This morning I needed a blood draw. For reasons unspoken, I have done this a lot in the last year, and I have the drill down. I have my doc hand me the orders and I take them to a local lab. I like this lab because they hire skilled people, and because of convenience. They have a lab a couple of blocks from my house, and you can get on line and make yourself an appointment in ten minute blocks and you get to come in and be served at your time no matter how many 'walk-ins' they have that day. This makes it very easy to plan my day. So they get my business.

This morning I walked in for my 10:00 and saw that the joint was jumpin. Old people, Little kids, and I was the only one in the room speaking English. Walked up to the window,

She says "got a few folks ahead of you this morning."
"I've got the 10:00 on-line appointment."
"Ah, fine, it will be just a minute"

I sat down and read the nice big English sign about the appointment policy on the wall. she took in one babushka'd grandma ahead of me and then it was my turn. Six brown faces gave me a dirty look.

Sure looked like the middle class white lady walked in and got served ahead of all the brown people. Yes, that is what it looked like. Phlebotomist and I agreed that they system is really functional but still feels bad.

I knew I wouldn't have felt so bad if the room had been filled with white people slightly less organized than I. My liberal guilt-o-meter is more sensitive to brown.

I knew it wasn't race. I knew it was because I had a computer with a good connection and the savy to use it. So what is that? - that's class privilege. And it sped me on my way. But it had me thinking.






.