Sometimes. I’m not generally concerned with how fast other drivers choose to drive, but on occasion I’ll be generous. I will warn them if there are deer ahead, an icy spot, an accident, a downed tree, etc.
When I lived in Texas and Louisiana I did, sort of a common thing down there (at least in rural areas) to flash the headlights, saved me from a few potential stops so I returned the favor. In Oregon if I flash the lights people will just figure they need to turn on/off their own lights.
Funny; I lived in WA (on the border of OR) and I too noticed that no one really knew that flashing your lights indicated a cop was ahead. I grew up (and currently live) in CT, where it’s a common practice.
I just did it yesterday. I double high-beam flashed a trucker and some other cars about a cop laying in wait. It’s a NASTY trap as it’s also a construction zone.
Each of these laws sounds like it is ripe for a clever attorney with the right case to challenge it. NM had a statute like these on the books, till the state supreme court wisely ruled that it is against the public interest for the law to prohibit one motorist to tell another to slow down.
Incidentally, I got flashed at just yesterday. I slowed down and rounded the corner expecting a speed trap and instead found a flock of sheep in the highway. I wonder what would’ve happened if that guy who flashed at me had been reluctant to do so because of some bonehead traffic law.
Ticketing for flashing headlights was found to be a violation of first amendment rights last month in Florida. Looks like a district judge and not a federal judge made the ruling, so this probably only impacts drivers in that district at this point, but it does serve as a precendent.
Sweet! Thanks to your link I’ve discovered it’s considered free speech here in TN. Of course I’ve always flashed my lights, legality be damned. I always figured worst case scenario I’ll fight the charge for exactly that reason anyway.
Yeah – I’ll do the double-flash of the high-beams warn of a trap.
I don’t have anything against the police catching speeders, but others drivers have done me the favor of flashing me (sounds a whole lot more interesting that is was), so it’s just returning the favor.
True Speeders (Upcoming new show on HBO about speeding vampires) are one thing. They should be pulled over. If what I do is ‘technically’ illegal… how in the world are the fuzz going to know as I’ve already passed them whilst they’re on that steep incline… and one of their own is one of neighbors. Steve hasn’t busted me yet. LOL.
nope. I assume everyone has a kidnapped person in their trunk. i don’t want to take away a chance to survive by helping the dastradly kidnapper avoid a speed trap.
Oh yes, everytime I can.
Being from Sweden where the fines are astronomical (compared to taxed income) my general area have about 2/3 warning other drivers about speed traps.
It is also not unhead of to put up quickly made warning signs.
I used to but then a friend of mine point to the fact that I’m warning a total stranger about cops ahead and this stranger might be a serial killer, or some other criminal and I’m just helping him.
But I warn about accidents, animals etc.
This is a bit off topic, but here in the small town I live in. The powers that be recently employed a photo radar company. These guys sit in a car and take a picture if you’re speeding. Two young kids decided it would be fun to sneak up behind the photo radar car, steal the license plate off of it. Then they put the stolen plate on their own car, and sped past the radar car quite a few times. Everybody was having fun, until they got stopped and the stolen plate was still in the back seat of their car?
“Two young kids decided it would be fun to sneak up behind the photo radar car, steal the license plate off of it. Then they put the stolen plate on their own car, and sped past the radar car quite a few times”
I have two new heroes.
Manned speed traps here in the UK tend to be on nice clear straight roads with not a lot of traffic (road or foot) and low speed limits. Not only will I flash drivers, when there was a speed trap a little way down the road from my home I wrote “SPEED TRAP AHEAD TODAY” (just in case people through it was an old sign) in marker pen on a piece of cardboard, walked down the road (out of sight) and fixed it to a lampost with coathanger wire.
As for flashing your lights being illegal, how can they prove it was to warn about the speed trap? Whats wrong with “Sorry officer I thought I knew the guy in that car and was flashing to say ‘hello’. My mistake!” as an excuse?
