Roland Biggs and Lawrence Piersol, local house painters who service the greater LaCucaracha and Sintown areas, are becoming increasingly annoyed with the general public’s stereotypical image of them and their respective occupation. “We’re painters,” says Biggs, “so we wear clothes that have drips and splatters scattered about. Our shoes and caps resemble a Pollock painting. And yes, we let our hair grow out and rarely shave. But that doesn’t mean we smoke pot. I mean, we do, but that’s beside the point.”
Peirsol concurs, “It’s hard to believe how many times someone, even a complete stranger, will come up to me or Roland and ask about pot. Like, they’ll ask if we’re holding. Or they’ll just make a sly remark about weed using the lingo. I’ll crack back with my own reference or chuckle, but then I get really ticked off. Where do they get off thinking I’m a pothead? I mean, I am, but still, it’s a little annoying to have such assumptions made about you on a daily basis.”
“Yeah,” continues Biggs, “it’s like the other day I’m walking into the convenience store after work to get some smokes and a beer and some high school kids ask if I’ll grab them a case of Shiner. After I bought it for them, I’m like, ‘jeez, what is it about me that says I’ll illegally purchase booze for underage drinkers?’ Man, now I know how a lot of minorities feel in this country.” Rodney Taylor, owner of the home Biggs and Piersol were painting, bristled at this portion of Biggs’ interview. Taylor, who is African American, shook his head and told reporters before going back inside his house, “Yeah, right. Dumbass painter is probably stoned again.”
At the end of the day, the painting duo says they just want to go about their day without people thinking they know them based solely on their appearance or profession. “Sure,” says Piersol, “your assumptions and stereotypes may be incredibly accurate, even dead on, but that doesn’t make it okay.”
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