I had a horrific experience today involving a scary black man in a movie theater

[HamsterDemocracy]

Okay, disclaimer: I'm not racist. In fact that's part of the reason this happened.

I decided to skip my second class today because I fucking hate having to sit through my college professor's dry math lectures, so I decided to go see The Departed. The theater is in kind of a rough area but it's the only one around so usually all the middle-class white folk go there and everything, especially in evenings.


So The Departed isn't out yet so I get a ticket for Jackass 2 instead. As I'm waiting for popcorn this big black dude comes up and he's like, "By the time you get up there your movie'll be over." I laughed and said yeah, and then he was like "What you going to see?" and I said Jackass, and he said he was going to see Jet Li's movie.

At this point I'm thinking the dude is gay so I try to stop talking, after I get my popcorn we're the only two walking towards the screening rooms (down a long corridor with no people) and he slows up and waits for me to pass him by and starts asking me if I like comedies. Jackass theater is right around the corner so I act nice and talk with him until I get to Screen 9 and he goes "This is yours, right?" and I said yeah, and then I said enjoy the movie and went in.

Well halfway through the fucking movie he walks in, walks over to where I'm sitting (five other people are in the theater) and sits down next to me, and he whispers to me and starts saying he needs to go buy one of those red gasoline tanks to fill-up his car. I tell him I don't have one and he says he just needs like five or six bucks.

THIS IS WHILE THE MOVIE IS STILL PLAYING!! I'm shocked this guy is doing this and so I tell him I can't help him and he says "Come on man my wife is in the car," which is weird since he was hanging out in the tehater and apparently going to see Jet Li. Then he tells me he works for UPS and he'll bring me money back, he's like "Come on you know me man." I'm like no I fucking don't! But I don't say that to him.

I open my wallet and hand him two bucks, the only other bill I have is a twenty. He looks in my wallet and says "What else you got in there?"

I hand him the two dollars and say "Sorry that's all I can give you."

He's like "Okay man," then sits there for a few more seconds before getting up and leaving.

He ruined the rest of the fucking movie for me, the whole time I keep thinking "shit, I gotta walk through this empty corridor by myself, only five other people are here and what am I gonna do if he pops out and pulls a knife or something?"

Seriously this guy was freaky. And I start thinking what if he goes, waits in his car, sees me leave and then confronts me at my car, because the parking lot was basically empty around 3:00 in the afternoon, kids don't start going there till later.

I put myself in "gangster mode" and thought about all those movies were the good guys have a plan. I figured if he pulled a gun I'd carry my popcorn, then pretend to dig into my wallet and toss the bag right in his face, and when he instinctively flinches I'll just knock the gun from him.

Then I think what if it's a knife, I'm screwed because that's even more dangerous at close range.

Someone just got killed in this area last week, a college kid, two black kids mugged him, and he only had twenty bucks so they shot him and killed him.

I was so freaking worried. On top of that I had to piss like a bitch and there was no way in hell I was going to go into the restroom by myself, so I had to hold it.

Anyway I got out of the theater when it was over, walked down the corridor next to the other two people, ready to throw my popcorn.

I get into the main lobby, scan the area, he's nowhere.

Walk into the parking lot. I'm completely by myself. Some girl is way on the other end near a shopping store.

Then the whole way home I was checking my rearview.

Seriously this may sound stupid but this guy freaked me out, I'm pretty sure I only gave him two bucks but it was dark in the theater and I started worrying I could have handed him a receipt from my wallet or something, anything that has personal details, but I'm pretty sure I didn't.

REALLY SCARY guys. I'm still shaking from it.

[EFISH]

Yeah there are some real weirdo's out there man.

let it go, im sure youll never see this guy again

[slash666]

wow man sounds intense, thank god your ok!

[HamsterDemocracy]

Yeah there are some real weirdo's out there man.

let it go, im sure youll never see this guy again

Thanks dude.

It sounds lame in retrospect but when you're in a dark theater in a seedy area where someone's just been murdered and this is happening it's really fucking terrifying.

