First, apologies - the absence of the past few days was due to a last-minute decision to visit France on Friday evening, but more of that later. Perhaps.
It does at least let me lead into the story that yesterday I was once more on a train from France to Germany. As happened last time, at Forbach in France the German border police entered the train and “examined” it. Differently from last time they did not demand to see the ID or passports of everyone on board, in fact they only asked one person in the entire carriage to “prove his identity”. He sighed and produced a German ID card; he was German after all, in comparison to the other six of us who had been sitting around the two tables chatting – the Australian backpackers, the American exchange student wearing a Georgetown sweatshirt, the Finnish businesswoman and myself, all speaking English. He was, however, black. The only non-white person in the carriage – and the only person to be checked.
Now I don’t want to suggest that all Germans, or indeed just German policemen are racist bigots – the exact opposite is true (actually I’m wavering about that statement including the police, we’ll let it slide for now though). It was just another confirmation of my dislike of ID cards – and carrying them is compulsory here – they’re perfect for petty harassment of anyone or any group that any “authority”, either personally or as an agent of the state, doesn’t like.
German Phrase For Today: “Können Sie sich bitte ausweisen?” – You really do have lots of melanin.
Song playing as this was published: Ben Folds “Bitches Ain’t Shit”
Not just the German variety. I think it’s something you can see right across north-western Europe - exactly the same situation, be it on trains into Denmark or with British officials at ferry terminals in the Netherlands. In fact, if I was ever stupid enough to try to smuggle something across a border, I’d make sure I was sitting next to a person of colour, as that’s who the police/immigration/customs officials always swoop on. Usually with a fervour. Same thing happened the one time I flew to America: at the airport in Boston they practically jumped on the Indian man in front of me. It’s a sorry situation.
David: I’m actually a little ashamed of myself for not saying anything. When the same thing has happened in the past but the “person of colour” sitting next to me chosen for the “random” check was my (then) girlfriend, I’ve gone ballistic - which at least got me a kiss and my own passport checked. Yesterday though it was just so obvious from the guy’s response that this happens to him all the time, it was to be expected. And I didn’t say anything.
I don’t know how police in the UK are at the moment in Light Of What Happened, but my experience of wandering around Germany with a British Asian woman is hearing “this doesn’t happen in London, you racist twats” on a regular basis.
that sounds awful…i can actually almost understand why they’d pick on an arab/indian/paki (given the current situation / thanks to psychotic or fictional terrorists) but black??
that is honestly pretty ridiculous and i can’t believe that they’re allowed to get away with it.
Some very nice black people in a city to the west of where I live woke up one night recently to find crosses burning in their front yards. I do live in the South, but apparently, some Southerns still think it’s 1950 and they can intimidate anyone they want simply because they don’t like the color of their skin. I honestly don’t understand.
Oh well, as I said before, its never happened to me travelling by train or road in Europe, but while travelling by air, I am ALWAYS checked much more thoroughly than any white person. So much that I’ve bought special shoes and a wardrobe with no metal buttons or zips or fasteners or rivets. I don’t wear any jewellery apart for my engagement rings. I feel pretty annoyed because even though I’m travelling business and being a frequent flier on various airlines, I am picked for checking when the white trampy, unwashed hippie from Goa is let through without any checks. But then, most airline staff and even the security personnel do not really require an IQ of 110+ to get those shitty jobs, which is again something to be scared of.
France again? Since we can safely assume that you are not carrying out shuttle diplomacy missions to patch things up between Tony and Jacques, I say “Cherchez la femme.”.
I was once the only European on a flight from Boston to the Carolinas. I received a plastic tray marked with red tape for my belongings at the security checkpoint. That red tape was the signal to give me quite bit of extra attention and to very thouroughly check all my belongings.
About 18 months ago at Narita airport I was interrogated for a few minutes by a female customs officer. She showed me a photo album with pictures of pills, mushrooms and other sources of mind-altering substances while pretty much all Japanese citizens were allowed to proceed. The surreal aspect was that the officer seemed slightly embarrassed that she had to question me. Aside from being of slight build (like most Japanese) she was also constantly giggling. I have never encountered a less threatening officer than her.
Annoying (and illogical) as the behaviour of the Bundespolizei/Zoll must have been, my expericences make me believe that security services all over the globe show the same irrational mo: If somebody sticks out, check him.
So what you’re saying JCS is that in Namibia a white person can expect to have his shoes nicked at the airport. Sweet. It’s nice to know they’re discriminating equally I suppose.
As a person of colour who also looks a bit middle eastern I know what you mean. And I cant say I agree with them but I do understand their point of view. I mean, the media HAS told them that most attacks are perpetrated by people who look a bit like me but wear different headgear. They probably think..why take a chance. maybe..just maybe I will catch the next Osama Bin Laden and my days of eating Cuppa Noodles in front of the telly will be over.
General Point:
If you’re going to make comments here, feel free to use any language you want, but do keep your attacks on other commenters civil, or I’ll just delete them.
rocky, feedo, plumpernickel: I don’t find it acceptable at all. Not given present circumstances and certainly not on the occasions I’ve seen this kind of thing happen over the course of the past nine years.
Unfortunately, stuff like that is not uncommon. I was with a black guy for 5 years and apart from the staring, we would just know that he would get picked out to be checked almost everywhere.
But only once did someone really come up to me (in a club) and called me “N*gger B*tch”. I now wished I would have told him something good but unfortunately I was just speechless.
God. If I were to believe that all the “random” security checks that I’ve undergone at airports and on Eurostar trips were ACTUALLY random, I’d start betting on the lottery, because so far? Probability is in my favour.
Also, umm. Yay Georgetown.
Please note that carying passports is not generally compulsory. The law only mandates that you are able to prove your identity — which means that if you don’t have an ID card they will force you to go to a police office.
I guess it doesn’t matter much and doesn’t make this whole situation any more pleasuring, but I hope it is still of some use to you.