| Careful how? Do you typically "stand out" as in being overtly gay, or wearing anti-relgious clothing? My own (black) experience in West Texas (Ft. Bliss), "Careful" meant driving across state to see family in Houston and absolutely not stopping in certain counties, not even to piss or stretch my legs. After getting stopped, pulled over and ordered out of my vehicle while an officer stood back at his car several times and interrogated about "where are you going" "where are you supposed to be" "who do you know in this town" and "where did you steal the car from" (all separate experiences) while doing nothing but trying to take holiday leave. So... that kind of careful for some of us. edit, before anyone even makes the attempt: - I was not driving erratically - I had no bumper stickers on my car signaling political viewpoints - I was not wearing any 'curious' clothing other than a shirt and jeans - I had functioning turn signals and brake lights - I was driving a legally purchased, registered and insured vehicle at the speed limit (or +5mph) consistent with how I drive literally every day |
I remember my truck breaking down in Menard, TX and my black friend and I walked into a restaurant in the morning... everyone stopped and turned around and stared at us for a moment and went back to their business.