Catinella

Possibly, but you would first need to know if the videographers/editors had filmed any women stealing the bike and that they purposely chose not to include those clips (especially if trying to reinforce a stereotype).

CliffordK

Hard to get a bicycle stuffed into their purse.

Stucky

Yes, racist! Clearly, Caucasians, Asians, and Jews are under-represented- both among criminals and in the make-up of that neighborhood- so I propose that we force some Caucasians, Asians, and Jews to move to that neighborhood, and that we require that a percentage of them become criminals, so that we can have racial equality among criminals.

Catinella

That is as sexist comment.

Stucky

Funny how the producers knew precisely where to go, for a place where there would be no lack of criminals.....

BobbyG

Okay. I've read the comments up to here and I realize that at some point I've become a sour old man. But you try raising a son to be honest, considerate and compasionate; and to help him achieve the goal of becoming a contributing member of a society that respects and values his participation, when in so much of our "enternainment" young men that look like him are portrayed like they are in this video...well, you'd be a little sensitive too.

Coal Buster

I could take that bike to poor areas in the poconos I know and film a bunch of young, white guys doing the same thing...and it still wouldn't be funny.

erig007

Opportunistic thieves are everywhere. I got rid of my old bike this way. When i was living in a place with one of lowest rate of violations (all types) in Canada my bike diseappeared in 2hrs. (i left my bike in a street on purpose, to be stolen). This place is 87% white, 3% black. So producers could have made this video in any place showing any ethnic groups. All this video does is to reinforce stereotypes nothing more.

gregf83 

The police have used bait bikes in Vancouver and Whistler. I don't think they have quite as much fun and just track the stolen bikes with GPS. We have a high bike theft rate here but we can't blame it on African Americans as there are virtually none.

Stucky

2 hours?! LOL... In some "hoods" in many cities here in the US, all you'd have to do is ride it through the hood; you wouldn't even have the opportunity to leave it.....

avidone1

Yes, but not as sexist as saying 'stuffed into their bra" ...............just sayin'

avidone1

True, but then again, in my 'hood' my wife or I have left the garage door open all night, not once but twice. And on both occasions nothing was missing from the garage. Yes, there are black folks in my neighborhood.

erig007

Given what it takes in terms of waste management, logistics, etc..you guys are good

jeichelberg87

I believe this thread should go to P&R, as most commentary will now be based on the moral and/or ethical choices presented in the video.

erig007

I was waiting for this moment. 39 posts.... not bad .

chasm54

Nah, I agree. It's too easy to say "there's nothing racist about it, these criminals just happen to be black..." when we have no idea of how the location was chosen, how the film was edited, and all that stuff. The truth is we have no idea whether it was racist or not, and that being so it is probably unfortunate that it reinforces negative stereotypes about "the 'hood".

I also think that it is thoroughly unpleasant to deliberately place temptation in the way of people whose circumstances may be less fortunate than our own. Isn't there something in the Lord's Prayer about that? Not that I am in any way trying to introduce anything so serious as morality into the discussion...

Stucky

America is much more of a crime culture though than Canada. Even in some of the best areas, if you left your garage door open and unattended for 2 hours(Even in very expensive middle-class suburbs) stuff would walk away. In the suburb of New York City where I used to live, you have people in $750K+ houses who have crack-heads rummaging through their backyards every night, who will steal anything that isn't bolted down. In the City itself, even in some of the best areas, virtually everyone lives with bars on their windows on at least the first story.

Usually the biggest difference between the better areas here in the US vs. the hood, is the greater level of violence and brazenness of the criminals in the hood.

By comparison, Canadians are friendly and polite- I could imagine even a Canadian mugger would probably be like: "Hey, like, could you give me your money, eh?"

RidesaJapanese

Not trying to be racist, but in this rural 97% white town I don't even own a cable lock. Stereotypes exist for a reason, are crime statistics racist too?

Doctor Morbius

Japan doesn't have a big problem with theft or violence like the U.S. does either.

SpeshulEd 

White people steal things in cities too. Just because you live in BFE and don't have a lot of crime in your town, doesn't mean that the only people that steal things in other cities are minorities.

I would stereotype most people in the south/midwest to be bigoted rednecks, is that a stereotype you're ok with? I would guess not.

doctor j

Regardless of their race, national origin, gender, religious affiliation, or political persuasion, those in the video were thieves and got what they deserved. A thief is a thief.

PhotoJoe 

General is not the place for a race debate. If you'd like to continue this, please take it to P&R. Closing.