Say Whaa?!?!

Maybe I'm just the type of person that people -- including complete strangers -- feel comfortable telling me things that they wouldn't even tell their mothers. Shortly after I first moved to DC, I was out at JR's. I was minding my own business having a drink listening to music. You see, I had bad day at work and just wanted to relax before going home. A stranger walked up to me, and after he said hello -- this was his pickup line:

"Since I've moved to DC I've become such a racist."

I listened to him rant for as long as I could take it, and then politely excused myself -- but not before letting him know that one of my closest friends is black. OH NO! The horrors!

Last night I was out walking the dog, and we ran into a guy that we see on a somewhat regular basis. He's a nice enough guy, and his dog is one of the few in the neighborhood that plays well with Roxy. We were chit-chatting and out of nowhere he mentioned that he hated those Hispanics and how they've ruined the neighborhood he grew up in. I worked into the conversation about how I've lived and traveled extensively in Central America, and that I've got degrees in Latin American related areas. That effectively ended the racist train for the evening.

My question is why the hell do these people feel it's OK to talk about this crap with a complete stranger. Do I give off some type of bigot-vibe that I'm completely unaware of? As these people are complete strangers to me, I don't feel compelled to edcuate them -- but I will let them know that I don't share their views, and then leave them to rot.

It's really too bad, because now I'm going to have to find another dog for Roxy to play with.