Want To Test Your Prejudice Level?

Question

A young Latino family of four is driving up Malibu Canyon Road, heading to the beach. The road is a two-lane blacktop and the posted speed limit is 45 miles per hour. For the long six mile stretch along this road the young father stays within the limit. But dozens of white people in their luxury SUVs and sports cars are angry because they aren’t going fast enough. One by one they honk their horns and illegally cross double yellow lines to get past the Latino driver and speed on up the road.

The young Latino man is driving the speed limit because:

1. He’s probably an illegal and doesn’t want to attract attention by driving too fast?

2. He probably doesn’t have insurance and doesn’t want to get stopped by the County Mounties?

3. His little Toyota is a pile of junk and can’t go any faster?

4. He’s trying to be a good citizen and obey the law?

I simply wrote it as I saw it happen today. I was on that road, too. All of the people speeding and passing were white. It has nothing to do with race. I'm white, too.

And yes, they do have county Deputies patrolling all county roads in LA county.

I assumed #3 because there are dangerous twists and turns on that road and he didn't trust his car or his driving abilities better.

Answer 1

4. Speed limits are in place for a reason, so good on the guy for setting a good example to his family.

Answer 2

In California the law is. If 3 or more vehicles are impeded by a slower vehicle. The slower one is to pull over and let the vehicles behind pass.

This is common and the roads are built with frequent turnouts. Signs post the distance to the next turnout.

Nice question/test just needs a reality check.

And the direction would be down Malibu Canyon unless he was returning from a day at the beach.

Oh and make that Zuma Beach because Malibu is the famous contested private beach.

Plus "Cruzzing" in the canyons and Santa Monica mountians is quite common for all sorts of L A people.

No offense is intended or implied just "working with you here."

Go big Red Go

Answer 3

4

Answer 4

Some of the Latino population has ended up living and have become citizens in the western part of Canada for the past 20 or more yrs. And so I would go with number 1

Answer 5

How can you know what a person's true motives are just by looking at his skin?

I would give the guy the benifit of the doubt & assume #4, but aware it could be 1, 2, or 3.

Answer 6

We dont have Mounties in California, we have the CHP.

I would say #3, if it truly is a pile of junk. Most people here drive to keep up with the traffic.

I understand your q is designed to get your "gut" answer, showing a persons bias immediately.
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And again, we dont have Mounties in California or anywhere in the U.S. that I know of. You would have to go to Canada for that.

Answer 7

The answer could be any of the options you offered or it could be he's on his way to pick up his girlfriend who he knows is mad at him and he is delaying the inevitable argument. Or it could be anyone of a 1000 reasons. I'd feel annoyed when I was behind him then relieved once I got past him. I wouldn't think about it beyond that.

Answer 8

What an absurd question! I did not witness the event. Therefore, I haven't a clue how to judge this . It sounds as though you are looking for a fight. Stick around. I'm sure that someone on Yahoo will oblige you.

Answer 9

Does it matter if they are latino, anyone that doesn't go 5 mph over the speed limit sucks.

Malibu sucks as well.
Del Mar flippin rocks.

Answer 10

I think that the illegal passers should be deported.

(After all, we're a country of "law and order." We can't risk tolerating people who do illegal things.)

...besides, the white folks are probably a gang of illegal Swedes running from the INS.