By the way, I'm real sorry but I tried to make a similar logo for you from scratch last night but it looked like total shit, I was kind of ashamed of it so I didn't even save it. The text was fine but the star looked weird. I don't know if you're still planning on getting a professional to do it, but I can try again and use a different star as a template maybe if you don't find anyone.

[SLCPUNK]

Okay, disclaimer: I'm not racist. In fact that's part of the reason this happened.

This always precedes a racist comment or story. Always............

[HamsterDemocracy]

Okay, disclaimer: I'm not racist. In fact that's part of the reason this happened.

This always precedes a racist comment or story. Always............

How is my story racist? 

I only put that as a disclaimer because I knew people would read "scary black man" and think I was making a joke.

Most of the kids from my area are afraid to go into the city and when they go places like the theater treat the blacks like shit, sad but true, because they are all afraid of getting shot. THAT is racist but I was being nice to the guy, maybe next time I'll just treat everybody like shit if that makes you happy.

[SLCPUNK]

Okay, disclaimer: I'm not racist. In fact that's part of the reason this happened.

This always precedes a racist comment or story. Always............

How is my story racist? 

I only put that as a disclaimer because I knew people would read "scary black man" and think I was making a joke.

Most of the kids from my area are afraid to go into the city and when they go places like the theater treat the blacks like shit, sad but true, because they are all afraid of getting shot. THAT is racist but I was being nice to the guy, maybe next time I'll just treat everybody like shit if that makes you happy.

There was no need to describe the guy as black........simple as that.

I'm sure you are a nice guy.

[HamsterDemocracy]

Okay, disclaimer: I'm not racist. In fact that's part of the reason this happened.

This always precedes a racist comment or story. Always............

How is my story racist? 

I only put that as a disclaimer because I knew people would read "scary black man" and think I was making a joke.

Most of the kids from my area are afraid to go into the city and when they go places like the theater treat the blacks like shit, sad but true, because they are all afraid of getting shot. THAT is racist but I was being nice to the guy, maybe next time I'll just treat everybody like shit if that makes you happy.

There was no need to describe the guy as black........simple as that.

I'm sure you are a nice guy.

Why not?

This is a case of someone being over-sensitive.

If I had said "a scary white guy" would you have cared?

No.

It's called being descriptive. I write a lot. I'm used to going into detail. It's not because I'm racist, it's because I like giving full stories.

And saying he is black is kind of vital in this case since statistically the center of my town is inhabited by poor blacks - and there's a very high crime rate.

I don't want to turn this into a thread about racism or politics, but suffice to say - regardless of the reasons WHY - blacks (in my city) are responsible for more crime and a white kid about my age was just murdered by two black kids, so yeah, sue me when a big huge black guy starts harassing me for money and my first thought isn't, "Oh shit."

[Skinflick]

Okay, disclaimer: I'm not racist. In fact that's part of the reason this happened.

I decided to skip my second class today because I fucking hate having to sit through my college professor's dry math lectures, so I decided to go see The Departed. The theater is in kind of a rough area but it's the only one around so usually all the middle-class white folk go there and everything, especially in evenings.


So The Departed isn't out yet so I get a ticket for Jackass 2 instead. As I'm waiting for popcorn this big black dude comes up and he's like, "By the time you get up there your movie'll be over." I laughed and said yeah, and then he was like "What you going to see?" and I said Jackass, and he said he was going to see Jet Li's movie.

At this point I'm thinking the dude is gay so I try to stop talking, after I get my popcorn we're the only two walking towards the screening rooms (down a long corridor with no people) and he slows up and waits for me to pass him by and starts asking me if I like comedies. Jackass theater is right around the corner so I act nice and talk with him until I get to Screen 9 and he goes "This is yours, right?" and I said yeah, and then I said enjoy the movie and went in.

Well halfway through the fucking movie he walks in, walks over to where I'm sitting (five other people are in the theater) and sits down next to me, and he whispers to me and starts saying he needs to go buy one of those red gasoline tanks to fill-up his car. I tell him I don't have one and he says he just needs like five or six bucks.

