911: What's your emergency?

omg...lol. This one is for those who keep saying we live in a colorbind society. I am listening to talk radio right now while I work on my paper, so a caller calls into the talk show and tells a story about a family friend who is a police officer and the types of calls they get. She lives in the North Shore area, north of Boston in a predominately white neighborhood.

Her officer friend told her when a black man is walking down the street, they get several citizen calls to report to the police that "there is a black man walking down the street." LOL. I can only shake my head.

This is fictitious dialogue, but I can bet the conversations are similar to this:

911 Operator: You are being recorded. 911, what's your emergency?

North Shore caller: Can you get an officer over here? (In a whispered, nervous voice): There's a black man walking down our street.

911 Operator (snickering under his breath): Ma'am is there any suspicious activity? Is he committing a crime?

North Shore caller: No...he's walking down the street, and looks like he doesn't belong here.

911 Operator: Ma'am let me transfer you to a police sergeant.
The call is transferred.

Marblehead police sergeant: How may I help you?

North Shore caller: Yes, there is a black man walking down the street. Please hurry. He is walking on Red Coats Road, and just turned right onto Tea Party Lane. Please hurry.

Marblehead police sergeant: Ma'am, what is he doing?

North Shore caller (in a slow terrified voice, almost trance-like): He's....walking....down...the...street.

Marblehead police sergeant: You mean to tell me he's walking down the street? Is he wearing blue jeans, a white shirt, brown shoes, neatly trimmed short cropped hair?

North Shore caller: Yes, and if you don't hurry, you will miss him walking down the street. Hurry, before I lose sight of him.

Marblehead police sergeant: Ma'am, we took down all of the information. This is the fifth call we have received of this black man walking down the street.