I was racially profiled today ... [View all]

I was on my way to work. I stopped at a stop light in a construction zone. I was third in line, in the center lane of a 6 lane road (3 headed North/3 headed South). It was the start of morning rush hour, so there were two lanes of cars to my right.

As I waited for the light to change, I turn the interior light on to read the document I was working on before leaving home.

That's when I saw 3 motorcycle cops posted up in a parking lot to my right, just past the intersection. When the light changed, I saw one of the cops nudge one of the other cops and point directly at my vehicle as I passed. They pulled out and turned on their lights.

I made my way to the curb and motioned that I was going to pull onto the approaching side street. I turned off my vehicle and got out my license, registration and proof of insurance. I did what I was taught long ago ... I kept my interior light on, let down all four of my windows and placed both hands on the door post, outside the driver side window. (I'm not getting shot because they could see my hands or thought someone was doing something in the vehicle.)

Both cops got off their motorcycles and one approached my vehicle on the driver's side, while the other unholstered his pistol and approached the passenger side.

The cop on the driver side said, "Do you know why I stopped you?" (No hello ... No good morning)

I responded "No, sir."

He said, "I saw you have a crack in your windshield."

I said, "Really? Well, yes sir. I caught a rock on my way home, yesterday."

He told me to sit tight while he ran my information ... but before walking away from my car he asked "The Question" ... "Have you ever been in trouble with the law?" (Mind you, I'm wearing a suit and tie and NPR is playing on the radio.)

I respond, "What kind of question is that? Do you ask everyone you stop that question? But to answer your question, yes ... I got a speeding ticket about 19 years ago."

He stopped and said, "Do you have anything in your car that I should know about?"

I responded, "No. There is nothing in my car that is of your concern."

He step away from the car and said, "Why are you so hostile?"

I responded, "Because it's 6:30 in the morning, I'm headed to work and you stop me for some bogus reason."

He responded, "I couldn't tell whether you were Black, white or purple when I saw the violation. Why do you guys always play the race-card?" (Note: I never mentioned anything about race)

I responded, "Because you could see a 4 inch crack in the lower left corner of my windshield, from more than 100 feet away, between two lanes of traffic, in the dark; but you couldn't see my skin color? Really?" And I laughed.

At that point, the older cop, the one with his gun drawn, said something to the cop I was talkiing to and I was handed back my information and he kind of yelled over his shoulder, as he was walking away from my car, "I'm gonna give you a break. Just get it fixed."

What a way to start a day in America.