THIS IS WHILE THE MOVIE IS STILL PLAYING!! I'm shocked this guy is doing this and so I tell him I can't help him and he says "Come on man my wife is in the car," which is weird since he was hanging out in the tehater and apparently going to see Jet Li. Then he tells me he works for UPS and he'll bring me money back, he's like "Come on you know me man." I'm like no I fucking don't! But I don't say that to him.

I open my wallet and hand him two bucks, the only other bill I have is a twenty. He looks in my wallet and says "What else you got in there?"

I hand him the two dollars and say "Sorry that's all I can give you."

He's like "Okay man," then sits there for a few more seconds before getting up and leaving.

He ruined the rest of the fucking movie for me, the whole time I keep thinking "shit, I gotta walk through this empty corridor by myself, only five other people are here and what am I gonna do if he pops out and pulls a knife or something?"

Seriously this guy was freaky. And I start thinking what if he goes, waits in his car, sees me leave and then confronts me at my car, because the parking lot was basically empty around 3:00 in the afternoon, kids don't start going there till later.

I put myself in "gangster mode" and thought about all those movies were the good guys have a plan. I figured if he pulled a gun I'd carry my popcorn, then pretend to dig into my wallet and toss the bag right in his face, and when he instinctively flinches I'll just knock the gun from him.

Then I think what if it's a knife, I'm screwed because that's even more dangerous at close range.

Someone just got killed in this area last week, a college kid, two black kids mugged him, and he only had twenty bucks so they shot him and killed him.

I was so freaking worried. On top of that I had to piss like a bitch and there was no way in hell I was going to go into the restroom by myself, so I had to hold it.

Anyway I got out of the theater when it was over, walked down the corridor next to the other two people, ready to throw my popcorn.

I get into the main lobby, scan the area, he's nowhere.

Walk into the parking lot. I'm completely by myself. Some girl is way on the other end near a shopping store.

Then the whole way home I was checking my rearview.

Seriously this may sound stupid but this guy freaked me out, I'm pretty sure I only gave him two bucks but it was dark in the theater and I started worrying I could have handed him a receipt from my wallet or something, anything that has personal details, but I'm pretty sure I didn't.

REALLY SCARY guys. I'm still shaking from it.

People like that will wait around all day in certain places looking for people to grope money from using mild intimidation or whatever....you looked like an easy target to him.......that's all dude.......still a crazy story....

[HamsterDemocracy]

Okay, disclaimer: I'm not racist. In fact that's part of the reason this happened.

I decided to skip my second class today because I fucking hate having to sit through my college professor's dry math lectures, so I decided to go see The Departed. The theater is in kind of a rough area but it's the only one around so usually all the middle-class white folk go there and everything, especially in evenings.


So The Departed isn't out yet so I get a ticket for Jackass 2 instead. As I'm waiting for popcorn this big black dude comes up and he's like, "By the time you get up there your movie'll be over." I laughed and said yeah, and then he was like "What you going to see?" and I said Jackass, and he said he was going to see Jet Li's movie.

At this point I'm thinking the dude is gay so I try to stop talking, after I get my popcorn we're the only two walking towards the screening rooms (down a long corridor with no people) and he slows up and waits for me to pass him by and starts asking me if I like comedies. Jackass theater is right around the corner so I act nice and talk with him until I get to Screen 9 and he goes "This is yours, right?" and I said yeah, and then I said enjoy the movie and went in.

Well halfway through the fucking movie he walks in, walks over to where I'm sitting (five other people are in the theater) and sits down next to me, and he whispers to me and starts saying he needs to go buy one of those red gasoline tanks to fill-up his car. I tell him I don't have one and he says he just needs like five or six bucks.

THIS IS WHILE THE MOVIE IS STILL PLAYING!! I'm shocked this guy is doing this and so I tell him I can't help him and he says "Come on man my wife is in the car," which is weird since he was hanging out in the tehater and apparently going to see Jet Li. Then he tells me he works for UPS and he'll bring me money back, he's like "Come on you know me man." I'm like no I fucking don't! But I don't say that to him.

