BLACK ROBBERS - True Story
By far the best email I've read so far....For anyone who didn't see
David Letterman's take on this: (And it's a true story...)
On a recent weekend in Atlantic City, a woman won a bucketful of
quarters at a slot machine. She took a break from the slots for dinner with
her husband in the hotel dining room. But first she wanted to stash the
quarters in her room. "I'll be right back and we'll go to eat, "she
told her husband and carried the coin-laden bucket to the elevator.
As she was about to walk into the
elevator she noticed two men
already aboard. Both were black. One of them was tall...very tall...an
intimidating figure. The woman froze.
Her first thought was: These two are going to rob me.
Her next thought was: Don't be a bigot, they look like perfectly
nice gentlemen. But racial stereotypes are powerful, and fear immobilized
her. She stood and stared at the two men. She felt anxious, flustered and
ashamed. She hoped they didn't read her mind but Gosh, they had to
know what she was thinking!!! Her hesitation about joining them in the
elevator was all too obvious now. Her face was flushed. She couldn't just
stand there, so with a mighty effort of will she picked up one foot and
stepped forward and followed with the other foot and was on the elevator.
Avoiding eye contact, she turned around stiffly and faced the elevator doors
as they closed. A second passed, and the another second, and then another.
Her fear increased! The elevator
didn't move. Panic consumed her.
My God, she thought, I'm trapped and about to be robbed! Her heart
plummeted. Perspiration poured from every pore.
Then one of the men said, "Hit the floor." Instinct told her to do what
they told her. The bucket of quarters flew upwards as she threw out
her arms and collapsed on the elevator floor. A shower of coins rained
down on her. Take my money and spare me, she prayed. More seconds passed.
She heard one of the men say politely, "Ma'am, if you'll just tell us
what floor you're going to, we'll push the button." The one who said it
had a little trouble getting the words out. He was trying mightily to
hold in a belly laugh. The woman lifted her head and looked up at the two men.
They reached down to help her up.
Confused, she struggled to her feet. "When I told my friend here to
hit the floor," said the average sized one, "I meant that he should hit the
elevator button for our floor. I didn't mean for you to hit the
floor, ma'am." He spoke genially. He bit his lip. It was obvious he was
having a hard time not laughing.
The woman thought: My God, what a spectacle I've made of myself.
She was humiliated to speak. She wanted to blurt out an apology,
but words failed her. How do you apologize to two perfectly
respectable gentlemen for behaving as though they were going to rob
you? She didn't know what to say. The three of them gathered up the
strewn quarters and refilled
her bucket.
When the elevator arrived at her floor they then insisted on walking
her to her room. She seemed a little unsteady on her feet, and they were
afraid she might not make it down the corridor. At her door they bid
her a good evening. As she slipped into her room she could hear them
roaring with laughter as they walked back to the elevator.
The woman brushed herself off. She pulled herself together and went
downstairs for dinner with her husband. The next morning flowers
were delivered to her room - a dozen roses. Attached to EACH rose was a
crisp one hundred dollar bill. The card said: "Thanks for the best laugh
we've had in years."
It was signed;
Eddie Murphy
Michael Jordan
By far the best email I've read so far....For anyone who didn't see
David Letterman's take on this: (And it's a true story...)
On a recent weekend in Atlantic City, a woman won a bucketful of
quarters at a slot machine. She took a break from the slots for dinner with
her husband in the hotel dining room. But first she wanted to stash the
quarters in her room. "I'll be right back and we'll go to eat, "she
told her husband and carried the coin-laden bucket to the elevator.
As she was about to walk into the
elevator she noticed two men
already aboard. Both were black. One of them was tall...very tall...an
intimidating figure. The woman froze.
Her first thought was: These two are going to rob me.
Her next thought was: Don't be a bigot, they look like perfectly
nice gentlemen. But racial stereotypes are powerful, and fear immobilized
her. She stood and stared at the two men. She felt anxious, flustered and
ashamed. She hoped they didn't read her mind but Gosh, they had to
know what she was thinking!!! Her hesitation about joining them in the
elevator was all too obvious now. Her face was flushed. She couldn't just
stand there, so with a mighty effort of will she picked up one foot and
stepped forward and followed with the other foot and was on the elevator.
Avoiding eye contact, she turned around stiffly and faced the elevator doors
as they closed. A second passed, and the another second, and then another.
Her fear increased! The elevator
didn't move. Panic consumed her.
My God, she thought, I'm trapped and about to be robbed! Her heart
plummeted. Perspiration poured from every pore.
Then one of the men said, "Hit the floor." Instinct told her to do what
they told her. The bucket of quarters flew upwards as she threw out
her arms and collapsed on the elevator floor. A shower of coins rained
down on her. Take my money and spare me, she prayed. More seconds passed.
She heard one of the men say politely, "Ma'am, if you'll just tell us
what floor you're going to, we'll push the button." The one who said it
had a little trouble getting the words out. He was trying mightily to
hold in a belly laugh. The woman lifted her head and looked up at the two men.
They reached down to help her up.
Confused, she struggled to her feet. "When I told my friend here to
hit the floor," said the average sized one, "I meant that he should hit the
elevator button for our floor. I didn't mean for you to hit the
floor, ma'am." He spoke genially. He bit his lip. It was obvious he was
having a hard time not laughing.
The woman thought: My God, what a spectacle I've made of myself.
She was humiliated to speak. She wanted to blurt out an apology,
but words failed her. How do you apologize to two perfectly
respectable gentlemen for behaving as though they were going to rob
you? She didn't know what to say. The three of them gathered up the
strewn quarters and refilled
her bucket.
When the elevator arrived at her floor they then insisted on walking
her to her room. She seemed a little unsteady on her feet, and they were
afraid she might not make it down the corridor. At her door they bid
her a good evening. As she slipped into her room she could hear them
roaring with laughter as they walked back to the elevator.
The woman brushed herself off. She pulled herself together and went
downstairs for dinner with her husband. The next morning flowers
were delivered to her room - a dozen roses. Attached to EACH rose was a
crisp one hundred dollar bill. The card said: "Thanks for the best laugh
we've had in years."
It was signed;
Eddie Murphy
Michael Jordan
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