# What were you THINKING? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 13, 2023, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532 "2023-10-13T19:36:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 356
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/7491 "2026-07-09T00:13:18Z")
> [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > Sounds like someone living in their car to me. Being unhoused shouldn’t be a crime. Yeah, if it were me, I wouldn’t pester the cops about it, as long as it wasn’t causing other issues, like huge piles of trash around the vehicle or if the person was harassing folks. But that’s just my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/7492 "2026-07-09T00:13:49Z")
Um, ok. So you (or whoever) had armed men harass someone who wasn’t doing anything illegal? I rest my case. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/7493 "2026-07-09T00:14:57Z")
Me? What the fuck are you talking about? I’m just relating the story and I clearly said upthread that that wasn’t how I would handle it. What case? ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/7494 "2026-07-09T00:19:05Z")
Figure of speech. And, shockingly, no, I am not following every single post in \*this thread trying to make sure I piece together who is referring to whose random fucking anecdote about how they threw a fucking hissy fit and called people with guns to confront someone who wasn’t doing anything wrong. \*ETA: Or rather, some completely different fucking thread. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/7495 "2026-07-09T00:22:02Z")
OK, well maybe read the linked thread before going off about it. And you can read my post in _this_ thread where I said what _I_ would do in the situation. You were out of line there. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/7496 "2026-07-09T00:37:09Z")
> [@mjmartin](#): > > I’m mystified at the level of naivety in this board. _Come for the Naivety! Stay for the Hypocracy!_ ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/7497 "2026-07-09T00:49:21Z")
Hypocrisy And nitpicking about spelling​😇 ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/7498 "2026-07-09T00:51:34Z")
A minor thank you to the last 30 or so posts and their posters for at least taking it out of the original thread and into the Pit. Speaking only of what happened in this thread, and general impressions though, I think that @hajario has been unfairly accused. They were too polite to quote themselves directly in their own defense, but I have no such qualms: > [@hajario](#): > > Now if it was me, I probably wouldn’t worry about it. If I saw them on my walk, I’d probably strike up a conversation and see what the deal was. Not participating much in the other thread, and hearing the complaints, don’t want to, so I won’t comment on the posts there. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/7499 "2026-07-09T01:05:47Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > Not participating much in the other thread, and hearing the complaints, don’t want to, so I won’t comment on the posts there. Thank you and you aren’t missing much over there. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/7500 "2026-07-09T01:07:23Z")
@mjmartin’s point is a good one and it’s unfortunate that it got lost in arguments about the race of the specific car-sitter, and unfortunate that **mjmartin** was a jerk about it. **Wolfpup** probably didn’t even see the race of the person if it was dark and down the block. But stepping back from that specific incident: what is perceived as “suspicious” is highly correlated with race (even in the perfect land of Canada), and calling the cops on someone can lead to bad outcomes ([even in the perfect land of Canada](https://globalnews.ca/news/11576486/police-shooting-nooran-rezayi-timeline/)). So it’s worthwhile considering if you’re actually at risk before taking that step. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/7501 "2026-07-09T01:17:37Z")
Never Trust a Fart or Autocorrect ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/7502 "2026-07-09T03:08:25Z")
> [@mjmartin](#): > > You’re correct. He may have not been a racist. But his behavior sure as hell looks a lot like the behavior that racists frequently exhibit.  The only thing missing was the race part. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/7503 "2026-07-09T04:51:09Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > But stepping back from that specific incident: what is perceived as “suspicious” is highly correlated with race (even in the perfect land of Canada), and calling the cops on someone can lead to bad outcomes ([even in the perfect land of Canada](https://globalnews.ca/news/11576486/police-shooting-nooran-rezayi-timeline/)). So it’s worthwhile considering if you’re actually at risk before taking that step. It’s worth saying that even if you’re not a racist and you’re not doing it for racist reasons, there’s no guarantee that the cops responding won’t be. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/7504 "2026-07-09T05:27:42Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > … unfortunate that **mjmartin** was a jerk about it. **Wolfpup** probably didn’t even see the race of the person if it was dark and down the block. Correct. It was dark out, all I could see was a vague silhouette of a figure in the car, and trust me, the colour that their skin might have been was not something that had even remotely occurred to me. In the case of the kids invading my second-floor balcony, both kids were white. One can have a reasonable discussion about whether or not I overreacted in either situation. The police didn’t think so and felt I did the right and reasonable thing. But one cannot have a reasonable discussion when **mjmartin** brings his toxic racist preconceptions into it completely without basis. Which makes him a shitty bigot for prejudging others. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/7505 "2026-07-09T05:40:56Z")
I’ve seen a pascel of YouTube videos about people pecking on car windows and either asking the car driver what they’re doing or if they would leave. Then escalation, cursing, racist remarks along the lines of “go back where you come from”. Pretty awful. You might say. I’ve decided about 95% are AI, set up bait things or pure play acting. If this poster is getting fed this through their TikTok they may be not thinking clearly on it. Just sayin’ ---
**Author:** ![mjmartin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3d9bf3/32.png) [@mjmartin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mjmartin)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/7506 "2026-07-09T09:42:33Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Correct. It was dark out, all I could see was a vague silhouette of a figure in the car, and trust me, the colour that their skin might have been was not something that had even remotely occurred to me. Wolfpup, I apologize. I assumed you were a racist, because you behaved in exactly the way racists frequently do. It instead appears you are simply a craven, terrified of everyday, mundane situations. I am truly glad you survived such a harrowing ordeal and that the police were able to protect you from the man territorizing you with his naps. ---
**Author:** ![mjmartin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3d9bf3/32.png) [@mjmartin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mjmartin)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/7507 "2026-07-09T09:45:20Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > If this poster is getting fed this through their TikTok they may be not thinking clearly on it. Yup. Tiktok… and not the hundreds of such real life events that have ended in tragedy. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/7508 "2026-07-09T11:58:13Z")
> [@mjmartin](#): > > Do you honestly think the police would be called on you if you sat in a residential neighboorhood in your car for an hour or two? Of course not. You’re being way too sweeping here. I am a short middle-aged glasses-wearing American white woman, the least stereotypically threatening-looking person you could imagine (unless I’m actually swinging an axe or something: I’m quite strong and tools-competent for my age and size, but you wouldn’t know it to look at me). And even **I** have had the cops called on me once when I was sitting for an hour or more in a rental car in a strange neighborhood. (Infrequent driver, long trip, misjudged trip duration, arrived way too early while hosts were out, sat.) Is it likely that the cops who came by treated me with much more courtesy and trust than they probably would have shown to, say, a large Black man in the same situation? Absofuckinglutely. Does that make you correct in asserting that white people are automatically exempt from the tendency of some nervous-nellies to call the cops on unfamiliar parkers? No. Racism is not the only factor in such behavior. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/7509 "2026-07-09T12:18:18Z")
> [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > > [@hajario](#): > > > > In this situation, there was a person in their car directly across the street overnight for many nights in a row. > > Sounds like someone living in their car to me. Being unhoused shouldn’t be a crime. Yeah, that was my first thought. Someone sitting on a car one night might be scoping the territory for burglary. Someone night after night is sleeping in the car, because he doesn’t have a better place to sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/7510 "2026-07-09T12:33:07Z")
If someone is spending night after night sitting in their car in front of my house, that means I have a new neighbor. Eventually, I’m going to be compelled to knock on their door and introduce myself. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532.md?page=355) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532.md?page=357)