White privilege is real. Problem is a lot of poor whites will never

[bhikkhu]

13. Being generally poor and white when younger, I had my share of problems

A lot of the time I drove junky cars, often uninsured because I couldn't afford it, and sometimes late getting the registration renewed. I got a few warnings and a few tickets, though I was always able to go to court and get them reduced. For years I had the habit of watching in my rearview mirror and my heart would pound if there was a police car anywhere near behind me - I'd turn or pull into a parking lot as soon as possible and hope he didn't follow me.

The worst thing that happened was really stupid on my part - I was driving a car without registration or insurance, with an out of state driver's license, and it had been stolen once and the report never cleared. One rainy night I was driving home from a friend's and a police car came the opposite direction. In my rearview mirror I saw him brake and do a u-turn behind me to come back my way. I immediately pulled into an apartment complex and parked, wandered around a few minutes and didn't see anything going on...walked back to my car and opened the door. Before I could get in three cop cars lit up and one screamed forward to block me in, all guns drawn and yelling for me to get on the ground. Which I did. Cuffed in the back of a car I explained things, and the officer went to my car and got the sales package to verify my story. After some time on the radio they apologized and let me go, saying I'd better get my paperwork straightened out.

Needless to say, I have no idea how I got off there so easy, and I doubt anyone who didn't look like a basic harmless white kid would have avoided a hefty fine and an impounded car.