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Flashing in public - Free speech or ticket offense?

Home ▸ Archive ▸ Serious Business ▸ Flashing in public - Free speech or ticket offense?
Apple's avatar

Apple

Prost!

2,620 posts
Oct 17, 2011 12:12 PM
No... not flashing body parts, flashing your head lights to warn about a speed trap ahead.

A guy in Florida recently won a challenge in court when he was ticketed for flashing his lights. Now he is taking a class action suit against Florida which could mean a big pay-out to the thousands of others who were wrongfully issued tickets for flashing too.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110919/NEWS01/109190315/Class-action-suit-challenges-tickets-headlight-flashing

I say flashing your lights helps people to slow down their speed and promotes public safety, which should be the ultimate goal of state troopers, not a moving violation which only serves to fill the state's coffers.

This was a topic on AM640 this morning as I drove down 30 out of Canton. Thought I'd ask how the OC feels about it.
Oct 17, 2011 12:12pm
wildcats20's avatar

wildcats20

In ROY I Trust!!

27,794 posts
Oct 17, 2011 12:16 PM
I will do it when I notice a person is flying and the cop I passed was hiding. But other than that, not usually.
Oct 17, 2011 12:16pm
C

Con_Alma

Senior Member

12,198 posts
Oct 17, 2011 12:19 PM
Depending on the situation, flashing ones brights can be a hazardous action.
Oct 17, 2011 12:19pm
oberhaus's avatar

oberhaus

Senior Member

868 posts
Oct 17, 2011 12:20 PM
I will do it while trucking to other trucks. Not when I'm in my personal vehicle. Truckers get picked on enough they dont need speeding tickets too.
Oct 17, 2011 12:20pm
Apple's avatar

Apple

Prost!

2,620 posts
Oct 17, 2011 12:23 PM
Should it be against the law to flash your lights?
Oct 17, 2011 12:23pm
wildcats20's avatar

wildcats20

In ROY I Trust!!

27,794 posts
Oct 17, 2011 12:23 PM
Apple;936531 wrote:Should it be against the law to flash your lights?
No.
Oct 17, 2011 12:23pm
C

Con_Alma

Senior Member

12,198 posts
Oct 17, 2011 12:26 PM
Apple;936531 wrote:Should it be against the law to flash your lights?
I think so but would consider all the information seeing how I don't know that I have it all.

I'd rather see the guy fighting it put that same effort into what he believes the speed limits should be and then fight to have them enforced.
Oct 17, 2011 12:26pm
justincredible's avatar

justincredible

Nick Mangold

32,056 posts
Oct 17, 2011 12:31 PM
Apple;936531 wrote:Should it be against the law to flash your lights?
No way.
Oct 17, 2011 12:31pm
M

MontyBrunswick

Oct 17, 2011 12:39 PM
In Ohio, flashing your brights to warn of a cop is legal.
Oct 17, 2011 12:39pm
C

Con_Alma

Senior Member

12,198 posts
Oct 17, 2011 12:40 PM
I don't get the free speech arguement. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Free speech doesn't exist in all scenarios as we well know...especially when safety is a factor. It shouldn't necessarily be OK for people on shared, community property which exists for a specific purpose to freely express themselves whenever they so choose.


What makes our roadways safe is that we have en expectation that people are going to do certain things. Those things are defined for us.

I really don't care if it is or is not illegal but whatever is determined I hope is enforced or freely permitted without some ridiculous interpretation that bypasses the intent of the ruling.
Oct 17, 2011 12:40pm
Apple's avatar

Apple

Prost!

2,620 posts
Oct 17, 2011 12:55 PM
Con_Alma;936552 wrote:I don't get the free speech arguement. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Free speech doesn't exist in all scenarios as we well know...especially when safety is a factor. It shouldn't necessarily be OK for people on shared, community property which exists for a specific purpose to freely express themselves whenever they so choose.


What makes our roadways safe is that we have en expectation that people are going to do certain things. Those things are defined for us.

I really don't care if it is or is not illegal but whatever is determined I hope is enforced or freely permitted without some ridiculous interpretation that bypasses the intent of the ruling.
Someone commented on the radio this morning that if drivers are not allowed to warn on-coming traffic that there is speed enforcement located ahead, then the state should not be allowed to put up signs warning of "speed enforcement", or "radar enforced" either.

Maybe when people say "freedom of speech", they really mean "freedom to communicate".
Oct 17, 2011 12:55pm
C

Con_Alma

Senior Member

12,198 posts
Oct 17, 2011 1:08 PM
Apple;936571 wrote:Someone commented on the radio this morning that if drivers are not allowed to warn on-coming traffic that there is speed enforcement located ahead, then the state should not be allowed to put up signs warning of "speed enforcement", or "radar enforced" either.

