mrmeaner Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 Damn straight I'll warn people, and I appreciate it when they warn me. I'll venture a guess that in all my years I have yet to even drive past a kidnapper, much less warn them of a cop ahead. If I want to contribute to revenue enhancment, I'll make a donation to the Policeman's Ball. PC Huh. I didn't think policemen had balls anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asysin2leads Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 So I guess I am the only one that thinks there would be a chance that by warning on coming traffic of a speed trap that you could cost someone their life. That you could be aiding a kidnapper escape capture. Wow. And if I give someone directions, maybe I'm aiding a kidnapper in finding an escape route? Or if I hold the door open at the ATM, maybe I'm aiding a mugger? We can quote hypothetical situations all day long here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WendyT Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 I'm in Calgary, someone told me even if you see someone driving with no lights on, never flash them. This is a known gang deterent and they could turn around and come after you. This happened in Edmonton and someone was shot. So if they don't have their lights on, no big deal not my problem. Two weeks ago I think, someone turned their lights off and took a known gang member out, he hit someone's tree and was dead at scene. Oh the joys of living in a city that never had this problem before, call us mini Los Angeles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenac Posted July 20, 2008 Author Share Posted July 20, 2008 Guess I better go take my meds so the paranoia will go away. :roll: Ok so even if my scenario is to far fetched why do you want to help a person break the law? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnthonyM83 Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 Well, I like I said, I don't do it. It just wouldn't bother me if someone else did. The reasoning? I guess everyone would appreciate a break or a heads up if they were going slightly over the limit, especially in a speed trap type situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 Not to contradict anyone who knows better than I do about a particular topic, only to show that the truth may be hard to detect, from the internet anyway. spenac, as the State Trooper I cited earlier affirmed, the purpose and the common result is to aid the motorist in driving more safely, which usually consists in obeying rather than breaking the law. [web:9364d1b60d]http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=RNP&q=flash+headlights+gang&btnG=Search[/web:9364d1b60d] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jko3139 Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I don't flash my lights when I am on the interstate but I do on two lane roads. I don't do this to save people from tickets, I do it to warn people of road obstructions on the narrower roads around my home. If I flash my lights when a cop has pulled over somebody just over the crest of a hill, I am making the road safer. The ambulance service I worked for had a medic hurt because a guy slammed into the back of her unit because he was staring at the emergency lights. There are also several small towns around my state who fund their entire city government via speeding tickets for very questionable offenses. One small town in the delta even ticketed one of our ambulances for going 7mph over the speed limit while patient loaded. In that town, I warn everyone I can!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VentMedic Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 There are probably alot of people on this forum who live in in areas where the only "gangs" they will ever encounter are those bored upper middle class brats hangin' at the mall. As if I don't have enough crap like this in my part of Florida, I was at a conference in SF last week and see this article. How did this poor guy and his kids know he was unintentionally not making the turn fast enough for the liking of a Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang member? This guy wasn't even supposed to be out of jail. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?.../BA5C11SK2S.DTL Yes Michael, I know this isn't a flashing lights story but do you think the consequences would have been any different? The guy wasn't from the U.S. and may not know that flashing the headlights is a "neighborly" thing to do. At least this guy didn't just pick on drivers but also terrorized pregnant women to diversify his crime portfolio. I sure a few of you would have flashed your lights at him if they saw him speeding. How about "carjackers" who take a hostage, which can even be a little baby, and then speed away? What about Amber alerts? You gonna warn that person that the LEOs are just ahead? So no, spenac's "kidnapper" scenario is not that far fetched depending on where you live. You don't even have to dream up scenarios when there are newspapers with this stuff in them. I'm sure the family in the SF news article didn't even know their chance of pissing off an MS-13 gang member was just a turn away. Ex. This is just one weekend in Oakland. http://cbs5.com/local/dellums.oakland.violence.2.755752.html I'm sure those in LA probably hear about it so much also that it isn't even news anymore. I've had young gang members in the ICU shackled to the bed that have been accused of attacking people in cars just because they thought the person was looking at them wrong. They end up in the ICU because their enemies knew they may not get chance to make a hit on them if they go to jail and so they get to them before the LEOs. So no, not all of us who live in an area where violent crime is a reality are going to attract too much attention when driving if at all possible. And, if that person is a carjacker or someone who just killed some innocent people, I don't plan on helping their get-a-away by warning them that the cops have set up a check point to possibly stopping them. I've had some gang members as patients who have a claim to fame of stealing a 100 cars, most of them violently, to take on joy rides. Miami even made a big deal out of this issued safe driving tips a few years ago when we were losing too many tourists by death from violent crime who thought saw no danger or felt safe in their cars. And yes, Miami-Dade county still has some 2 lane roads that seem like you are in the middle of nowhere. I offer the advice that if you visit, resist the urge to flash your headlights even if you think it is a friendly gesture. So those of you who live in nice safe little sheltered worlds who don't believe any violent crime exists or that you are safe inside your car and nothing can happen to you, I advise you not to venture outside of that area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Yes Michael VentMedic, thank you for your informative, though of course saddening, post. Would you like to explain why you named me in it? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VentMedic Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 VentMedic, thank you for your informative, though of course saddening, post. Would you like to explain why you named me in it? Thanks. I just wanted you to know that I knew I was "off topic". I thought we were talking about signaling oncoming traffic that a speed-trap awaits them, by powering your headlights entirely off and on a few times, rather than that we were talking about alternating brights and non-brights in order to signal someone in the same lane directly ahead of you to speed up or let vehicle pass. Or maybe I'm in the wrong gang. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts