ADV Salute found constitutional

[SkiFastBadly]

Not that I'd want to argue it on the side of the road, but still.....


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_2403563.html

[LuciferMutt]

Good. Often tempted to flip the bird at speed trap wieners. Frakin' fun police. I can't even go on a ride through the east mountain area anymore without seeing at least three sheriff's dept cars. I can go days without seeing an APD car here in ABQ but go up into the mountains and the place is crawling with cops. It's pretty well out of hand. Not sure what they are trying to accomplish other than piss off the public.

That said, I don't think I'm gonna exercise my rights...

[khager]

I wholeheartedly have to agree with this ruling. Why should cops have any more special rights to "NOT" be insulted than you or I have? Disrespectful? Sure it is, but it would be disrespectful to anybody. If their skin is that thin, then they need to be in another profession. JMHO

I am not going to exercise that right though, it wouldn't take much for a pissed off cop to pull you over, and throw a bag of weed or meth on your seat, and well we all know how that story ends!

[KG6BWS]

Originally Posted by LuciferMutt

That said, I don't think I'm gonna exercise my rights...

Was thinking that very same thing. Just because its "legal" to flip off a cop doesnt mean theyre not going to pull you over and fuck with you just because they can. Id rather not push my luck....cant afford the lawyer afterwards.

[khpossum]

I believe it was in 2011 when a somebody did the salute passing a state trooper here in Colorado. They followed him to his work where he was issued a criminal summons charging him with harassment, which carries a possible penalty of six months in jail.. It was later thrown out, because he was entitled to do so. Free speech is a wonderfull thing, As others said why would cops be so special that they can not deal with somebody flipping them off. Thin skinned bastard! Possibly not smart thing to do though, I am sure any such cop will be more then happy to give you a ticket for anything he can find. And there is no doubt they can find something.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news...ed-off-trooper

KP

[windmill]

Originally Posted by khager

Why should cops have any more special rights to "NOT" be insulted than you or I have? Disrespectful? Sure it is, but it would be disrespectful to anybody.

In theory....................

It isn't about disrespect to the cop as an individual, but disrespect of a duly appointed official chosen to represent our society, you...........me........... all of us.

[JimVonBaden]

But why would you want to unless that specific cop wronged you in the past? They are just people doing their jobs, for the most part, and you will be damn glad they are there when you need them.

Jim

PS I flipped off one once that gave me an unfair ticket. He just smiled at me. Fucker!

[manfromthestix]

Originally Posted by JimVonBaden

But why would you want to unless that specific cop wronged you in the past? They are just people doing their jobs, for the most pat, and you will be damn glad they are there when you need them.

Jim

PS I flipped off one once that gave me an unfair ticket. He just smiled at me. Fucker!

+1 on this - I try very hard to stay off their radar, figuratively and literally, because as previous posters have said, they have the authority just to fook with you and can probably find something they can ticket you for.

I can't even go on a ride through the east mountain area anymore without seeing at least three sheriff's dept cars. I can go days without seeing an APD car here in ABQ but go up into the mountains and the place is crawling with cops. It's pretty well out of hand. Not sure what they are trying to accomplish other than piss off the public.


I grew up in New Mexico and learned to ride there, starting at age 5 (I'm 55 now). We lived in Santa Fe when I went to High School and my buddies and I used to ride our motocrossers from home (near St. Micheals HS) to Santa Fe High, no plates, loud as shit, ripping wheelies, roosting turns, etc. and never once saw a cop anywhere. Sometimes the Hispanic kids would get excited and we'd have long chases after school, us on the MXers and them in their cars, blazing all over the dirt roads around Santa Fe, never once got rousted. The SFHS parking lot was built on the side of a big hill with terraces to park two rows of cars on, so we'd jump from one terrace to the next, sometimes over cars; you guessed it, never a visit from the Fun Police. We used to take the MXers and trials bikes all over the mountains up there without plates and never got harrassed. Damn, those really were the Good Old Days!

Have you ever read "The Milagro Beanfield War", set in rural New Mexico? Wonderful book, I think I'll read it again soon. Anyway, the cops were hilarious in that story and that's what I remember about them when I was growing up there. One Deputy was bothered every time he drove over the painted line cattle guards on the highway, just couldn't get comfortable with the fact that such a thing worked... . I guess they're a bit more sophisticated now, too bad.

I respect our LEO's for what they do and certainly appreciate them, especially when I need them, but there are some dicks in their ranks just like there are dicks everywhere else.

Doug

[LuciferMutt]

Originally Posted by manfromthestix

+1 on this - I try very hard to stay off their radar, figuratively and literally, because as previous posters have said, they have the authority just to fook with you and can probably find something they can ticket you for.

I can't even go on a ride through the east mountain area anymore without seeing at least three sheriff's dept cars. I can go days without seeing an APD car here in ABQ but go up into the mountains and the place is crawling with cops. It's pretty well out of hand. Not sure what they are trying to accomplish other than piss off the public.


