[QUOTE 2055703, member: 1314"]Robbie Coltrane told a story about when he went into a Black bar in Harlem by himself back in the early 90s and was given stares and comments by the locals.
"It's ok" he told them "I'm Scottish. We're different from all the other white people." And was able to stay there all night.
Locals obviously hadn't read Irvine Welsh's history of the Scots Highlanders in 19thC America.
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S'funny, 'similar' thing happened to me.
I was taking a Greyhound Bus from Washington DC to Richmond in the early 90s and asked for a return ticket, and the (black) driver looked at me and asked if I was on the 'right' bus. I replied, yes, I was, as my mate lives in Richmond. I asked him why and he indicated with his head down into the bus where 50 black faces were staring at me.
I found a spare seat near the back of the bus, where an atmosphere was very noticeable.
After a few minutes, my neighbour asked me if my 'mate' in Richmond was black or white. I replied white, but I spoke with a proper/Queens English. Someone else said that I wasn't American: where was I from?
Once I said England, there was almost a huge collective sigh of relief on the bus and the journey down was a wonderful experience for me, as most of these people admitted that they didn't associate with white people (for obvious reasons). I was given food and drink, turned down a joint, and arrived in Richmond a few hours later enriched from the experience.