It wasn’t about race, it was about dog poop

One of the rules of our small neighborhood is that we pick up our dogs’ waste. It’s also a city code, since animal waste is a health hazard. I have approached people walking their dogs, asking politely if they have a waste bag. Most do. I’m never aggressive about it.

Recently, I saw a man walking two small poodles. I approached and asked if he had a waste bag. He told me he didn’t need one as his dogs never soil anywhere but his house. I said, with a smile, that it’s best to be prepared because dogs can surprise us. He said: “You’re profiling me. You see me and think I have no class. You’re a racist!”

I tried to explain that we talk to everyone about dog waste, but he put in earbuds, gave me a filthy look and walked away.

As I reflected on this confrontation, I wondered if I could have done something different. Soon enough, I began wondering if he was the one doing the profiling. Because I’m Caucasian woman, does he think that also makes me a racist?

I hope the man also reflects on our encounter. He should ask himself why it was not possible for two people from different ancestry to discuss something like dog poop without one or both assuming the other is a racist.

This story was originally published May 10, 2018 at 12:45 PM with the headline "It wasn’t about race, it was about dog poop."