DISASTER AVERTED - and a treatise on prejudice

It is my wont to claim that much of what we call racism is merely a reaction to a things that upset you. Or as a friend of mine once told me: "You don't have to be white to be an asshole."

Last Saturday night, a car full of Bahamians (4) pulled up to the rest stop about 10PM, opened all the doors and trunk, and started playing music so loud that my car shook. They had subwoofers that would make Metallica jealous. I would say they were Bahamians, by the music, their accent, and the team colors they were wearing. After they got their snacks, they broke out a soccer ball and began to get some exercise. Now I know that not everyone is using the rest stops as a home base, but at 10PM some drivers have stopped there for rest before they continue driving. These four people were rude and obnoxious.

Soon after they left (remember this was the night I got rousted by the state police so it was not my night) several rejects from The Jersey Shore roared in with their souped up hemis roaring and backfiring. They made sure to rev them up before they cut off their engines and after restarting them later. Obviously, if you didn't get the reference to the TV show, these "people" were white. However, they too are rude and obnoxious.

Fast forward to this morning. I am always careful to check to make sure that I have a key in my hand before I shut my door. This morning I drove up to the gas pumps from my resting place to brush the snow off my windows. As I slam the door I realize that the car is running and my purse with the spare key is in the car. PLEASE GOD, DON'T LET THE DOORS BE LOCKED. God must hate me because they were locked. Guy ignored me when I tried to tell him to open the doors. See if he gets any more treats. The worst part is that I had just filled up so it would run for hours, if not days.

I run into the truck stop and ask the young lady (black) behind the counter if they had a "slim jim" (a device used to jimmy open locked car doors for you non-felonious types.) She said that they didn't but I should start asking the truck drivers. I yell out the request and Billy-Bob (obviously white), the redneck spit out his Copenhagen and says "Nah, but I got a hammur, if you-un wants it. Har, har har." The lady behind the counter and I just ignored him. A black truck driver said that he had and went out to his truck, in the snow, to get it for me. I tried to open the door but it didn't work. The truck driver finally came out, saw me struggling, and tried to no avail. Cujo, remind me never to give him treats any more, snarls at the window. The truck driver goes to the passenger side to try it and Cujo follows. However, this time his bark is sharp and loud and we notice that the window is open about a quarter of an inch. The driver says that he may have a coat hanger in his cab and walks back to get it. I go into the store and the counter lady gave me one that she had. I'm trying to pull up the window latch, idiot me when the driver returns and notices that I have electric windows. He twists the coat hanger and pushed down on the window control and down goes the window. He then said that he wasn't going to reach in to unlock it, and I agreed that it was for the best. He then left, refusing any reward.

Maybe I am a bigot because I hate rude, obnoxious assholes be they Bahamian, Jersey Shore types, or Billy-Bobs.

By the way, there really isn't any metal place to put one of those magnetic key holders so I will have to figure something else out.