I open my wallet and hand him two bucks, the only other bill I have is a twenty. He looks in my wallet and says "What else you got in there?"

I hand him the two dollars and say "Sorry that's all I can give you."

He's like "Okay man," then sits there for a few more seconds before getting up and leaving.

He ruined the rest of the fucking movie for me, the whole time I keep thinking "shit, I gotta walk through this empty corridor by myself, only five other people are here and what am I gonna do if he pops out and pulls a knife or something?"

Seriously this guy was freaky. And I start thinking what if he goes, waits in his car, sees me leave and then confronts me at my car, because the parking lot was basically empty around 3:00 in the afternoon, kids don't start going there till later.

I put myself in "gangster mode" and thought about all those movies were the good guys have a plan. I figured if he pulled a gun I'd carry my popcorn, then pretend to dig into my wallet and toss the bag right in his face, and when he instinctively flinches I'll just knock the gun from him.

Then I think what if it's a knife, I'm screwed because that's even more dangerous at close range.

Someone just got killed in this area last week, a college kid, two black kids mugged him, and he only had twenty bucks so they shot him and killed him.

I was so freaking worried. On top of that I had to piss like a bitch and there was no way in hell I was going to go into the restroom by myself, so I had to hold it.

Anyway I got out of the theater when it was over, walked down the corridor next to the other two people, ready to throw my popcorn.

I get into the main lobby, scan the area, he's nowhere.

Walk into the parking lot. I'm completely by myself. Some girl is way on the other end near a shopping store.

Then the whole way home I was checking my rearview.

Seriously this may sound stupid but this guy freaked me out, I'm pretty sure I only gave him two bucks but it was dark in the theater and I started worrying I could have handed him a receipt from my wallet or something, anything that has personal details, but I'm pretty sure I didn't.

REALLY SCARY guys. I'm still shaking from it.

People like that will wait around all day in certain places looking for people to grope money from using mild intimidation or whatever....you looked like an easy target to him.......that's all dude.......still a crazy story....

Yeah, I realized that afterwards.

When he first started talking I thought he was just a regular at the theater (since the people seemed to be familiar with him) and was either (a) gay and hitting on me or (b) similar to the regulars at places who try to get "talky" and personal with you...but I should have known better.

I'm not going back there by myself anymore or during matinee hours, the place was deserted. At night it's packed.

I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't given him any money.

[pasnow]

That is wierd, especially that he was panhandling IN a movie theater, not just in the parking lot. He might know someone who works there, who let's him in, then he just roams around all day. Did he seem homeless, like a beggar? Wierd he sat next to you, too.


I do have to ask about one thing:

I put myself in "gangster mode" and thought about all those movies were the good guys have a plan. I figured if he pulled a gun I'd carry my popcorn, then pretend to dig into my wallet and toss the bag right in his face, and when he instinctively flinches I'll just knock the gun from him.

Gangster mode??? C'mon, was that the best you could come up with?? You're making us white suburban kids look bad Guy pulls a gun on you and you think throwing Popcorn in his face is going to be your Bourne Identity escape?? Who are you Chevy Chase in Vacation?!

I feel for you, and would have been scared myself.. but I mean, myb do a little better than fighting someone with a bucket of popcorn. Maybe stick the bucket on your head a la Buckethead and walk out so he doesn't recognize you.

Or at least just don't even bother posting that part. 

[SLCPUNK]

This is a case of someone being over-sensitive.

If I had said "a scary white guy" would you have cared?

No.

You would not have said "scary white guy."

You would have just said "scary guy."

The fact that you pointed out that the person was another race is what makes it racist. Get it?

[HamsterDemocracy]

That it wierd, especially that he was panhandling IN a movie theater. He might know someone who works there, who let's him in, then he just roams around all day. Did he seem homeless, like a beggar? Wierd he sat next to you, too.

