Doesn't that say it all?
Two times in one day I have encountered them together.
A couple of my friends and I (all women) were standing outside our university building in the parking lot, 10 pm, bidding goodbye after class. There's this creepy looking car, with an equally creepy looking dude making rounds slowly around the parking lot.
Now, however insensitive you may be, at times like these, you are as alert as a rhinoceros (although they do have poor eyesight, so maybe that isn't the right comparison) And so were we. It really didn't help that that guy was a stranger, was dark skinned, and kept his eyes on us without even as much as a shadow of a smile.
Tell me sincerely, what are you supposed to think? Keep in mind that my university sits in the one of the most notorious cities of NJ called Newark.
Yup. We bolted. And called for the security.
The guard came to our assistance quite promptly, but imagine our surprise when he started laughing!! Turns out, that car belongs to the Security itself and its an undercover cop (university police) driving in an unmarked car, making rounds to see if everything is in order.
Eeesshhhh.. we were a bit embarrassed, but no one would blame us for being on the safe side. And that guy should have atleast waved at us.. or even a smile would have been reassuring. That's what we told him to do anyways.
On my way home, that very day, half an hour later, I came across a car and a driver (this time not creepy, but dangerous) driving hazardously on the highway. Now I say hazardously because, the guy was on the fast lane, driving at over a speed of 120kmph. And he was right in front of me. I kept my distance for few seconds, but it unnerved me that he was swerving unpredictably. My first thought was a drunk driver, and I carefully changed lanes.
But the very next minute, I was plagued by a sense of dread. What if the guy wasn't drunk? What if he was sick and in need of assistance? If only I had noticed or noted more details of the car, I would have called the traffic police. Wait. I did not know who to call. Nor did I know what to tell them once I called. "Hello! I am near exit 9 and there seems to be a guy who might be drunk or not, driving a car very much like a drunken monkey". What if he did indeed cause an accident?
I could have helped him or gotten him off the road and I could not.
I kept thinking of that car all the way home. I do not know what happened to it. I am sure there was no accident - for there was nothing in the news.
Two strangers and two stereotypes.
Are we biased towards stereotypes? They do have a wacky way of coming true you know, and our first instinct is always our safety. Some stereotypes are just plain funny - like how some Americans think that all Asians are smart people, there are no idiots in Asia. Or like how Asians think that all of America is rich and there are no poor, or crime, or even potholes.
What is true for the majority of the population is not always true for the rest. But maybe that is how stereotypes are formed?!
Have you met any strange stereotypes?
9 comments:
We are in a way prejudiced towards stereotypes but they do have a tendency of coming true!!
Uhm...I would love to comment about a Sterotype that maybe only generalise into one...but then...doesnt feel it right myself for doing so...So I refrain in explaining it here...
But yes, as Ro said..we tend to do so..which many a times is really a wrong thing to do...
Nicely written.We come across stereotypes aplenty in godmen who more often than not hv clay feet.The net also abounds in in stereotypes of people passing off as genuine friends but actually turn out to be wicked on prowl for easy preys be they with a promise of a share in a bequest/lottery or a hand in matrimony.Discretion is better than valour in all these cases
ya....in my profession, with many of my students. it sometimes causes fatigue, yet i enjoy it
hmm.. very interesting topic!
sometimes, what happens is-- the older people take the younger ones for granted! like-- whn some 70+ people see me.. they refrain from talking to me, apart from saying things like--"u working.."? "wht plans further..?" and they go on about talking to my dad about politics/religion/philosophy. in a worse scenario- i am made to get away from the place where 'men discuss things' and sent this place full of old ladies whose life time goal is to 'help' a single boy/girl get married or discuss about their 'trip to the U.S.A' where they have their sons/daughters/grand children... and so on!
little do they realize that i can be a part of the 'men discuss things' conversation too.
that really bugs me!
very interesting... thought provoking!
Matangi, I have found that the best way to tackle that stereotype that you and I fall prey to quite frequently, is to intrude into their discussion and avoid having to talk about pickles instead of politics.
Not that there is anything wrong with pickles, I love talking about them too. But, just saying..
Of course, this will initially cause some discomfort to everyone, but at least they will know that you are not unfit to talk about serious things. :)
thanks for dropping by! I loved your poem.
@sans - I understand. But its a great feeling when you conquer that stereotype, right? quite liberating I should imagine.
@partha sir - oh yes. brain power. But I never can fully understand why some people put themselves in such compromising positions, as in the case of god men or internet predators. weird.
@J - hey. how have you been? I think we all have our own stereotype demons. so don't worry about generalising anything. :)
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