This might be old but I just got it from the e-mail.



>>Don't know if it's really true, but the telling is great.
>
>
>
>>---
>> Black Robbers - a true story
>>
>>
>> For anyone who didn't see David Letterman's take on this: (And it's a
>>true story...)
>>
>> On a recent weekend in Atlantic City, a woman won a bucketful of
>>quarters at a slot machine. She took a break from the slots for dinner with
>>her husband in the hotel dining room. But first she wanted to stash the
>>quarters in her room. "I'll be right back and we'll go to eat," she told her
>>husband and carried the coin-laden bucket to the elevator.
>>
>> As she was about to walk into the elevator she noticed two men
>> already aboard. Both were black.
>>
>> One of them was tall...very tall...an intimidating figure.
>>
>> The woman froze.
>>
>> Her first thought was: These two are going to rob me. Her next
>> thought was: Don't be a bigot, they look like perfectly nice gentlemen.
>>But racial stereotypes are powerful, and fear immobilized her. She stood and
>>stared at the two men. She felt anxious, flustered and ashamed. She hoped
>>they didn't read her mind but Gosh, they had to know what she was
>>thinking!!!
>>
>> Her hesitation about joining them in the elevator was all too obvious
>>now.
>>
>> Her face was flushed. She couldn't just stand there, so with a mighty
>>effort of will she picked up one foot and stepped forward and followed with
>>the other foot and was on the elevator. Avoiding eye contact, she turned
>>around stiffly and faced the elevator doors as they closed.
>>
>> A second passed, and the another second, and then another. Her fear
>>increased! The elevator didn't move. Panic consumed her. My God, she
>>thought, I'm trapped and about to be robbed! Her heart plummeted.
>>Perspiration poured from every pore.
>>
>> Then one of the men said, "Hit the floor." Instinct told her to do
>> what they told her. The bucket of quarters flew upwards as she threw out
>>her arms and collapsed on the elevator floor. A shower of coins rained down
>>on her. Take my money and spare me, she prayed.
>>
>> More seconds passed. She heard one of the men say politely, "Ma'am, if
>>you'll just tell us what floor you're going to,
>> we 'll push the button."
>>
>> The one who said it had a little trouble getting the words out. He
>> was trying mightily to hold in a belly laugh. The woman lifted her head
>>and looked up at the two men. They reached down to help her up. Confused,
>>she struggled to her feet.
>>
>> "When I told my friend here to hit the floor," said the average sized
>>one, "I meant that he should hit the elevator button for our floor. I didn't
>>mean for you to hit the floor, ma'am." He spoke genially. He bit his lip. It
>>was obvious he was having a hard time not laughing.
>>
>> The woman thought: My God, what a spectacle I've made of myself. She was
>>humiliated to speak. She wanted to blurt out an apology, but words failed
>>her.
>>
>> How do you apologize to two perfectly respectable gentlemen for
>> behaving as though they were going to rob you? She didn't know what to
>>say.
>>
>> The three of them gathered up the strewn quarters and refilled her
>> bucket.
>>
>> When the elevator arrived at her floor they then insisted on walking her
>>to her room. She seemed a little unsteady on her feet, and they were afraid
>>she might not make it down the corridor. At her door they bid her a good
>>evening. As she slipped into her room she could hear them roaring with
>>laughter as they walked back to the elevator.
>>
>> The woman brushed herself off.
>>
>> She pulled herself together and went downstairs for dinner with her
>>husband.
>>
>> The next morning flowers were delivered to her room - a dozen roses.
>>
>> Attached to EACH rose was a crisp one hundred dollar bill.
>> The card said: "Thanks for the best laugh we've had in years."
>>
>> It was signed;
>> Eddie Murphy
>> Michael Jordan
>>