Of course, i the U.S., if a police officer tells you to freeze, and you run away, you you’re in big trouble. What the cop will do depends on the situation. Could result in getting shot or hit with his stick…

That’s one of my tips above:

#4: Oh, and if the Chinese authorities come running after you with long sticks, DON’T RUN! Idiots…

Look forward to the answers.

I was merely giving those who are unfortunately targeted by stereotypes an option. If they choose not to, then they run the risk of getting caught up in the action. Of course I cannot expect people to spill the beans - as I am guilty of that as well - I know what’s going on there, and I don’t like it (the drug stuff), but I haven’t told the authorities. But I also don’t hang around looking suspicious.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that this applies to pretty much everyone - Chinese, ethnically-african foreigners, and the other foreigners. People make the decision to do bad stuff, they’re guilty. People make the decision to hang around bad stuff but claim innocence? Well, aren’t they kind of aiding and abetting - allowing the crime to occur?

I don’t know, I didn’t study criminal law or anything like that, so I’m just asking and would be interested to hear anyone’s theories.

And Marcel, for your second point, true, “tells” are different for everyone. Probably most likely what happened in this case was the police were told “go get all the black people because at least some of them are guilty”. Unfortunate, but likely…

As for this “tell” stuff, if it’s so different for everybody, how do the police know it? The general consensus these days is that determining truthfulness from demeanour is hopelessly unreliable, and I would have thought that would also apply to any theories about “tell”s.

Can you elaborate?

“Don’t be black”

And you’re absolutely right that racial profiling is unfair to those who unfortunately are in the wrong place at the wrong time, and are innocent.

But…. It “takes 2 to tango”, so to speak. Those who are innocent - you know a crime is being committed, yet you choose to hang around? And you don’t inform the authorities of the acts that would otherwise give a reasonable doubt as to your involvement?

Before anyone accuses me of going against the points I just made - yes, I know these crimes are going on (at least to some degree, I am sure I don’t know the full story), and yes, I haven’t informed the authorities about it. But I also don’t choose to hang around that area. Why? For one, I don’t want to be bothered by the would-be sellers. Second, Things like these crackdowns do happen. The last thing I want to be is stuck in between - it’s not worth it.

Another interesting point to note - there is a police station probably 100 meters away from where this incident occurred. So one can only imagine what is going through the minds of the criminals conducting their activities that close to a police station…

I hear inhaling pure oxygen is pretty damn good. Has anyone tried? Doesn’t the China World Hotel have an Oxygen Bar?