Flipping off a State Trooper? Legal? - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Flipping off a State Trooper? Legal? (Page 1 of 5)

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:32:32 PM EDT

I live in KY and some State Trooper......I won't go into what he did driving but would it have been legal for me to make a "gesture" to him? Would that be freedom of speach? Would it be illegal? I was tempted..........

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:33:40 PM EDT

[#1]

Probably legal but not very wise

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:33:43 PM EDT

[#2]

I believe it was ruled on that it is legal. Don't know what the case was called though.

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:34:03 PM EDT

[#3]

Yes legal ,. Smart not so much.

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:34:37 PM EDT

[#4]

Of course it is legal.

Ever heard of the 1st Amendment?

Doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be a dick about it though.

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:34:39 PM EDT

[#5]

Something something dont invite the man in to your life.

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:35:22 PM EDT

[#6]

while flipping off the cop is legal i'm almost positive, with how many laws are on the books, the cop could end up finding something illegal you are doing.

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:35:45 PM EDT

[#7]

Supreme Court case. It's legal. But you're probably doing something to give them reason to stop you.

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:36:29 PM EDT

[#8]

Yes it's legal. It's been upheld in the federal courts as protected speech under the 1A.

Would I recommend doing it?

Nope.

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:38:53 PM EDT

[#9]

@lawyerup
Don't laugh at him when the trooper stops you

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:42:29 PM EDT

[#10]

Totally legal. Just dumb. Make sure that you are driving perfect and have zero equipment issues before doing it, just in case they are bored and decide to see what your concern was about though. Basically they might decide to take a second look at you and your car, realize your tags expired last month, your window tint is illegal, your headlight is out, etc etc. Why encourage extra attention to yourself?

Correct thing to do is to call and complain, if it was something worthy of complaining. Acting like a 12 year old probably isn’t the correct way to handle anything anyhow.

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:44:01 PM EDT

[#11]

Just because it is legal doesn't mean you should do it.

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:45:02 PM EDT

[#12]

Grow up

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:45:53 PM EDT

[#13]

Legal and a good way to bait them into a lawsuit.

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:48:54 PM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
Legal and a good way to bait them into a lawsuit.

View Quote

i would suggest not picking out armed gov agents to bait into lawsuits. doesn't seem wise from a life expectancy standpoint.

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:52:34 PM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:
Supreme Court case. It's legal. But you're probably doing something to give them reason to stop you.

View Quote

I can see a judge with no sense of humor letting the distracted/reckless driving charge stand.

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:53:10 PM EDT

[#16]

At what point is there a minimum expectation that the cops know it’s bait?

We can hire better cops.

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:53:58 PM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:

i would suggest not picking out armed gov agents to bait into lawsuits. doesn't seem wise from a life expectancy standpoint.

View Quote

It has definitely become very commonplace. I know a city controller's office that had a come to Jesus moment with the chief of police for checks the city had to cut. Not saying it's a recommended course of action

.

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:55:43 PM EDT

[#18]

Should be legal. I prefer to avoid being in LE crosshairs JUST IMO

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:55:44 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
I live in KY and some State Trooper......I won't go into what he did driving but would it have been legal for me to make a "gesture" to him? Would that be freedom of speach? Would it be illegal? I was tempted..........

View Quote

Stupidity, classlessness, and poor judgement all appear to be perfectly legal in Kentucky.

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:57:02 PM EDT

[#20]

You better LawyerUp first

Completely legal and covered under the 1st Amendment.

Very unwise. But you be you.

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:58:42 PM EDT

[#21]

It's the first amendment for a reason. Of course it's legal.

Posted: 10/10/2023 10:58:43 PM EDT

[#22]

I've done it once...he had it coming.

He didn't even slow down...which was probably for the best. I was pretty pissed off, and he knew there was a ass chewing waiting for him if he stopped.

eta...not State. Local town cop.

Posted: 10/10/2023 11:00:12 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
I live in KY and some State Trooper......I won't go into what he did driving but would it have been legal for me to make a "gesture" to him? Would that be freedom of speach? Would it be illegal? I was tempted..........

View Quote

Why be an asshole and invite the man into your life for no good reason? Surely you are smarter than that.

Posted: 10/10/2023 11:05:10 PM EDT

[#24]

Decades back, a guy my old man worked with flipped off a Trooper, because the guy was "starting at him".

Trooper came out and pulled him over. Came to his window and asked if he knew what that means. Dude looked straight at him, flipped him off again, and said, "it means: fuck you"

Trooper flipped him off and said "Well Fuck you, too.", walked back to his car, and drove off.

Posted: 10/10/2023 11:08:40 PM EDT

[#25]

What a coincidence.
I just 5 minutes ago watched a YouTube video where a bunch of kids in a pontoon boat flipped off Fish and Game Wardens.
They did a safety check and arrested the boat captain for BWI.
FAFO..

