I have actually swung towards the view that the comment was insensitive and potentially offensive. I had assumed that Jeff had a fair degree of familiarity with the Rioli's as I didn't believe he would make such a remark to someone he hardly knew. Unfortunately I missed the line in the article where Rioli's wife states that the comment came from 'a man she barely knew'. But I still don't see the comment as racist - just very inappropriate in the circumstances.It was a moronic gesture that Jeff shouldn't be making to anyone who isn't a contemporary in terms of power and wealth. But not sure how it fits into a racism discussion.
In Cambodia, I once had a guy crash his bike next to me while I was crossing a road next to me. The major reason for his fall was that he was reading Facebook on his phone and holding the handlebars with only one hand. He tried to extract $300 from me for bike repairs and torn jeans. He must have seen me as a walking ATM without any knowledge of fashion trends. The only tears in his jeans were those made by the manufacturer.
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