For example, Staples writes in one account, "As I swung onto the avenue behind her, there seemed to be a discreet, uninflammatory distance between us. Not so. To her, the youngish black man- a broad six feet two inches with a beard and billowing hair, both hands shoved into the pockets of a bulky military jacket - seemed menacingly close" (518-519). This is a very useful statement, because it introduces his feeling into the story, which would be impossible without including his own experiences. By stating his own reaction, and the reaction that the woman had to him, Staples sets the tone for the continuation of his argument, and for the introduction of other stories. Staples describes that the woman was obviously uneasy, and that although he (Staples) thought that he was a comfortable distance away, though to the woman he was frighteningly close, and the woman automatically assumed that Staples, due to his description (or at least according to his statement), was a potential threat. This statement is very relevant with regard to proving Staples" argument. As well, without this statement, the tone for the essay would not be so clearly established. In another statement, Staples writes, "One day, rushing into the office of a magazine I was writing for with a deadline story in hand, I was mistaken for a burglar. The office manager called security and, with an ad hoc posse, pursued me through the labyrinthine halls, nearly to my editor's door. I had no way of proving who I was. I could only move briskly toward the company of someone who knew me" (520). This is another important statement in the overall understanding of where Staples is coming from, and also serves as a means for Staples to relay his argument. By referring to an occurrence where he was grossly misrepresented, and where not only the office manager but also the security guard were both wrong, Staples uses the situation to express his unintentional "wrongdoing" in a way that is very powerful, and also supplies another example that solidifies his argument.