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Is flashing your headlights illegal or a free speech issue?
Orlando Sentinel.com ^ | August 26, 2011 | Rene Stutzman

Posted on 08/27/2011 3:06:53 AM PDT by Daffynition

There is no Florida law that prohibits light-flashing, said Oviedo attorney J. Marcus Jones. He claims officers are simply twisting a law that was designed to prohibit drivers from adding after-market emergency lights to their vehicles.

When officers write those tickets, he said, they violate a driver's constitutional right to free speech. If motorists want to flash their lights to warn about a speed trap ahead, they are free to do so, according to his suit.

(Excerpt) Read more at orlandosentinel.com ...


TOPICS: Travel
KEYWORDS: florida; lightflashing; speedtraps
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To: Daffynition

Maybe the Traffic Division should just be called REA’s, (Revenue Enhancement Agents), instead of LEO’s, (Law Enforcement Officers).

Keep the LEO for the police that go after the other REAL crimes.


21 posted on 08/27/2011 5:06:55 AM PDT by The Working Man
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To: Daffynition
Years ago, the Illinois State Police got the idea of parking empty patrol cars at strategic locations in order to slow down traffic. Problem was, depending on the time of day, traffic was either at a crawl or lightning-fast.

One morning, when at a crawl, I drove past the empty patrol car. Someone had placed a box of donuts on its hood. I still chuckle thinking about it.

22 posted on 08/27/2011 5:07:28 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
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To: LearsFool
Semantics.

CC

23 posted on 08/27/2011 5:08:07 AM PDT by Celtic Conservative (Wisdom comes from experience. Experience comes from a lack of wisdom.)
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To: Daffynition
Back in my yuth, I was driving on a rural stretch of state highway. There was almost no traffic. I passed a state patrol car parked-in-waiting on the side of the road.

About a mile down the road, I saw an oncoming vehicle. Being the good neighbor, I flashed my lights to let him know of impending caution.

As I passed the oncoming vehicle, the officer in that state patrol car gave me an evil grin.

Luckily, he had to go about a half-mile to find a turnaround place, which I saw him doing in my rear view mirror.

By then, I topped a hill and disappeared out of view. Several county dirt road turn offs were available. I knew those backroads like the back of my hand, and took a half-hour sightseeing drive through the countryside.


24 posted on 08/27/2011 5:09:10 AM PDT by TomGuy
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To: jnsun
It may not always be just (ala OJ Simpson) but it is more appropriate than a vested cabal.

It's funny how often people invoke this canard.
25 posted on 08/27/2011 5:14:08 AM PDT by aruanan
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To: loucon
Get out of my way, the left lane is for passing
That's done with a hand gesture.

The scariest bus ride I ever had was back in 68 (I think, maybe 69) from Park Square in Boston to Hyannis (on Cape Cod). It took the driver 45 minutes from station to station. It was a night ride and his method involved getting in the fast lane and putting the hammer down. Anything in his way, he'd come right up on their bumper, flash the high beams, and slam the accelerator pedal to the floor.

I sat in the front right-hand seat and watched every move with my eyes *that* big...
26 posted on 08/27/2011 5:36:37 AM PDT by Peet (Cogito ergo dubito.)
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To: God
God Bless and keep and protect all the policemen
Especially those who have the job of getting all the selfish scum who think they don't have to obey the laws on the roads.

May they give out a gazillion tickets to speeders and law breakers to deter these scum. God Bless them for working so hard to keep our roads and highways safe.

Lord please deflate all the air in the tires of the speeders and halt their engines so they will have to s sit home and trim their stinky toenails and scratch themselves all day.

Children, stay as far away as possible from so called adults who think they are within their rights to break speed limit laws. Their moral compass doesn't work at all. If it appears to work it is just because they are very good actors.

27 posted on 08/27/2011 5:38:31 AM PDT by Esther Ruth
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To: Esther Ruth

So exceeding set-too-low-for-enhanced-revenue-generation speed limits is a *moral* issue, is it?

How about slower traffic not keeping right, in defiance of traffic laws? Is that a moral issue, too?

Because based on your posts here, I expect you are one of those people self-righteously blocking the fast line on the highway.


28 posted on 08/27/2011 5:47:26 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: Peet
The scariest bus ride I ever had was back in 68 (I think, maybe 69) from Park Square in Boston to Hyannis (on Cape Cod). It took the driver 45 minutes from station to station.

In that era, it was difficult to ever pass a Greyhound Bus on the highway. They tried to fly.
29 posted on 08/27/2011 5:47:52 AM PDT by TomGuy
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To: Esther Ruth

So, YOU’RE the one in the far left lane holding up traffic; the Enforcer . . .

