# i think i may be a racist..... and i dont like it **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 5, 2005, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599 "2005-11-05T03:42:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pope\_hentai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@pope\_hentai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pope_hentai)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599/1 "2005-11-05T03:42:04Z")
not sure if this is pit worthy or mpsims, or hate speech or what. if i violate any rules please delete this thread or do what seems fit, but i find myself in a bit of a spot and really just feel the need to vent. I’m finding myself gaining racist tendencies lately, against a certian ethnic group. In my current profession as a pizza delivery guy i dela with all kinds of people of all ethnicities and find myself singling certian ones out as bad tippers and generally not all that good of people. They call my store to complain about pizzas from last night to get free ones when they havent had any orders delivered in months, they live in subsidized housing yet drive better cars then me with $500 a piece rims and have brand new big screen tvs (even the ones in the more affluelt neighborhoos still dont tip and like to complain). They complain about pizzas taking hours to get to thier houses when they only placed the order 30 minutes prior. Unfortuanately this is all i see of this ethnic grouping and am developing opinons based on what i see everyday even though i know these opinoins and feelings cant be correct. does anyone else have this problem or know how i can possibly combat it? Hopefully this post makes sense to someone who has been in a similar situation and worked through it. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599/2 "2005-11-05T03:55:17Z")
People of similar ethnic backgrounds in a geographical area share a culture. Racism is judging everyone of the same ethnicity by the same criteria, but profiling is used for a reason, because sometimes the profile is true, the unfortunate part is when it becomes endemic in the society to expect an ethnic profile to fit “X” based upon prejudice created by what might be a vocal minority. I have called out a certain segments of jews in my immediate circle as being cheap and doing shoddy work because they save on quality when buying materials to complete the task. This does not apply to all jews, but it certainly appiles to a certain subculture of jews that happens to saturate my immediate vicinity. There is nothing wrong with calling it as you see it. Erek ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599/3 "2005-11-05T04:04:53Z")
> [@pope\_hentai](#): > > not sure if this is pit worthy or mpsims, or hate speech or what. if i violate any rules please delete this thread or do what seems fit, but i find myself in a bit of a spot and really just feel the need to vent. > > I’m finding myself gaining racist tendencies lately, against a certian ethnic group. > In my current profession as a pizza delivery guy i dela with all kinds of people of all ethnicities and find myself singling certian ones out as bad tippers and generally not all that good of people. They call my store to complain about pizzas from last night to get free ones when they havent had any orders delivered in months, they live in subsidized housing yet drive better cars then me with $500 a piece rims and have brand new big screen tvs (even the ones in the more affluelt neighborhoos still dont tip and like to complain). They complain about pizzas taking hours to get to thier houses when they only placed the order 30 minutes prior. Unfortuanately this is all i see of this ethnic grouping and am developing opinons based on what i see everyday even though i know these opinoins and feelings cant be correct. does anyone else have this problem or know how i can possibly combat it? Hopefully this post makes sense to someone who has been in a similar situation and worked through it. I worked at a pizza delivery place for three years and have dealt with and seen the EXACT same thing. EXACT. I just tried to use examples I knew of the people that WEREN’T like that and think of them as the representative sample and the others as a bad sample, the minority. Also, I know that honestly there are people of every race/ethnicity that just suck. Sometimes you just happen to see more of one than another. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599/4 "2005-11-05T04:13:18Z")
I’m pretty sure it was on this board that I once read about a delivery person who made a comment to a scammer akin to: I’ve given you two free pizzas, and this is the third. Consider this, the guys making this pizza know you are pulling a scam. Personally, _I_ wouldn’t be caught dead eating this pizza. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599/5 "2005-11-05T04:15:36Z")
Assholes are assholes. It doesn’t matter where they are from, what color skin they have, or what religion/political group they affiliate with. Try to remember that, and stop worrying about it. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599/6 "2005-11-05T04:28:08Z")
In my book you are racist if you would desire one ‘race’ over another for a mate, in itself there is nothing wrong w/ racism, it is called free will. ---
**Author:** ![John\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@John\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_F)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599/7 "2005-11-05T04:38:30Z")
There are a couple of poker concepts that I think apply here. Conformation bias - The times when the situation matches your perceived model become easier to remember than the times there is no match. Sample size - yours is too small…almost always the case when sample size is a factor. I’ve never met a racist that was _worried_ about being a racist if that tells you anything. My advise it to look closer for examples where your model does not hold up and expand your sample size large enough to find cultural differences. I think those two things will crush your concept. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599/8 "2005-11-05T04:40:53Z")
I Think I May Be A Capitalist - And I Like It. ---
**Author:** ![John\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@John\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_F)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599/9 "2005-11-05T04:40:56Z")
:smack: I forgot to ask…what do you think of Sharpton? 😃😃 ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599/10 "2005-11-05T04:48:34Z")
Blacks don’t tip. Google the term, and you’ll find hundreds of hits. Want a cite? [Here’s a study from Cornell University](http://people.cornell.edu/pages/wml3/pdf/Black_White_Tip_Norm.pdf) ( **PDF** ). When I was delivering pizza in the late 1980s, blacks seldom topped; maybe 10%, compared to 95% of whites. “But you were mean to them! They could probably sense the racism.” Nope. I went out of my way to make sure black customers were treated with respect, lest I be called a racist. Waitstaff in restaurants often report the same thing; black customers either leave very small tops, or they’ll leave a fixed tip no matter how many people are in a party. There’s a reason for this, though. Lower income blacks don’t patronize table service restaurants very often, nor can they afford the luxury of food delivery. When their income rises, and they’re able to afford such things, they’re still ignorant about the custom of tipping. Because topping is such a sensitive subject, few waitstaff or delivery drivers ever broach the subject with their customers. To do so, in the era of the race card, would be very risky. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599/11 "2005-11-05T04:54:17Z")
