I called the police on someone who was stumbling around on the sidewalk next to a calm but normally fast street. I was worried for her safety, that she was going to stumble into traffic, so I called the cops because I had no idea what else to do. In a way, I guess I assumed/hoped that they would be smart enough to dispatch a health worker after hearing what I told them.

Why didn’t I try to help the woman? Simple. I’m black. She was a drunk middle aged white woman. It would not have gone well for me.