Recent visit to Detroit - insight into race relations? (neighborhood, live)

[PeaceChild]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

That isn't so bad. Actually that is pretty common throughout America. I mean, black or latino will do the 'hey baby' stuff from cars or walking down the street all of the time. I never thought of it as having racial relations overtones from it.

I think it is just different, as 'white culture' that is considered very creepy if a white guy does it. I think across the board, regardless of the women's ethnicity, a white guy saying stuff from cars is just creepy and stalking-like characteristics, and all the red light warnings go up quickly.

For whatever reason, and I couldn't give you any sociological/physchological background why, but within 'black' culture, this is completely acceptable. Also completely acceptable in Latino culture and Italian culture. If a guy is interested in a girl, it is completely acceptable to do the cat calls, do the 'hey baby', and on and on. It is way crossing the line in 'white culture', but considered very normal in other cultures.

Additionally, you were in the black neighborhoods, so considering that white girls don't generally pick up their laundry and go down to black neighborhoods in Detroit to do it. There might have been an assumption that you were a white woman interested in black guys.

I agree with some of your post, but the part about white guys being stalkers or creepy is not part of our culture. Yes, white guys do the same thing. It has more to do with being a man, than anything else.

[Tiger Beer]

Yeah, but if a white guy does it, aren't you just creeped out MORE by it?

I'm a white guy, and the thought of rolling down my window and saying 'hey baby' is just something I would never do. I get creepy overtones just thinking of doing it.

Most women I know, my wife included, do not like that. But for whatever reason, it is somewhat expected coming from a black guy or latino guy or whatever. She blows it off regardless. But I think if she was walking down the street, and some older creepy 40-year-old white guy was salivating out the window doing cat calls, she'd be creeped out at night wondering if the guy got ahold of her address. Whereas if its just a black guy doing it, you kinda assume that the next girl that walks by is going to attract his attention in two seconds anyways, so its not like you'd be up late at night thinking about it. But regardless of who it is, and when, I know it would freak out my wife (and every woman I've ever known) a bit at that particular moment when it happens.

[PeaceChild]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Yeah, but if a white guy does it, aren't you just creeped out MORE by it?

I'm a white guy, and the thought of rolling down my window and saying 'hey baby' is just something I would never do. I get creepy overtones just thinking of doing it.

Most women I know, my wife included, do not like that. But for whatever reason, it is somewhat expected coming from a black guy or latino guy or whatever. She blows it off regardless. But I think if she was walking down the street, and some older creepy 40-year-old white guy was salivating out the window doing cat calls, she'd be creeped out at night wondering if the guy got ahold of her address. Whereas if its just a black guy doing it, you kinda assume that the next girl that walks by is going to attract his attention in two seconds anyways, so its not like you'd be up late at night thinking about it. But regardless of who it is, and when, I know it would freak out my wife (and every woman I've ever known) a bit at that particular moment when it happens.

Well, maybe it would be a little creepy if the guy was older. I'd be thinking "perv" then. I know young guys have a hard time controlling themselves, but older guys doing it? Nah.

[Emmerage]

Thanks for the replies so far - I guess people have answered part of the question, that this is something that happens commonly, and isn't always a cause for alarm, and that perhaps it is somewhat culturally based:

In relation to the comments on the abandoned building - I'm conducting research for a postgraduate thesis, and my friend agreed to come along. I take pictures of the outside of lots of these places, worldwide, but in this case there was a wide open window, right on the street, at street level and my friend chose to step in and check out the room beyond the window. Yes, technically trespassing. Not my choice, and not ideal, I know. But also not the point of the post. He didn't really leave me alone since he was right there, but not visible. And I accept that dropping me off up the road from the laundry was also not ideal, but it was a very main road and I could SEE the laundry from where he dropped me off, it didn't seem like a huge risk, initially.

Em

[Tiger Beer]

The research is real interesting.

I'd still be real careful with the abandoned buildings. Not all of them are really abandoned. You might encounter people's belongings in them...i.e., they sleep there. Technically abondaned, but actually inhabited.

Additionally, people also need places to 'shoot up', i.e. inject drugs.

[and the]

For whatever reason, and I couldn't give you any sociological/physchological background why, but within 'black' culture, this is completely acceptable.

Rude, crude, misogynistic behavior is understood to be unacceptable among all the black professionals I know. Actually, it's pretty much unacceptable among ALL the black people I know. Maybe you're hanging around with the wrong black folks. It's one thing to joke around with friends or acquaintances, but to drive up and treat a stranger to that special type of crudeness is not acceptable at all among anyone I know.

To say that it's acceptable within "black culture" is nothing more than trying to rationalize the unacceptable behavior of a bunch of thugs, and this type of rationalization is one more reason on the list of why Detroit, beyond downtown, has no future.

As far as taking pictures of abandoned buildings to study "urban decay". That's been done so often that I'm beginning to think it's just an excuse to stare at a train wreck. Yes, Detroit has a lot of empty buildings that used to look really nice when there were 2 million people in the city to fill them up. Now there isn't and there are lots of bricks stacked on each other just sitting there. If you really want to "study" urban decay, tell us about what you learned as far as the reasons those buildings are empty. If you can see past the politically correct BS and have the cajones to talk about it, you'll get to the finish line a lot faster.

[Globe199]

I just read the initial post here. I've never been to Detroit, but I imagine that story could have turned out a lot worse.

I was 14 when my family visited Chicago for the first time. I'd never been to a "big" city, at least not one of Chicago's size. When my dad inquired of a friend back home (who'd previously lived there) about the big city and personal safety, the guy said, "You'll really only find trouble if you go looking for it."

Well, it's obvious that Emmerage went looking for trouble and left herself quite vulnerable in the process. And Detroit must be about the worst city in which to do that. Now, I'm not exactly saying it was "dumb," but it didn't happen by accident. I understand the appeal of urban exploration. I went looking for trouble last year in Chicago around Harvey -- the abandoned warzone of Dixie Square Mall. Nothing bad happened, but I certainly wouldn't want my car to break down in that neighbourhood

[MIEng]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

For whatever reason, and I couldn't give you any sociological/physchological background why, but within 'black' culture, this is completely acceptable. Also completely acceptable in Latino culture and Italian culture. If a guy is interested in a girl, it is completely acceptable to do the cat calls, do the 'hey baby', and on and on.

No this is not acceptable in Latino culture. In my country what she experienced is considered harrassment. Yes latin americans are more expressive but it is not normal for a guy to stop the car in the middle of the street and start a unwanted conversation, that is just creepy.

This is not black, latino or italian culture it was just plain ghetto, low class culture.

I have been in Italy many times and when I was younger I got approached many times. Guys will try to strike a conversation with you in a friendly and non threatening way, nothing like what she described.

She was obviously an out of towner (white girl with a camera in the middle of the 'hood) and these low class loosers had nothing else to do.

[TootsieWootsie]

White girl in a Black area? You were either there to buy something (drugs), into Black guys or a hooker who works Black areas. Sad but true.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by renter8319

i don't think there was any danger. it was the middle of the day. don't be fooled by the nice cars though. that doesn't mean your talking to a business man. that's the type of reaction a decent to above average if not hot woman will get in detroit(as well as other areas, but more often in detroit), but a white woman that is out of place will probably get more attention. if it had been night you would of had more to worry about(which i don't suggest you go anywhere outside of downtown at night if you don't know where your going). they weren't being racist toward you, they just wanted some australian booty.

That's what it sounds like, basically...... I will also add, if you are a White woman with a voluptuous body type, that is probably even more reason for the catcalls in said neighborhoods.