Thumbs up for the finger (giving “the finger” does not constitute a “breach of the peace”)

Sydney Morning Herald ^ | October 17, 2003 - 9:52AM

[dead]

Coggin pulled around to pass and allegedly gestured with his "impudent finger", court documents said. The slower driver, John Pastrano, a county jailer, promptly filed a complaint with police

Homo.

Coggin, an electrical engineer, was fined $US250 ($A364). He then spent $US15,000 ($A21,865) appealing the decision.

Knucklehead.

[dead]

[E Rocc]

"The middle-finger jerk was so popular among the Romans that they even gave a special name to the middle digit, calling it the impudent finger: digitus impudicus," the court was quoted as saying by the Chronicle.

Interesting. The story I had heard was that the English longbowmen were so effective against the French that the latter would cut the middle finger off captured English soldiers so that they could not draw it. The English waved the finger at the French to annoy them after defeating them in battle.

One should probably assume that someone "A.R." enough to poke along at or below the speed limit in the fast lane is also the kind of person who will run snitching to the police.

-Eric

[TBall]

....................../´¯/)
....................,/¯../
.................../..../
............./´¯/'...'/´¯¯`·¸
........../'/.../..../......./¨¯\
........('(...´...´.... ¯~/'...')
.........\.................'...../
..........''...\.......... _.·´
............\..............(
..............\.............\....

[jimt]

This is an extremely stupid decision. Flipping somebody off is certainly the equivalent of "fighting words" and should be considered the same way.

[E Rocc]

Sometimes it just can't be matched:

-Eric

[dead]

I love that one. If I were King of America, that's exactly what I'd build there.

Actually, I'd build a park at ground zero and build that at the former site of the UN building.

[Arrowhead1952]

Everybody does that!!!!

[Feckless]

"an impatient Austin driver who tailgated another driver until he pulled into the slower lane."

Tailgaters should be aware of the Two Second Rule: Takes two seconds to send 5 ea 200gr jacketed hollowpoints downrange. Another two seconds to reload. Rinse. Repeat.

[dead]

Less legal (and moral) implications if slow drivers just keep their wussy granny driving habits out of the left lane.

[ErnBatavia]

[Roughneck]

A Texas court has ruled that the use of the middle finger does not constitute a breach of peace, even when used in anger.

Sometime during the middle ages, the French used x-bows againts their enemies (cant remember the enemy monguls?), anyway, when captured, their enemies would cut off their middle fingers, that being the one used most for the cross-bows.

The french, when coming upon the enemy in battle, would raise their middle fingers to them as "HA! I still have mine!, so watch out!" kind of thing.

The middle finger, if it does denote the "F" word, is still not a bad thing, as in the forgotten early english, F--k, meant literally "to till the soil"

[Roughneck]

The slower driver, John Pastrano, a county jailer, promptly filed a complaint with police


SOunds like this guy got special, or favored treatment because he was a jailer. Wonder if the average jpe could get the same quick action?

[johnny7]

Homo.

Yes, anyone giving the finger from a “safe” distance is a bonafied “Homo”. This becomes apparent when said “Homo” is confronted by the “Fingered” while pulling over at a gas station.

[Grut]

So, what happened after the prosecutor flipped the Justices the bird?

[dead]

This becomes apparent when said “Homo” is confronted by the “Fingered” while pulling over at a gas station.

He didn’t confront anybody.

He called the big strong policeman because his itty wittle feewings was hurt.

Just what we need, government enforced politeness.

[Feckless]

I agree, it's called the fast or passing lane for a reason. But in right (or only) lane and I'm doing the speed limit I give free reaction/brake tests.
If you're in that big of a hurry you should have left earlier.

[coloradan]

If you're in that big of a hurry you should have left earlier.

Sanctimony sure sounds nice, but you don't know why someone might be speeding: coming home because there was an accident at home, taking a sick person to the hospital, mother in labor, person is on notice that if he is late for work one more time, he will lose his job and then his house, trying to get to the pharmacy before it closes ... you don't know and apparently you don't care.

Let's hope you never have a heart attack across the street from a cardiologist's convention, who can't get to you in time because jaywalking is a crime and they, like you, are all full of holier-than-thou sanctimony and would never jaywalk, and it's a long way down to the intersection, to cross at the light, and then a long way back to you. That would really be a shame, wouldn't it?

[dead]

Prison for that offense.

Some flippees are different than others.

[Agnes Heep]

Sanctimony sure sounds nice, but you don't know why someone might be speeding: coming home because there was an accident at home, taking a sick person to the hospital ....

I don't think we were talking speeding here, but tailgating; a very immature and dangerous act that places lives in jeopardy.