Definition: Given a real-life anecdote of a complex ethical situation, generate a suitable title that describes the main event/root cause of the situation. Imagine that the given text is a social media post, and you have to write the title of the post, so the users can decide to read the main text or not.
Input: I’m a female college student with two other female roommates, one of whom was away on a trip and the other asleep. 

I woke up to pee and had trouble falling back asleep at around 2:00AM I went into the kitchen for a snack. I saw a man looking in my window. 

Not, like, looking in from the street—totally pressed up against the window. I didn’t turn the light on so as not to wake up my roommate, so was waiting to realize it was just a coat hanger or odd reflection. But then we made eye contact and he said “Let me in.” It was one of the scariest things I’ve ever experienced. I went full panic mode. I was unsure if the window was even locked or if there were other men with him who might be trying other windows or the back door. 

I SCREAMED as loud as I could and ran back into my room, locked myself in the closet, called 911, and texted my roommate to stay locked in, in case the scream woke her up. 

Police came and they said they found the guy and he had a friend in a nearby unit that was expecting him and was supposed to leave the door unlocked and I guess he got confused because the doors look similar.)

Classmates have been calling me “Break in Barbie” because I assumed he was trying to break in. I did not even get a good look at him because it was dark, I couldn’t describe him at all to police, but I would’ve called no matter what color he was because I was so scared. 

People I barely know are asking “Why couldn’t you have just asked him what he wanted before calling 911?” “Why didn’t you just talk to him like a human being?” “Why didn’t you wait a few minutes to see if he went away?” And accusing me of being racist and also saying things like “If it were a white man you wouldn’t have called the police I bet.” “Do you call 911 every time you see a black person?” And asking things like “Did you really think knocking on your window was reason enough to try and kill this guy? Because calling 911 on a black man is basically putting a gun in his mouth.” And the most common one “How did you know he didn’t need help and was trying to find a Good Samaritan?” 

To try and see things from the other side — I do know people of color, especially black people, are in danger interacting with the police in a way their white counterparts are not. He didn’t brandish a weapon, he didn’t threaten to harm me, and he wasn’t inside my house. I can see how going right to calling the police could be an overreaction in hindsight. 

The name calling and aggressive accusations hurt and are affecting my life socially. I’m hoping it’ll blow over. Even close friends who I’ve vented about this to have said “Yah but what you’re experiencing is nothing compared to what black people go through every day.” I recognize that unquestioningly and never drew that comparison, ever. But if people are interpreting it as such then I could see how to them I’d be a giant asshole and more. 

So I guess AITA for calling 911, but also, AITA for being upset over the backlash? 





calling 911 on a black man