Yeah, he said he was going to see Jet Li and I'm pretty sure when he walked by he didn't even give the guy a ticket, he just kind of waved at the guy and said like "Hey" or something, so I think he's a regular. They probably know what he does, too. Maybe some of them are even in on it, who knows. I can understand asking for money inside the lobby or something, but walking into a screening is really fucking scary, I mean that's crazy.

I do have to ask about one thing:

I put myself in "gangster mode" and thought about all those movies were the good guys have a plan. I figured if he pulled a gun I'd carry my popcorn, then pretend to dig into my wallet and toss the bag right in his face, and when he instinctively flinches I'll just knock the gun from him.

C'mon, was that the best you could come up with?? Guy pulls a gun on you and you think throwing Popcorn in his face is going to be your Bourne Identity escape?? Who are you Chevy Chase in Vacation?!

I feel for you, and would have been scared myself.. but I mean, myb do a little better than fighting someone with a bucket of popcorn. Maybe stick the bucket on your head a la Buckethead and walk out so he doesn't recognize you.

All I had was a Coke and a popcorn. I saw on a self-defense video once that throwing ANYTHING at an opponent will cause them to instinctively try to catch it - kind of a natural reaction. I would have tossed the popcorn and immediately kicked or punched the gun out of his hand, what else could I do if he confronted me? I didn't have any type of weapon on me. Seemed like a good idea.

I thought about sticking close to the other people in the theater, but if they got ahead of me or whatever, or if he jumped out from one of the corners, it wouldn't do much good.

[HamsterDemocracy]

This is a case of someone being over-sensitive.

If I had said "a scary white guy" would you have cared?

No.

You would not have said "scary white guy."

You would have just said "scary guy."

The fact that you pointed out that the person was another race is what makes it racist. Get it?

Let's go to Mr. Bukowski! (Yes, I love his work.)

One of his poems he mentions a "black guy walked into the bank" and tried to rob it.

I guess Bukowski was being racist, too.

In an ethnic area it's important to say what race someone is - yes I would have said "scary white guy," because that's how I write.

Tell me - if I had said "some scary guy confronted me" would it put the same image in your head as "scary black guy"?

[pasnow]

Maybe offer him some popcorn and hope he has high cholesterol.. Then he might become crippled by clogged arteries!! ?

 

[AdZ]

I'd love to see some of you people in South London.

[HamsterDemocracy]

I'd love to see some of you people in South London.

I lived there for five years.

[AdZ]

I'd love to see some of you people in South London.

I lived there for five years.

And you found that terrifying? Where did you live?!

[HamsterDemocracy]

I'd love to see some of you people in South London.

I lived there for five years.

And you found that terrifying? Where did you live?!

I moved around London a lot, I also at one point lived twenty miles outside, the difference is amazing - it's only twenty miles away but you might as well be in another country. It's completely different than the States where even in the countryside suburbs are packed to the gills - I lived on a farm for three years, complete open area, you'd never guess London was only a half hour away.

And btw, Philly is pretty rough, so I wouldn't discredit it - I'd say there are some areas worse than what I've seen in any area of London.

[sjgotnitro]

Okay, disclaimer: I'm not racist. In fact that's part of the reason this happened.

This always precedes a racist comment or story. Always............

People who stir the racial pot.?

There is nothing a matter with describing the guy as a big scary black guy.

A big black guy is damn scary. So what he added the black in there instead of the just big scary guy.

Oh yes I'm predjudice. I HATE EVERYBODY? Except GNR fans

I worked in Philly for years, rule of thumb do not tryust anybody regardless of color or size, but being big and black is a scary situation. I had one to many guns pointed point blank at me.? Oh and for the record 1 skinny old white drunk put a gun to my chest and said I'm going to kill you right now. But in the end the big black guy with the shotgun seemed like he really was going to shot me becuase it was in his eyes he did not care and was going to do it just to do it. Thank goodness for cops.

Done with my rant? ? now, but racist people might make you and a majority of us mad and i also get mad everytime someone points the racist finger at someone because something they said is not political correct so they must be racist.?

No offense intended just had to speak my mind. I feel better now?