Maybe when people say "freedom of speech", they really mean "freedom to communicate".
Maybe the State shouldn't be permitted to do so either. Maybe this will force the issue of clarifying what should and shouldn't be permitted on shared transportation areas as far as communications goes.

What's important is that we all know what is and isn't appropriate for both ourselves and others safety no matter if it's "speech" or "communication". At the end of the day what people are truly upset about is not speech or communication but rather being able to more easily break the rules of the road whatever they are.

Make the speed whatever is deemed appropriate but there will always be a few people who think that it's too slow. To afford those people the ability to get around the rules in the name of speech or communication really shouldn't be the goal. Should it?
Oct 17, 2011 1:08pm
Q

queencitybuckeye

Senior Member

7,117 posts
Oct 17, 2011 1:21 PM
If I flash my lights, the effect will be for some cars that were speeding to slow down. Isn't that the goal of the police presence? The only argument I would see (and one they would never admit to) is that it reduces revenue. Not even close to a good enough reason for it to be illegal IMO.
Oct 17, 2011 1:21pm
C

Con_Alma

Senior Member

12,198 posts
Oct 17, 2011 1:30 PM
There are many reason for people to flash their lights.

Reminding someone to turn their lights on

Reminding someone to turn their high beams off.

Letting someone know your are coming around a tight, narrow turn are just a few off the top of my head.

Notifying someone that they are speeding and a police cruiser is enforcing the speed up ahead isn't really a good use of flashing the lights in my opinion.

The illegality of it probably is no doubt going to be difficult to enforce but, again the freedom of speech issue will be interesting to see argued.
Oct 17, 2011 1:30pm
tk421's avatar

tk421

Senior Member

8,500 posts
Oct 17, 2011 1:55 PM
Why would I warn anyone else of a cop waiting for them? If they are speeding, they get whatever they deserve.
Oct 17, 2011 1:55pm
W

WebFire

Go Bucks!

14,779 posts
Oct 17, 2011 2:05 PM
tk421;936649 wrote:Why would I warn anyone else of a cop waiting for them? If they are speeding, they get whatever they deserve.
My take as well.
Oct 17, 2011 2:05pm
FatHobbit's avatar

FatHobbit

Senior Member

8,651 posts
Oct 17, 2011 2:20 PM
I always flash my lights when I see a cop.
Oct 17, 2011 2:20pm
Q

queencitybuckeye

Senior Member

7,117 posts
Oct 17, 2011 2:47 PM
Con_Alma;936611 wrote: Notifying someone that they are speeding and a police cruiser is enforcing the speed up ahead isn't really a good use of flashing the lights in my opinion.
While I don't necessarily disagree, my feeling is that laws should come from the other point of view, that an action should be legal unless there is a compelling reason for it not to be. I don't see one here.
Oct 17, 2011 2:47pm
G

georgemc80

Senior Member

983 posts
Oct 17, 2011 2:59 PM
Similar issue, although I didn't believe it...

I put a quarter in a meter for a stranger just before it expired and the meter maid told me she could write me a ticket and that I was not allowed to that. I laughed and walked off....

If she wasn't standing there watching it count down, I wouldn't have thought twice about it.
Oct 17, 2011 2:59pm
I

I Wear Pants

Senior Member

16,223 posts
Oct 17, 2011 3:33 PM
No way should this be illegal. The goal of the police sitting there is to make people go "oh shit" and slow down or remember to go the speed limit. Me flashing my lights at someone and them slowing down does the same damn thing.
Oct 17, 2011 3:33pm
I

I Wear Pants

Senior Member

16,223 posts
Oct 17, 2011 3:33 PM
georgemc80;936714 wrote:Similar issue, although I didn't believe it...

I put a quarter in a meter for a stranger just before it expired and the meter maid told me she could write me a ticket and that I was not allowed to that. I laughed and walked off....

If she wasn't standing there watching it count down, I wouldn't have thought twice about it.
Another really stupid fucking law.
Oct 17, 2011 3:33pm
A

adog

Senior Member

567 posts
Oct 17, 2011 5:37 PM
This thread made me laugh..one morning last week, I was coming into the town I work in and a state patrol was sitting in a drive (one where I see them sit a lot) and the car in front of me flashed his lights to warn the oncoming car that a police car was ahead....problem was the oncoming car flashed their lights back and when I passed the oncoming car, I saw that it was another state patrol car.........had to laugh
Oct 17, 2011 5:37pm
Iliketurtles's avatar

Iliketurtles

Senior Member

8,191 posts
Oct 17, 2011 5:50 PM
Quint;936556 wrote:For those hoping for a thread not on flashing vehicle headlights. . .

http://ladythrills.blogspot.com/2009/03/florida-panthers-woman-bares-breasts.html

NSFW
Now this is what the thread should be about!

As for flashing headlights. I don't really care one way or another.
Oct 17, 2011 5:50pm