Hit the Floor - True Story

---------------------- Forwarded by Susan M Scott/HOU/ECT on 03/28/2000 12:06
PM ---------------------------

Enron Capital & Trade Resources Corp.

From: Lisa.A.Meador@chase.com 03/28/2000 11:22 AM

To: jkbowles@hotmail.com, emily.boon@msdw.com, ashleastu@aol.com,
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cc:
Subject: Hit the Floor - True Story

Hit The Floor' 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 eat," she told her
husband
< <and she 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 big ... very big ...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 knew they
< <surely did; her hesitation about joining them on the
< <elevator was all too obvious. 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 then 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: Do what they tell you.
< <
< <The bucket of quarters flew upwards as she
< <threw out her arms and collapsed
< <on the elevator carpet.
< <
< < 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.
< <
< <She 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 man 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.
< <
< <She thought: my goodness, what a spectacle I've made
< <of myself. She was too 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 3 of them gathered up the strewn quarters and
refilled her bucket.
< <When the elevator arrived at her floor, they
< <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 while 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
< <
<