A guy here in the UK was taken to court for beeping his horn as he passed a speed camera van (ironically he said he was beeping in support of the speed camera organisation – go figure) but the case was thrown out as the prosecution could not prove he was beeping at the speed camera and not another driver….
Absolutely, 100% of the time…where I drive it’s one lane each way (in the Hamptons) and speeding can mean going 40 in a 30 (the limits have been reduced over time due to congestion – they used to be 40-50).
I’m pretty much against “the state” or “the man” lurking in bushes waiting to pounce on citizens. Cops/police/sheriffs and troopers are “peace keepers” and not revenue enhancers.
I’m not talking the interstate, but if you really want people to slow down, a series of speed bumps will do just fine, thank you. But that would deprive most small municipalities of their cash…the cash that then becomes a Catch-22 necessity to keep cop cars and cops (who make $100,000 plus out here) running…and keeps more people getting tickets…
I do the same, but I’m thinking it might be better to put up a handmade sign “Potential Speed Trap Ahead!” People who ignore the deer warnings will be more likely to slow down for a threat to their wallet. I’m tired of seeing dead Bambis on the side of the road, victims of idiots driving too fast and yammering on their cell phones.
I used to, but people here don’t seem to understand what that means. And with my new car, the flash timed to like 2 seconds, so it doesn’t work well for that…
Comments
27 Comments so far. Leave a comment below.Sometimes. I’m not generally concerned with how fast other drivers choose to drive, but on occasion I’ll be generous. I will warn them if there are deer ahead, an icy spot, an accident, a downed tree, etc.
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When I lived in Texas and Louisiana I did, sort of a common thing down there (at least in rural areas) to flash the headlights, saved me from a few potential stops so I returned the favor. In Oregon if I flash the lights people will just figure they need to turn on/off their own lights.
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Funny; I lived in WA (on the border of OR) and I too noticed that no one really knew that flashing your lights indicated a cop was ahead. I grew up (and currently live) in CT, where it’s a common practice.
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I just did it yesterday. I double high-beam flashed a trucker and some other cars about a cop laying in wait. It’s a NASTY trap as it’s also a construction zone.
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In some states in the US, flashing headlights in this way is illegal. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headlight_flashing.
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Each of these laws sounds like it is ripe for a clever attorney with the right case to challenge it. NM had a statute like these on the books, till the state supreme court wisely ruled that it is against the public interest for the law to prohibit one motorist to tell another to slow down.
Incidentally, I got flashed at just yesterday. I slowed down and rounded the corner expecting a speed trap and instead found a flock of sheep in the highway. I wonder what would’ve happened if that guy who flashed at me had been reluctant to do so because of some bonehead traffic law.
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Ticketing for flashing headlights was found to be a violation of first amendment rights last month in Florida. Looks like a district judge and not a federal judge made the ruling, so this probably only impacts drivers in that district at this point, but it does serve as a precendent.
See multiple Google News articles: http://news.google.com/news/story?hl=en&gl=us&q=flashing+headlights+first+amendment&safe=strict&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ncl=dOBMJaoTsQun3fMjZQhrTrBiO0eFM&ei=N0nWT_jxGOGW2QX43ayADw&sa=X&oi=news_result&ct=more-results&resnum=1&ved=0CDAQqgIwAA
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Sweet! Thanks to your link I’ve discovered it’s considered free speech here in TN. Of course I’ve always flashed my lights, legality be damned. I always figured worst case scenario I’ll fight the charge for exactly that reason anyway.
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Yeah – I’ll do the double-flash of the high-beams warn of a trap.
I don’t have anything against the police catching speeders, but others drivers have done me the favor of flashing me (sounds a whole lot more interesting that is was), so it’s just returning the favor.
Like or Dislike:
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True Speeders (Upcoming new show on HBO about speeding vampires) are one thing. They should be pulled over. If what I do is ‘technically’ illegal… how in the world are the fuzz going to know as I’ve already passed them whilst they’re on that steep incline… and one of their own is one of neighbors. Steve hasn’t busted me yet. LOL.