I’ve sometimes been afraid of developing similar sentiments. However, I tend to think it has more to do with the lack of class that people have in common rather than anything else. Then I use **myskepticsight** ’s advice. All the good people are just that… people. And race, sex, age, religion, whatever, doesn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599/12 "2005-11-05T06:00:55Z")
> [@myskepticsight](#): > > I worked at a pizza delivery place for three years and have dealt with and seen the EXACT same thing. EXACT. > > I just tried to use examples I knew of the people that WEREN’T like that and think of them as the representative sample and the others as a bad sample, the minority. Also, I know that honestly there are people of every race/ethnicity that just suck. Sometimes you just happen to see more of one than another. Years ago I attended a client service seminar and this was the advice given there - always picture the client as one of the people you like/admire from the group to which they belong. One of the compliance officers said that wouldn’t work because he was always dealing with lawyers. The guy running the session conceded the point and told him to “imagine” an admirable lawyer. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599/13 "2005-11-05T06:04:54Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > In my book you are racist if you would desire one ‘race’ over another for a mate, in itself there is nothing wrong w/ racism, it is called free will. 😕 Wanta flesh that one out a bit for me? ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599/14 "2005-11-05T06:43:33Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > Because **topping** is such a sensitive subject, few waitstaff or delivery drivers ever broach the subject with their customers. Plus, they don’t want to compete with the outcall male prostitutes. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599/15 "2005-11-05T10:40:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Wanta flesh that one out a bit for me? Not much flashing needed, You are discrimiating on the basis of race, which is racism IMHO. Racism is a natural tendance, and in and of itself is not a bad thing. It has evolved as a defense mechanisism in us. We are allowed to make such judgements based on our experence and from information from sources we trust. We are allowed to think for ourselves. Declaring this ‘free will’ process bad or evil is the greater evil IMHO. All people have situations where they would discrimiate on the basis of race, and that’s part of being human. (this applies to other ism’s like sexism) ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599/16 "2005-11-05T10:46:26Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > In my book you are racist if you would desire one ‘race’ over another for a mate, in itself there is nothing wrong w/ racism, it is called free will. I would say that your book is generally correct, however, physical attraction is physical attraction. I’m not going to sleep with someone if I don’t find them physically attractive…regardless of what I think of them as a person. The attraction thing, in my mind, is completely separate from the love thing. Though love can blur the lines a little, it doesn’t erase it. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599/17 "2005-11-05T15:43:37Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > Because **topping** is such a sensitive subject, few waitstaff or delivery drivers ever broach the subject with their customers. > [@zagloba](#): > > Plus, they don’t want to compete with the outcall male prostitutes. Way off base here, **zagloba**. The OP is a pizza delivery guy and I’m sure elmwood was referring to the choice of pepperoni or cheese. 😃 But, on topic, I noticed in the Texas Rio Grande Valley that the local Mexican-Americans who have food service jobs have a bias against Mexico-Mexicans. They claim that other Mexican-Americans are usually cordial and tip well while Mexico-Mexicans (not poor immigrants - well off tourists) treat servers rudely and don’t tip. So, I think that the problem isn’t race; it’s culture. Unfortunately for **ph** he has to deal with people of a common culture who try to take advantage of the rules. ---
**Author:** ![Novalyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@Novalyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novalyne)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599/18 "2005-11-05T16:50:00Z")
I teach in a very low-income neighborhood that is almost entirely Hispanic. It presents a number of negative stereotypes that in this case are a reality: drugs, gangs, non-English speakers, high crime… I occasionally hear racist remarks from district substitutes who are at this school for the first time - especially due to the fact that we have a number of bilingual classrooms (it’s an elementary school and most kids come to us not speaking English…although by the time they get to 5th grade - my grade - most have graduated to regular English-speaking classrooms). Rather than think in terms of race, I think in terms of socioeconomic influences. In my case, it’s easier for a couple of reasons. First, I grew up in San Antonio, with its large Hispanic population, so I was exposed to a broader range of socioeconomic systems within the “Hispanic culture.” Second, I teach fifth graders, and despite all of the immense challenges that my kiddos face on a daily basis, kids are kids are kids, and these are wonderful children who I care for dearly. Plus I get to see the hardworking parents who are giving literally everything they have to give their kids a better chance in life, and those parents go a long way to combating the “lazy gangster druggie dropout can’t even learn English” group that gives the neighborhood such a bad rap. A suggestion - maybe you can consider that the area you are in has its very real limitations, but is not at all representative of a racial group in particular? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599/19 "2005-11-05T16:52:30Z")
> [@don't ask](#): > > The guy running the session conceded the point and told him to “imagine” an admirable lawyer. Now that’s just impossible. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Elenfair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cc9497/32.png) [@Elenfair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elenfair)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599/20 "2005-11-05T17:06:30Z")
::: sings ::: Everyone’s a little bit racist Sometimes. Doesn’t mean we go Around committing hate crimes. Look around and you will find No one’s really color blind. Maybe it’s a fact We all should face Everyone makes judgments Based on race. … with apologies to Avenue Q. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-may-be-a-racist-and-i-dont-like-it/329599.md?page=2)