An open letter to white hair cut establishments

To whomever it may concern

Please teach your "hair technicians" how to cut a black man's hair. Please. Pretty please.

I haven't complained/blogged about my difficulties in finding a good hair cut IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD in a while mainly because, for the last half of last year, I found somebody. A 20-something girl name Ashley at Knockouts for Men in Fort Worth had figured out what to do with these naps and every two weeks, she delivered one consistent hair cut after another.

Now, I know what you are saying. You are saying I only went to knockouts because of the scantily clad women that cut hair there. Well, I also went for the free beer they give you. But honestly, it was a last resort. Late last Spring, I had run out of all my options of viable places IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD that could cut a black man's hair. And I didn't want to drive 20 to 30 minutes out of the way to the BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD to get a haircut mainly because gas was close to $4/gallon at the time and getting a haircut at a black barbershop on a Saturday meant I was going to have to wait another 30 to 45 minutes before I could get in the barber's chair.

(By the way, the cutting of a black man's hair is on the minds of many "hair technicians." I know because dozens of people have inadvertently found my blog by googling keywords such as, "how to cut a black man's hair." Try it. You'll see my blog pop up.)

So I ignored any thoughts I had about Knockouts being a place that is demeaning to women, etc, etc, and I walked in. I told Ashley what I needed, and with a few prompts, she did a nice job. So I kept going back. It got to a point that all I had to do was sit in the chair and Ashley knew exactly what I wanted. No arrows or wild cuts. No crazy fades. Just something short with a slight taper.

Well, Ashley got another job cutting hair near her house in Burleson, so that left me looking for a new "hair technician." But I was feeling confident that since one white person did such a good job cutting my hair, any white person could cut my hair.

So last weekend, I'm in Austin. Hadn't had a haircut since, oh, mid January. There is a TGI-Haircutters down the street from where Noah and Nancy live. I walk in. A 40-something year old guy from Oklahoma is my "hair technician" He smells like smoke and his hand is shaking a little bit, but that doesn't necessarily worry me. He actually does a nice job....until he gets to the part where he has to edge up my front and sides.

Arghhhh!#$%^&!! He cuts my hair line too far back on the sides and the front. I cringe when I see what he has done, but its no use complaining. I'll still look silly when I get out of his chair. I pay the $14.95 and even leave him a $2.50 tip.

Oh, well. Everything will grow back soon enough. I just hope I find another "hair technician" soon. Heck, maybe I'll start trying to cut my own hair. This guy did.