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… one of my neighbors… that should have read. (Must be Monday.)
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nope. I assume everyone has a kidnapped person in their trunk. i don’t want to take away a chance to survive by helping the dastradly kidnapper avoid a speed trap.
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Oh yes, everytime I can.
Being from Sweden where the fines are astronomical (compared to taxed income) my general area have about 2/3 warning other drivers about speed traps.
It is also not unhead of to put up quickly made warning signs.
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Yes, I do.
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I used to but then a friend of mine point to the fact that I’m warning a total stranger about cops ahead and this stranger might be a serial killer, or some other criminal and I’m just helping him.
But I warn about accidents, animals etc.
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I know this is the cynical-c blog and all but geez!
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I think you watch too much Criminal Minds.
Do you also avoid tipping waitstaff, just in case they’re using the tip money to fund a human trafficking ring?
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This is a bit off topic, but here in the small town I live in. The powers that be recently employed a photo radar company. These guys sit in a car and take a picture if you’re speeding. Two young kids decided it would be fun to sneak up behind the photo radar car, steal the license plate off of it. Then they put the stolen plate on their own car, and sped past the radar car quite a few times. Everybody was having fun, until they got stopped and the stolen plate was still in the back seat of their car?
Like or Dislike:
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“Two young kids decided it would be fun to sneak up behind the photo radar car, steal the license plate off of it. Then they put the stolen plate on their own car, and sped past the radar car quite a few times”
I have two new heroes.
Manned speed traps here in the UK tend to be on nice clear straight roads with not a lot of traffic (road or foot) and low speed limits. Not only will I flash drivers, when there was a speed trap a little way down the road from my home I wrote “SPEED TRAP AHEAD TODAY” (just in case people through it was an old sign) in marker pen on a piece of cardboard, walked down the road (out of sight) and fixed it to a lampost with coathanger wire.
As for flashing your lights being illegal, how can they prove it was to warn about the speed trap? Whats wrong with “Sorry officer I thought I knew the guy in that car and was flashing to say ‘hello’. My mistake!” as an excuse?
A guy here in the UK was taken to court for beeping his horn as he passed a speed camera van (ironically he said he was beeping in support of the speed camera organisation – go figure) but the case was thrown out as the prosecution could not prove he was beeping at the speed camera and not another driver….
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No, but I don’t see them very often either.
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Absolutely, 100% of the time…where I drive it’s one lane each way (in the Hamptons) and speeding can mean going 40 in a 30 (the limits have been reduced over time due to congestion – they used to be 40-50).
I’m pretty much against “the state” or “the man” lurking in bushes waiting to pounce on citizens. Cops/police/sheriffs and troopers are “peace keepers” and not revenue enhancers.
I’m not talking the interstate, but if you really want people to slow down, a series of speed bumps will do just fine, thank you. But that would deprive most small municipalities of their cash…the cash that then becomes a Catch-22 necessity to keep cop cars and cops (who make $100,000 plus out here) running…and keeps more people getting tickets…
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At the risk of making you a criminal… can you please run the Barefoot Contessa off the roads out there in the Hamptons?
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As a native Texan I have always done this. Kinda ingrained into me now.
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no way. eff em. this is a jungle. only the strong survive.
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i flicker the high beams to oncoming drivers if there are deer. i ran into one a few years back and don’t want anyone to have to deal with that mess.
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I do the same, but I’m thinking it might be better to put up a handmade sign “Potential Speed Trap Ahead!” People who ignore the deer warnings will be more likely to slow down for a threat to their wallet. I’m tired of seeing dead Bambis on the side of the road, victims of idiots driving too fast and yammering on their cell phones.
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I used to, but people here don’t seem to understand what that means. And with my new car, the flash timed to like 2 seconds, so it doesn’t work well for that…
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