driver's license to prove I was a registered guest. the dick did not even apologize for his bad behavior.

How did he make you walk back to the front desk? Unless he asked you to and you said OK it was illegal. He can'r physically restrain you in any way. 

He can ask you to prove you are a guest and if you refuse he can ask you to leave..... as I understand it. 

 

[DarterBlue]

33 minutes ago, noonereal said:

How did he make you walk back to the front desk? Unless he asked you to and you said OK it was illegal. He can'r physically restrain you in any way. 

He can ask you to prove you are a guest and if you refuse he can ask you to leave..... as I understand it. 

 

He insisted that I head to the front desk. I was in front of him. His tone sounded menacing, I decided  under the circumstances it made sense to comply. Once there, he did the talking. I produced evidence I was a guest and told the employee at the front desk that I had a meeting in the next fifteen minutes, but that as soon as it was over I would be back to pack and check out. She apologized for my treatment and asked whether they could do anything to change my mind. I responded, "No thank you, I have experienced all I care to," and that was the end of that. 

It left a very bad taste in my mouth for the remainder of the week. I believe this happened on a Wednesday. 

[noonereal]

On 12/28/2018 at 9:35 PM, DarterBlue said:

LOL. Probably would not have worked. I was working on a project with a MacAndrews and Forbes owned company. I don't think the Jamaican colors would have gone down too well there. 

I have some running shoes from the Jamaican track team collection.... I no longer run though.

[DarterBlue]

1 hour ago, noonereal said:

I have some running shoes from the Jamaican track team collection.... I no longer run though.

Never been a runner myself. Discovered in elementary school that I was never going to be competitive, at least not in Jamaica. In the sports that required speed that I played, I always tried to compensate with vision and anticipation. If I was going to rely on a raw burst of speed, I was always going to get beat!

On the other hand, I have always been a walker and to this day do at least 4 miles per day barring illness. A mile takes me between 15 and 16 minutes based on my average pace.