Run any motorcyclists off the road lately?


30 posted on 08/27/2011 5:48:10 AM PDT by BraveMan
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To: BraveMan

Heh! You and I read this situation the same, for sure.


31 posted on 08/27/2011 5:49:54 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: Quickgun

You’re absolutely right. Anyone flashing their lights is simply telling on-coming traffic “Hey! You’re going too fast! Slow down and obey the law!” — what’s the worst that could happen? They slow down and obey the law...?

Oh, and it might “cheat” our beloved government out of yet MORE of our money. Cry me a river.


32 posted on 08/27/2011 5:50:01 AM PDT by Pravious
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To: Daffynition

Hi, Daffynition! I flash my lights for many reasons: if I see deer starting to cross to alert the upcoming drivers, to alert drivers of an accident that they might not be able to see yet, as a way to tell the driver in front of me (usually a truck) who wants to pull into my lane... that I am backing off and allowing it, let’s see... Oh yeah, when I see cops running radar. I let the upcoming traffic know to slow down. (I’m a bad girl!!)


33 posted on 08/27/2011 5:56:10 AM PDT by momtothree
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To: bgill; jnsun
bgill wrote:
Sounds like a class action suit is in order. Threaten to bankrupt the city/county and fire the chief of police and see how fast they quit writing bogus tickets. The LE can’t prove the motorists weren’t merely checking their lights and not warning anyone.
Someone didn't bother clicking through to the article.

This story is about a law firm in Oviedo FL which has successfully challenged these bogus tickets in 5 different counties for individuals. They are now filing a class action on behalf of everyone who has been ticketed for this, asking a state court in Tallahassee to rule that the fines collected must be returned, and that the Florida Highway Patrol and all police agencies in Florida should be ordered to stop writing these bogus tickets.

If one of these stops results in a real economic impact to someone (being late and missing an opportunity because of the delay being stopped and ticketed), the victim (innocent driver) would have a strong case against the police and the town/county/state to recover damages for their loss.

jnsun wrote:
That is the major aspect of the problem: There IS NO jury. There are only LEO's and judges, i.e. the State self-serving community.
That depends a lot on the state and the laws.

I was victimized by this in Georgia a few times. In Georgia, most traffic violations are still criminal offenses. This opens the door to requesting a jury trial. I'm not sure about things that have been "decriminalized."

I lived not far from a town that nearly finance their entire budget with fines from along the 4 lane highway that they annexed about 200 yards into city limits. When the state made them stop with the radar guns, they put up a stoplight and used that for their revenue source. I got stopped once there. Went to the city traffic court an I refused to sign the "waiver of jury trial" form and demanded a jury trial in the county court. That moved things out of the city traffic court. It was all about the money for the city. They didn't even send the cop to the county courthouse. I pled not guilty and won by default when the cop didn't show.

I need to find out what the law is in Florida, now that I've moved down here.

34 posted on 08/27/2011 5:57:15 AM PDT by cc2k ( If having an "R" makes you conservative, does walking into a barn make you a horse's (_*_)?)
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To: BraveMan; FreedomPoster
Nice try but no cigar-
I suppose you are those kind who change the subject every time you are caught breaking the law and tell everyone to look at your brother Louie who stinks worse then you.
35 posted on 08/27/2011 6:01:29 AM PDT by Esther Ruth
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To: Daffynition
Is flashing headlights illegal? Probably is in some counties.

However, people who turn on their flashers while driving in the rain should be immediately ticketed and sent back to driver's school.

36 posted on 08/27/2011 6:02:29 AM PDT by GBA
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To: Esther Ruth
Get a clue folks,speed limits are not there to make revenue.
They are there so people are able to get onto the road and merge with traffic. If the speed is 45 you cannot do 75 and expect people to get on the road from side streets.
Do any of you morons have IQ higher then 10?
37 posted on 08/27/2011 6:04:41 AM PDT by Esther Ruth
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To: Daffynition

“Do you know how to talk like a trucker”

No...But I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.


38 posted on 08/27/2011 6:12:32 AM PDT by BigCinBigD
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To: Peet
scariest bus ride

We paid for a limousine to the 828 Glenn Beck rally in DC. On the way home I swore the driver was trying to kill us. She'd barrel up to somebody's tailgate and then slam on the brakes. The people facing the front windshield had the same expression on their faces that you described... : o

39 posted on 08/27/2011 6:14:24 AM PDT by LoveUSA (You don't notice the night light until it gets dark.)
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To: Esther Ruth
Do any of you morons have IQ higher then 10?

When you're calling people stupid, it's a really good idea to proofread.

40 posted on 08/27/2011 6:18:57 AM PDT by Darth Reardon (No offense to drunken sailors)
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