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[letthesunfall]

I am absolutely fucking livid. I just got off of the queen street car headed west, after we were stopped at the queen and spadina intersection for about ten minutes because of a confrontation between a TTC driver with too much fucking authority and two men of colour

Comments

[skirtchaser]

that's disgusting.

those types of situations make my stomach turn and my skin crawl. they make me embarrassed to be white.

[tyresias]

**hugs**

[lil_titch]

that's the kind of bullshit you see on tv and think it's some kind of joke. you know, like on a degrassi episode.
except, there you would have some sort of resolution to the situation within the half hour.
can i make a suggestion? next time get off and wait for the next bus/tram/etc. they come often enough and it will allow you to make some sort of statement. sometimes actions speak louder blah blah. or tell the people they are "fucking ridiculous" or that they are suffocating you with their racism and tell the TTC driver whatever you want without using curse words like, "hey, that was the most uncomfortable situation i've experienced using public transport before". you can't have your TTC privileges revoked for that.
worst.

[shae_maile]

omg. i could visualize this entire thing...i worked a couple blocks down the street from there at the wine rack on queen st. west while i was out there so i know exactly the demographic and this just makes me sick to my stomach. so ridiculous. i know that frustration when you're silenced and you are watching others be silenced and oppressed and you just can't pull your damn mouth open and say what is racing through your veins...its frustrating. i've opted to not be the stereotypical "women's studies major" several times because the situation would have placed me in physical danger i could not come out on top of and it's so frustrating to hold back in these situations...it makes me feel fake for not being able to alter a situation...and ashamed and angry that people can be so completely ignorant and stupid.

all i can say is let it fuel you for something else...

im glad you posted about it so its not lost on the world...

[anonymous]

I hate to say this, Caleb, but your silence is pretty disgusting in this situation if you claim to be as horrified as you were. To say that you may have your TTC "privileges revoked"?? That's bullshit. It's like banning someone from a Wal-Mart: virtually impossible to happen. Alternatively, you should have offered to act as a witness to the Toronto Police in order to establish credibility with the passengers and discredit the driver. You should have said to the driver that you thought he was the only person acting out of hand and that you would volunteer to provide this information to the officer and that you would encourage other passengers to do the same. Institutionalized racism is only perpetuated by silence and lame excuses.

[letthesunfall]

While I do think that you have some very valid points, I don't think this comment was worded in a way that is sensitive to my own emotions about my complicity in this situation. This comment was clearly meant to be offensive and thus was never intended as constructive criticism. I also find your 'anonymity' rather hypocritical and cowardly. I will not bear responsibility for your projected bullshit.

[anonymous]

Caleb, as a person of colour, I was truly offended by your hypocrisy. I resented the way you framed the event to suit your own perspective -- that is, one where you excused your complete inaction in a number of ways and yet acted indignant and angered by the event that occurred. My point was simply that, if you honestly felt as pissed off as you claimed to be, there would've been countless ways to be a participant rather than an angered and inactive bystander.

You're someone who is clearly comfortable and experienced in speaking within the framework of oppression. I find it distasteful that your verbosity, clearly established from an academic standpoint, does not even slightly translate to real-world experience when dealing with anti-racism. It is hypocritical and disappointing.

[letthesunfall]

I'd really like to continue this conversation with you, but I can't do this through anonymous posting. It's making my stomach sick with anxiety. Please contact me via my email on my info page.