got profiled at work yesterday

[supermanotorious]

I'm not sure how to feel about it, on one hand it's hilarious, on the other I'm pretty ticked about it. I've worked for the same investment firm for over 10 years. I'm not the only guy there with long hair, or a beard, or both.

Yesterday I took a walk around our large campus during my lunch break. I mostly stayed on the sidewalk but at some point I noticed a vertical wooden telephone pole and it caught my attention because it was all alone in a row of steel poles with no cables attached to it, I wondered if it was new and what it was for.

I got back on the sidewalk and started walking back to my building. Now understand at no point did I step off our campus. As I approached my building with my badge for entry, security came running up to me through the landscaping and stood between me and the door. He was pretty aggressive as he asked if I worked here and could I provide ID. I gave him the ID along with some choice words, I took a selfie with him that I'm not going to post and that he did not want me to take. He said the complaint was some guy was casing vehicles in the parking lot.

My firm absolutely prides itself on its acceptance of diversity, we have more gay and minority senior leaders than you could imagine. We even have a transvestite who grows a lovely 5 o clock shadow every day. I'm sometimes in trouble for my "professionalism". Yet I cant walk around campus in broad daylight in my button down shirt, slacks, and wingtips without getting profiled- ridiculous.

 

[itsid]

LOL..
"Oh hi mister security sir...
yes I work here... for longer than you if I may add...
I mean I'm a big red fire truck of a man, if you haven't noticed me around yet,
you're either really new or completely blind, right?

What ...complaints...interesting... at the parking lot..aha..
And mister security sir, does this lawn look a lot like the parking lot to you?
Not, well then go ahead and try again..
now, would you mind?
I've got some work to do ... have a nice day"

Oh I could almost seen you tapping his head as he turned around with his head between his shoulders LOOOL

'sid

 

[Panhead5496]

That's hilarious man, kinda sad but funny.

It happens to me too, I was driving around my own subdivision, which I have lived in for 2years now, in my dodge Charger (which I admit kinda looks like trouble in it's own right, but still!). I had all the windows down just cruising around enjoying the nice day. I was wearing a leather jacket and sunglasses.

I got flagged down twice by people in the subdivision, one asked me if I needed directions/was lost/or was looking for somebody, and the other asked me where I lived, and when I said "in this subdivision, up on the big hill" they got all huffy and didn't believe me.

I laughed about it for awhile, just don't let it bother you, people will judge you for whatever you do.

And dang, I couldn't take it working with all those "special" people LOL

 

[TT540]

Don't shoot the messenger here, but how about this:

You get treated based on how you look. If you don't like that, change it. Trim the beard down, ponytail the hair, dress better. I think you are on the safe side of this, but not overly safe.

Stereotypes exist because they are true. real talk. My wife recently had her purse stolen at a bar by a guy with long hair and tattoos on his knuckles. Not by a guy with a high top fade that wore a business suit and fancy queer pointed toe shoes.

I'm not saying good lookin' people are not bad people. We're talking majority/statistics, and well, those are sometimes wrong. But when mother ****ers are killing people out there, I am going to error on the "rude" side and ask you to state your business or GTFO. I don't care if it hurts your feelings because I want to live.

It's an f'ed up world. Gotta let it slide man, or try and have fun with it like you did. But don't give the security guy a hard time. They get paid to find bad guys. they don't get paid to be nice to people! lol, that's Greenpeace's job. Police have a rough job. Protect us from bad guys, but be nice to EVERYBODY while doing it.

At a local business, they had a disgruntled prior employee come in and shoot up the place. He did not fit a racial profile, but his clothes looked like ****. basically looked homeless from being drunk and unkept.

 

[KartFab]

Another victim of facial profiling. http://lmgtfy.com/?q=facial+profiling+duck+dynasty

 

[itsid]

Don't shoot the messenger here, but how about this:

You get treated based on how you look. If you don't like that, change it. Trim the beard down, ponytail the hair, dress better.

excuse me, but I rarely ever heard something that stupid!

If you get dissed for wearing a leather jacket .. beard, long hair... jeans.. shorts.. a red shirt... a green tie...

then please shave, get a military haircut and wear black suits ONLY..
Welcome to the hive!
REALLY??!?!?!??!!

Is THAT your solution?

I understand that you boss tells you what to wear in case you have to deal with clients..
cool.. no problem...
I understand that your wife tells you what to wear when you got a black tie invitation and you have no idea what that means.. perfect...

Changing clothing and or hair style to salute to the idiocracy of stupid ignorant armpits
(or other bodyparts with a)
NOPE!! that only makes it WORSE!

'sid

 

[2SlickNick]

Yep... When I had my full beard, some of my patients would act weary towards me.
But soon as I mentioned I was Italian then suddenly their attitudes would change. Then they would laugh and joke thinking I was from the Middle East.

 

[scatteredsun]

Weird, I tend to get more positive reactions with my big beard. Some of the more stuffy professional types give me the stink eye but most people seem to find it more trustworthy.

 

[TT540]

I'm not telling people to conform. I think my point was misconstrued. What I am saying is that the majority DO conform and thus the others are profiled and seen as different.

Take a different example, for instance the robes that middle easterners wear. Some chose not to wear them in the states because of the odd looks and even harassment they get. Or look at Piggy in Lord of the Flies. chubby kid glasses - profiled and picked on as being weak.

Most people have not met and gotten to know a diversity of people, so they go by what media tells them. We all profile, just some are better at hiding it then others. I'd say that Jesus was probably that last person that did not judge a book by its cover.

