Stereotypes?

[bydand]

I have to ask if anyone has witnessed a "typical stereotype" that just struck you funny? I live in a very small community and the other day I pulled up in front of the only small grocery store just in time to see our chief-of police walking out headed across the street toward the city offices/fire department/police station with a box of 3 dozen donuts in one hand and a full 12 cup coffee pot in the other. Needless to say I got out of my car and just started shaking my head and muttering "Doug, Doug, Doug." He got a funny grin on his face and informed me that I had the right to stop being a smart-*** and get the door for him before he dropped something. Then he tried to get me to swear to silence, but we were laughing too hard. Granted they were having a meeting right then, but just seeing a cop in uniform with a big box of donuts and a whole pot of coffee is something I thought I would never really see.
Anybody else see something that is stereotyped, but never really expected to actually see? Let's hear them!

 

[JasonASmith]

Actually, I do have an example, but I am depressed by it...
Near where we live there is a neighbourhood of low-income housing(i.e. "the projects"), and the negative stereotypes that are always given to people who live in these types of places bear themselves out vividly ever time that we go by there...
It makes me miserable to see these things...

 

[bydand]

Actually, I do have an example, but I am depressed by it...
Near where we live there is a neighbourhood of low-income housing(i.e. "the projects"), and the negative stereotypes that are always given to people who live in these types of places bear themselves out vividly ever time that we go by there...
It makes me miserable to see these things...

I know what you mean there, but on the other hand while living just outside of Dallas, TX one of the hardest working, dedicated, and intellegent people I have ever meant came from the crappy portion of town. It was a little area that at the time was refered to as "Sandbranch" and I have never seen such an example of poverty before or after on such a scale. EVERY place was run down to the point of collapse and livestock wandered in and out of the homes at will in most places, but this guy just had drive and determination to get out. I never did hear how he made out, it was years ago, but I have no doubt his family is no longer there. Kind of an anti-stereotype. So he has adjusted my view on such "projects" and I no longer drive by with the thoughts I once had. Now I look at such a place and wonder how many people are working to get out of their present situation.

 

[xMarishltenx]

There's a reason why certain thkngs become stereotypes ... there must have been some truth in it to begin with.

 

[Rich Parsons]

Yes, when someone told me that I dressed like an engineer.

I have no idea what they mean by that other than I am an engineer. I do not have pocket protectors or a utility belt full of palm pilots and such, yet I cannot see what they mean.

 

[zDom]

Anybody else see something that is stereotyped, but never really expected to actually see? Let's hear them!

I'm a news reporter for a local paper. One day I was covering the changing of the guard at a local police department: a new chief of police had been hired by a local municipality.

So there at the party for this new chief was a spread: white tablecloth with silver dishes loaded up with...

yea, you guessed it..

Donuts

I almost thought it was a joke but um, nobody was laughing. They were just hungrily eyeing the donuts

 

[Sirius]

It would have to be a few years ago when I saw a bunch of Japanese people huddled around a video camera on the plaza in Kansas City, taking video and making excited exclamations. It just amused me. Also, my dad used to be very much the cowboy-seriously, he worked with cattle for a long time and once whilst in Wyoming, in a store of some type, he was wearing his typical garb-jeans, cowboy hat, boots-and an entire group of Japanese people begged to take his picture, repeating 'American cowboy!' over and over. He's a nice guy so he let them take the picture, and the idea that my dad is in some Japanese photo album somewhere never ceases to amuse me.

 

[Tez3]

I had to think about whether to post on this but it's done in affection! I live in a village in the Yorkshire Dales, James Herriot country if you've read the books or seen the programmes. Our nearby town is the original Richmond which has a Norman castle, we also have other Medieval castles and abbeys around here so we get a huge amount of tourists including many Americans who really do say, 'gee ain't it quaint' and 'wow this is older than our country'. They do act amazed at seeing our police officers walking around with no weapons. Our electricity scares them (240v) and the traffic going the wrong way worries them. And they all travel in packs wearing check trousers.! We hope they keep coming though as you are all very welcome! As I said this is done in affection! I would guess too that we are stereotypes in our own right too!