# But... I'm white... and I have a jacket! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 22, 2009, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058 "2009-09-22T08:12:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stoneburg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Stoneburg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoneburg)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058/1 "2009-09-22T08:12:06Z")
Yesterday I got on the tram to go down town and have lunch with a woman. Since she works as a civil servant and I am a politician, I dressed up a notch. I usually wear a T-shirt or sweater. This time I wore a brown manchester jacket and a striped shirt that is quite nice. I’m white, with a shaved head and a neatly trimmed beard. The seats on the tram are divided equally down the middle line and in pairs of two, with a pair of two seats facing another pair of two seats. I’m sitting in one such 4-seat configuration, facing forward, closest to the window. In the mirror version of my seat, to my right on the other side of the isle sits another man. He’s about the same age as me, possibly a bit younger (ie: 25-30). He looks arabic and wears jeans, a T-shirt and a leather jacket. He’s got a full beard, not a long one, but not trimmed either. A young white woman gets on, nothing out of the ordinary, probably 18-22 years of age and wearing leisure clothes. She moves down the tram a few steps towards us, briefly glances at us, and without hesitation sits down opposite the would-be-plane-hijacker, shunning my side of the tram. ---
**Author:** ![Lunchy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Lunchy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunchy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058/2 "2009-09-22T08:54:58Z")
Confused! Is there a question? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058/3 "2009-09-22T09:18:11Z")
After reading this post, I will be shunning your side of the train too. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058/4 "2009-09-22T09:23:45Z")
I hope this gets moved to the Pit soon so I can say what I really want to say. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058/5 "2009-09-22T09:51:06Z")
I hope the cops picked the woman up pronto and packed her off to Gitmo for fraternising with the Ay-rabs. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058/6 "2009-09-22T10:05:06Z")
She’s a liberal and doesn’t want to visually acknowledge her statistically unlikely fear of being the first to hear “Allah akbar” used in a sentence. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058/7 "2009-09-22T10:13:36Z")
Maybe he’s better looking than you? Or maybe she just doesn’t like the way politicians smell? ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058/8 "2009-09-22T10:30:05Z")
She wanted a better viewpoint to admire you from, that’s all. It’s hard to stare dreamingly at someone when you’re sitting right next to them. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058/9 "2009-09-22T10:38:43Z")
Stupidity? Humor? Something else? I’ll let the Pit sort it out. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058/10 "2009-09-22T10:58:08Z")
You’re a politician? Perhaps she recognized you. ---
**Author:** ![Claptree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Claptree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claptree)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058/11 "2009-09-22T11:21:12Z")
I would also have shunned you. Mainly because you are such a bore. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058/12 "2009-09-22T12:00:14Z")
\ Politician? Terrorist?.. Politician? Terrorist? ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058/13 "2009-09-22T12:06:12Z")
Dude, you’re a politician. That’s worse than a terrorist. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058/14 "2009-09-22T12:15:26Z")
She was just playing hard to get. Women are coy when they find someone really attractive and will often pretend to avoid you. It happens to me all the time. She was waiting on you to make a move. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058/15 "2009-09-22T12:17:44Z")
Soooo…you got her number, right? 867-5309? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058/16 "2009-09-22T12:25:28Z")
Was he thinner than you? Maybe you were taking up more than just your own seat. I’m just saying. Also: WTF? “Would-be-plane-hijacker”? Seriously, dude - you got issues. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058/17 "2009-09-22T12:49:14Z")
My guess is that she sensed your racism and didn’t want to sit near someone like that. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058/18 "2009-09-22T12:53:49Z")
Huh… Norrköping. Are you a fucking Sweden Democrat, by any chance? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058/19 "2009-09-22T13:03:50Z")
> [@Olentzero](#): > > Huh… Norrköping. Are you a fucking Sweden Democrat, by any chance? If women are actively avoiding him, the “fucking” is debatable. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058/20 "2009-09-22T13:14:33Z")
Heh… true enough. Just to put it into British perspective, though, this guy is talking like a member of the (regardless of status of personal sexual activity) fucking BNP. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-im-white-and-i-have-a-jacket/511058.md?page=2)