Sorry if I sounded combative.

---------- Post added at 03:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:22 PM ----------

Weird, I tend to get more positive reactions with my big beard. Some of the more stuffy professional types give me the stink eye but most people seem to find it more trustworthy.

It is the beard more white than not? There is a study about white beards because of Santa Clause and the coke commercials and how people initially accept and even embrace such a person.

 

[anickode]

Don't shoot the messenger here, but how about this:

You get treated based on how you look. If you don't like that, change it. Trim the beard down, ponytail the hair, dress better. I think you are on the safe side of this, but not overly safe.

Stereotypes exist because they are true. real talk. My wife recently had her purse stolen at a bar by a guy with long hair and tattoos on his knuckles. Not by a guy with a high top fade that wore a business suit and fancy queer pointed toe shoes.

I'm not saying good lookin' people are not bad people. We're talking majority/statistics, and well, those are sometimes wrong. But when mother ****ers are killing people out there, I am going to error on the "rude" side and ask you to state your business or GTFO. I don't care if it hurts your feelings because I want to live.

It's an f'ed up world. Gotta let it slide man, or try and have fun with it like you did. But don't give the security guy a hard time. They get paid to find bad guys. they don't get paid to be nice to people! lol, that's Greenpeace's job. Police have a rough job. Protect us from bad guys, but be nice to EVERYBODY while doing it.

At a local business, they had a disgruntled prior employee come in and shoot up the place. He did not fit a racial profile, but his clothes looked like ****. basically looked homeless from being drunk and unkept.

Suck it up and deal with it... Coming from someone who uses terminology like pointy-toe queer shoes, it sounds like you're just making excuses for yourself.

I do agree that people are too easily offended. Everyone is entitled to not like things, and that doesn't mean that everyone else should have to walk on glass and bend over backwards to please everyone else. And how we present ourselves does have a direct effect on people's perception of us, which is why you don't go to a job interview at a financial firm in cutoff jean shorts, nor do you show up for a job interview at a welding shop in a suit.

If you're hanging around someplace, looking all disheveled and not obviously doing something, it will likely raise the suspicions of security.

If you're slowly driving circles around your neighborhood in your car, especially a big subdivision where not everybody knows you or your car, and you're just driving around, and pass the same house multiple times, you will raise the suspicions of the people who live there.

But... That doesn't make it right to make assumptions about people at a glance.

Random well dressed people on the street are not honest or trustworthy because they look nice.

Pointy shoes don't mean you're gay.

Tattoos and a beard don't make someone a criminal.

BUT!

Suspicious behavior is suspicious.

Crass language is rude.

I could look at your location and assume you're a trump-loving redneck with 4 teeth, a beer gut, a Confederate flag in your front yard, a moonshine still in your shed, and a primer gray Chevy nova in your garage. But making such judgements would be ignorant and probably at least partially incorrect, maybe totally off the mark. And that would make me an ***.

No, I tend base my judgements on the things people do and say. Which in your case sounded rude and ignorant. So I will think you are probably just a rude, ignorant person.

 

[itsid]

Oh.. pointy shoes?? never heard that one before.. I own some ankle boots that are rather pointy..
and my old creepers are pointy as well, how do I tell my wife??
Sheesh, problems problems problems...

'sid

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

Those pointy boots are called "mata cucarachas" or cockroach killers. Ya know, so you can get them when they get in the corner....

 

[itsid]

loool I think I've seen those..
No I cannot pick my own nose with my shoes, they're not nearly pointy enough...

'sid

 

[bob58o]

I'm a white male with a college education living in America.
Profile all you want. I was born winning.

I'm just glad I don't get profiled like the black guys in Chicago. They just get shot.

 

[ezcome-ezgo]

I have a crewcut. Some people assume I am a white supremacist. If we'd just stop identifying ourselves based on our skin color, we'd be a lot better off.

Now, the Star-Belly Sneetches-
Had bellies with stars.
The Plain-Belly Sneetches-Had none upon thars.

 

[Texan]

That's hilarious man, kinda sad but funny.

It happens to me too, I was driving around my own subdivision, which I have lived in for 2years now, in my dodge Charger (which I admit kinda looks like trouble in it's own right, but still!). I had all the windows down just cruising around enjoying the nice day. I was wearing a leather jacket and sunglasses.

I got flagged down twice by people in the subdivision, one asked me if I needed directions/was lost/or was looking for somebody, and the other asked me where I lived, and when I said "in this subdivision, up on the big hill" they got all huffy and didn't believe me.

I laughed about it for awhile, just don't let it bother you, people will judge you for whatever you do.

And dang, I couldn't take it working with all those "special" people LOL

I think you just profiled right there

 

[Panhead5496]

If you're slowly driving circles around your neighborhood in your car, especially a big subdivision where not everybody knows you or your car, and you're just driving around, and pass the same house multiple times, you will raise the suspicions of the people who live there.


Random well dressed people on the street are not honest or trustworthy because they look nice.

Lol no, I hadn't been driving around past the same house multiple times, I literally just took the long way home at a normal speed for the subdivision.

And I agree with the second part, some of the nicest people I know look "scary" (beards, tats, nose rings, etc) while the "well dressed" people are the conceited, arrogant ones.

I think you just profiled right there

Whoops

 

[itsid]

I know this is unpopular these days.. and I admit still a flawed process!

But looking people in the eyes instead of "at their footwear"
usually tells me more about what I need to know. (at least I think so)

'sid