I grew up in New Mexico and learned to ride there, starting at age 5 (I'm 55 now). We lived in Santa Fe when I went to High School and my buddies and I used to ride our motocrossers from home (near St. Micheals HS) to Santa Fe High, no plates, loud as shit, ripping wheelies, roosting turns, etc. and never once saw a cop anywhere. Sometimes the Hispanic kids would get excited and we'd have long chases after school, us on the MXers and them in their cars, blazing all over the dirt roads around Santa Fe, never once got rousted. The SFHS parking lot was built on the side of a big hill with terraces to park two rows of cars on, so we'd jump from one terrace to the next, sometimes over cars; you guessed it, never a visit from the Fun Police. We used to take the MXers and trials bikes all over the mountains up there without plates and never got harrassed. Damn, those really were the Good Old Days!

Have you ever read "The Milagro Beanfield War", set in rural New Mexico? Wonderful book, I think I'll read it again soon. Anyway, the cops were hilarious in that story and that's what I remember about them when I was growing up there. One Deputy was bothered every time he drove over the painted line cattle guards on the highway, just couldn't get comfortable with the fact that such a thing worked... . I guess they're a bit more sophisticated now, too bad.

I respect our LEO's for what they do and certainly appreciate them, especially when I need them, but there are some dicks in their ranks just like there are dicks everywhere else.

Doug

Cool stories. Thanks. Unfortunately NM is not the same place anymore.

[Ginger Beard]

I can't see flipping them off just for being there but I'm glad that there are cases to sight in case I ever go to court for flipping off a cop. I've done it in the past but only for cops doing shit that should have resulted in them getting a ticket. Just last night a cop (on his damn cell phone) decided to pull out in front of me and accelerate to a mind boggling 20mph forcing me to get on the brakes HARD since I was doing 40. Honking and flashing did nothing to get him up to speed. We wound up nest to each other at a red light so I honked to get his attention and gave him the old thumbs and head shake. Even LEOs can't drive AND use a phone.

[Queenie]

I got news for y'all. I've been in uniform for 24 years and flippin' off the popo has never been illegal...at least in Texas! I remember being pissed off when I found that out in basic academy!

[SgtDuster]

Originally Posted by windmill

In theory....................

It isn't about disrespect to the cop as an individual, but disrespect of a duly appointed official chosen to represent our society, you...........me........... all of us.

+1

Flipping a random cop only because you "can" is stupid, childish and disrespectful. You have the "right" to do so but well...

I prefer to use my mouth than my finger when it comes to show my dissatisfaction since I'm an intelligent and mature human being but to each his own really...but I think that I can understand that one could want to show his dissatisfaction to a particular cop (or whoever) in a particular situation. You can show your dissatisfaction to an individual, especially if he's acting like an idiot.

But randomly, just because "I hate cops"? Showing disrespect to an "institution" just for the fun of it?

[duck]

But what should you do if the LEO has an ADV sticker on his vehicle?

[manfromthestix]

Originally Posted by duck

But what should you do if the LEO has an ADV sticker on his vehicle?

Get together with him for a ride!!! Some of the craziest fun guys I've ever known were cops. I had two friends and neighbors when I lived in Wyoming that were both Federal cops, one a Federal Marshall and the other an FBI Special Agent. Those guys were a HOOT and good to have hanging in the neighborhood. My daughter was friends with their girls and some of the stories she told about their Dads meeting prospective boyfriends for the first time were a riot. "Yes, that's an M16 in my car and a Glock in my shoulder holster; you treat my daughter right, you hear?"

I live in a small Virginia town now that has two colleges in it = heightened police attention. We can always tell when the force gets a few new officers (men and women) because the rookies are a bit too "enthusiastic" when it comes to keeping the peace. They typically mellow and get more realistic after a while, or if they are dicks who truly enjoy rousting people they'll move on to a bigger city where there's more action and fun to be had. I drive a sporty little car with dark tinted windows and got rousted by the drug cops (two cars!) the other night on the way home from work. I was driving a little fast, but nothing outrageous, and I think they were looking for kids and drugs and not some older dude enjoying his sporty car. They were disappointed but I let them get the drug dog out and play around anyway, so they were happy with that. The drug doggie was a pit bull ; only in the South, I think. I got a warning, they got a courteous and compliant citizen, and we were all fine with the outcome (no ticket).

One more New Mexico story then I'd better get back to work : I learned to ride trials when I was about 10 years old because my friend's dad and another man were crazy about flying their radio-controlled airplanes. We'd go out in the boonies near our homes in Zuni, NM and the Dads would fly their airplanes until they lost them, then my friend and I would get on our trials bikes (Bultaco and Montesa, oh my what fun) and ride cross-country all over hell and gone looking for the planes. The RC stuff wasn't as sophisticated back then so Jerry and I got a LOT of riding in when we went flying! The best part was the Dads paid for the gas and hauled us out to all kinds of cool riding places. When I got older I competed with NMTA, did some fantastic rides all around the state.

Ah, the memories.... Back to work!

Happy New Year, all!

Doug

[IheartmyNx]

Originally Posted by duck

But what should you do if the LEO has an ADV sticker on his vehicle?

Or doesn't actually KNOW the law, but rather is an enforcer to it...