Here's a hilarious e-mail I got from a buddy of mine, who is white and lives in the very black, often dangerous Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. This is where Everyone Hates Chris, Do the Right Thing, Crooklyn, Clockers, and Summer of Sam were filmed.  The Notorious B.I.G Biggie Smalls is from here. Not exactly suburbia, which is why I like my friend so much. Why settle for a less than ordinary life. The NYPD 79th Precinct reports that crime, while "down" isn't exactly unheard of. [PDF of crime stats]

Dear Shawn:

I call for a delivery pizza on Halsey. I know the usual guys. Nice kids.

After a one-hour wait, delivery guy calls my cell. "I'm out front." This usually isn't the case as they just knock on my window as the shade is open, and you can see well into the living room and kitchen.

I let him in, same as Fresh Direct, Thai, Chinese...but its obvious he's from northeast Bed-Stuy. He pauses and as I go for my wallet I ask him to set it down on the kitchen island, same as the usual guys.

He comes in, I introduce him to my little kids who are watching Sesame Street on DVR.

He glazes over and here's where it goes nutso.  He sets down the pizza and pulls out his pocket a sweaty bundle of $30 in singles and fives sets it all on the granite kitchen island.  He says "Here's your change."

I say "I haven't paid you yet, and I don't know how much I owe you."

He's a deer in headlights, dazed by the glow of two toddlers dancing to Elmo. He runs back out the door. "One second," he says.

Shocked as he left all his change on the counter, he comes back in after two minutes, having left my front door open. "Twenty-one dollars" he says upon return.

I open my wallet, give him $25 and say "Keep it."  He stalls. I tell him not to forget his change.  He grabs it, walks for the door. He has an indescribable look of confusion on his face.

As he leaves, I say "Have a great night!"

Seriously, the entire time I thought he's spotted an alien. After living for three years in rural asia, that young man topped all my "never seen a caucasian" encounters.