Posted: 10/10/2023 11:09:24 PM EDT

[#26]

Yes as long as you’re holding a revolver

Posted: 10/10/2023 11:11:16 PM EDT

[#27]

Quote History

Quoted:
Probably legal but not very wise

View Quote

Posted: 10/10/2023 11:11:57 PM EDT

[#28]

Seems Childish

Posted: 10/10/2023 11:15:17 PM EDT

[#29]

Legal?
Smart? NO
Have him follow you until you do anything to justify pulling you over just to fuck with you. Not smart

Posted: 10/10/2023 11:17:02 PM EDT

[#30]

Rude, unwise, not very grey man. All around bad idea.

Posted: 10/10/2023 11:19:42 PM EDT

[#31]

maybe legal, but they do now consider that "communicating" giving them the right to stop and approach you for trying to "communicate" with them so they can "communicate" back with you... Good luck with your communications with your local troopers.

Posted: 10/10/2023 11:21:30 PM EDT

[#32]

Quote History

Quoted:
What a coincidence.
I just 5 minutes ago watched a YouTube video where a bunch of kids in a pontoon boat flipped off Fish and Game Wardens.
They did a safety check and arrested the boat captain for BWI.
FAFO..

View Quote

Yep. Basically- bad choices and lack of impulse control has a high correlation to having other things wrong.

It isn’t the finger that gets you in trouble, it is the extra 20 seconds of the trooper looking at you going WTF? which leads to the problem.

If you seek attention, don’t be surprised if you get it.

Posted: 10/10/2023 11:46:44 PM EDT

[#33]

Quote History

Quoted:
Seems Childish

View Quote

Ultimately, this.

Posted: 10/10/2023 11:49:15 PM EDT

[#34]

I flip them off through my 5% tint windows.

Posted: 10/10/2023 11:51:39 PM EDT

[#35]

“Speach”?

Posted: 10/10/2023 11:58:11 PM EDT

[#36]

Absolutely legal, can be a fast track to getting sweet taxpayer settlement monies.

Posted: 10/10/2023 11:58:41 PM EDT

[#37]

How much spare time do you have, OP?
As has already been stated multiple times, it's perfectly legal.
But that doesn't mean you won't be arrested and held for a while.
That literally just happened to someone about 3 weeks ago and it made the news.

Posted: 10/11/2023 12:03:05 AM EDT

[#38]

Quote History

Quoted:
Something something dont invite the man in to your life.

View Quote

This

Posted: 10/11/2023 12:07:05 AM EDT

[#39]

Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Posted: 10/11/2023 12:07:39 AM EDT

[#40]

Don't get on his radar.

Posted: 10/11/2023 12:34:07 AM EDT

[#41]

Do you even first amendment, bruh.

Posted: 10/11/2023 12:35:41 AM EDT

[#42]

First Amendment. You may, likely, get pulled over and asked what your problem is. Some States have higher levels of what road rage is, flipping someone off may be considered road rage.

Posted: 10/11/2023 12:45:37 AM EDT

[#43]

Legal but why invite that kind of trouble lol

Posted: 10/11/2023 12:47:21 AM EDT

[#44]

Why instigate and invite the man into your life?

Posted: 10/11/2023 12:51:17 AM EDT

[#45]

Quote History

Quoted:

i would suggest not picking out armed gov agents to bait into lawsuits. doesn't seem wise from a life expectancy standpoint.

View Quote

The fact that bodily harm/death is a potential result of showing disrespect towards govt employees says a lot about policing in the US....

Posted: 10/11/2023 1:23:35 AM EDT

[#46]

I did it when one was doing 5 under in the left lane during rush hour and he tried to prevent me from passing by speeding up.

I passed him, he tapped his lights, I shot him the bird out the window with cruise set on 5 over.

Pull me over for speeding.

My front/rear dash cam will be my exhibit 1.

He didn’t pull me over.

A different state trooper got fired last year for pulling similar stuff and pulling people over for passing him. His reasoning for doing it? They weren’t respecting his authority!

Posted: 10/11/2023 1:23:35 AM EDT

[#47]

Quote History

Quoted:
Probably legal but not very wise

View Quote

Going with this.

You might beat the Rap, but you'll still get the Ride.

he will find "something else" that you did - "show me a man & I'll find you a crime" comes to mind.

Bigger_Hammer

Posted: 10/11/2023 1:43:30 AM EDT

[#48]

It didn’t work out well for me when I was 17. Got pulled over and got a ticket for something I don’t remember. I was a dipshit and pissed so as I pull out of the parking lot I flipped off the cop. He proceeded to turn around and pull me over again. Wrote me for improper lane usage (turning into the far lane) and another one I can’t remember.