• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about poli

j-mac

DP Veteran
Joined
Mar 11, 2009
Messages
41,104
Reaction score
12,202
Location
South Carolina
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Conservative
A woman in Houston, Texas, was arrested and jailed for 12 hours after she held up a make-shift sign to warn drivers about a speed trap. Natalie Plummer was officially charged with walking in the roadway -- jaywalking, essentially -- though she says the police officers who arrested her were just angry that she had tipped off speeders.

Miss Plummer was riding her bicycle along a road near downtown Houston on Thursday when she spotted police officers pulling drivers over.


Read more: Natalie Plummer arrested for holding sign warning drivers about police speed trap | Mail Online

Sounds like this woman needs some help from DoJ lawyers on how to obstruct....
 
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

Bless her! Too much just ain't enough.
 
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

Sounds like this woman needs some help from DoJ lawyers on how to obstruct....

I'm not exactly sure, and don't know how to look it up, but it's my understanding that if one flashes one's brights at on-coming cars (our area's signal for radaring), one can get a ticket. This reminds me of that. I don't worry about it, though. I always flash.
 
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

If Fred Phelps and inbred clan can call fallen soldiers fags at their funerals then this lady can walk with a sign stating "Speed Trap".

Freedom of Speech.
 
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

Ya I'm pretty sure this would be considered freedom of speech if it was ever actually litigated. But since the cops only held her for 12 hours and since she (supposedly) committed some actual offense, I doubt she has much of a case.
 
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

I'm not exactly sure, and don't know how to look it up, but it's my understanding that if one flashes one's brights at on-coming cars (our area's signal for radaring), one can get a ticket. This reminds me of that. I don't worry about it, though. I always flash.

Please send me pictures of you flashing!
 
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

Interesting. I would think her right to free speech would take precedent. She wasn't causing harm. In fact a argument can be made that her actions caused people to slow down (despite the reason) and possibly prevented accidents.
 
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

Interesting. I would think her right to free speech would take precedent. She wasn't causing harm. In fact a argument can be made that her actions caused people to slow down (despite the reason) and possibly prevented accidents.


Yeah, you'd think. Although recently with certain communities the police don't want to be video taped, and get real touchy when something threatens their ability to extract money. Don't get me wrong, I fully support the law enforcement community, just with one eye on the watch.
 
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

Yeah, you'd think. Although recently with certain communities the police don't want to be video taped, and get real touchy when something threatens their ability to extract money. Don't get me wrong, I fully support the law enforcement community, just with one eye on the watch.

From what I understand they trumped up a different charge to arrest her which was somethig like standing in the street... which she wasn't I believe because she was on the sidewalk. But because it wasn't on video, it was her word against the cops.
 
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

From what I understand they trumped up a different charge to arrest her which was somethig like standing in the street... which she wasn't I believe because she was on the sidewalk. But because it wasn't on video, it was her word against the cops.

Exactly, this is not only what she said, but what the photo of her holding up the sign in the article shows. I think that they were foiled and got mad. I'd be surprised if in the end she gets anything at all other than the intimidation tactic of being jailed for 12 hours.
 
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

I'm not exactly sure, and don't know how to look it up, but it's my understanding that if one flashes one's brights at on-coming cars (our area's signal for radaring), one can get a ticket. This reminds me of that. I don't worry about it, though. I always flash.

Yup. Someone I know flashed their brights at uncoming traffic to warn about a speed trap. Another cop saw this and gave them a ticket for "unlawful use of one's lights", believe it or not.
 
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

If Fred Phelps and inbred clan can call fallen soldiers fags at their funerals then this lady can walk with a sign stating "Speed Trap".

Freedom of Speech.

One story involves someone insulting the 99% at 99% social functions like funerals.

The other story involves reducing profits for the 1%.
 
Last edited:
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

I'm not exactly sure, and don't know how to look it up, but it's my understanding that if one flashes one's brights at on-coming cars (our area's signal for radaring), one can get a ticket. This reminds me of that. I don't worry about it, though. I always flash.

That may be one law in your area that won't stand up in a court if ever truely challenged.

Sanford judge rules in favor of motorist who flashed his headlights

A judge in Sanford ruled Tuesday that a Lake Mary man was lawfully exercising his First Amendment rights when he flashed his headlights to warn neighbors that a deputy had set up a speed trap nearby.
 
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

Here in New Mexico, this is kind of how we deal with speed traps. This is a guy taking care of a photo enforcement vehicle they park all around Santa Fe here.


Gunman in nightshirt blasts speed van: Video

SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) - The shooter dressed in a flowing nightshirt who opened fire on a Santa Fe, N.M., speed-enforcement van in the middle of the night likely won’t get away with it because the van’s video camera recorded the entire episode.

Last week the gunman shot up the speed van while parked on Bishop’s Lodge Road near Fort Marcy Park in Santa Fe.

“He walks toward the speed van and he actually begins to fire rounds into the windshield and toward the top portion of the vehicle,” said Santa Fe Police Capt. Aric Wheeler.

The man fired off five bullets from a revolver.

He may not have put much thought into his outfit. He was barefoot and wearing only a night shirt, but police said knew exactly what he wanted to do.

Officers got their first look at the video Friday, too.

“I didn’t expect somebody to be slowly, methodically walking up and taking shots at the vehicle,” Wheeler said.​


They did catch the guy later but IMO... he's a goddamn hero fighting facism. Photo enforcement vans here are actually just a private company out of Pheonix, AZ who paint their vehicles the same exact paint scheme as the local police (but their plates are private... not government plates) and then park the vans in blatantly obvious speed trap zone... (like a really wide five lane road that is marked 35mph or where the speed changes on an open road for no apparent reason) then that private company uses the government database to track down your address from your license plate and then split the proceeds with the city.


Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power.
- Benito Mussolini
 
Last edited:
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

Here in New Mexico, this is kind of how we deal with speed traps. This is a guy taking care of a photo enforcement vehicle they park all around Santa Fe here.


Gunman in nightshirt blasts speed van: Video

SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) - The shooter dressed in a flowing nightshirt who opened fire on a Santa Fe, N.M., speed-enforcement van in the middle of the night likely won’t get away with it because the van’s video camera recorded the entire episode.

Last week the gunman shot up the speed van while parked on Bishop’s Lodge Road near Fort Marcy Park in Santa Fe.

“He walks toward the speed van and he actually begins to fire rounds into the windshield and toward the top portion of the vehicle,” said Santa Fe Police Capt. Aric Wheeler.

The man fired off five bullets from a revolver.

He may not have put much thought into his outfit. He was barefoot and wearing only a night shirt, but police said knew exactly what he wanted to do.

Officers got their first look at the video Friday, too.

“I didn’t expect somebody to be slowly, methodically walking up and taking shots at the vehicle,” Wheeler said.​


They did catch the guy later but IMO... he's a goddamn hero fighting facism. Photo enforcement vans here are actually just a private company out of Pheonix, AZ who paint their vehicles the same exact paint scheme as the local police (but their plates are private... not government plates) and then park the vans in blatantly obvious speed trap zone... (like a really wide five lane road that is marked 35mph or where the speed changes on an open road for no apparent reason) then that private company uses the government database to track down your address from your license plate and then split the proceeds with the city.


Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power.
- Benito Mussolini


Here in SC they used to have a van with radar set up on I95 at the 22 mile marker headed south toward GA, and they would nab passers through with a fine ticket for speed, until conservatives in the state legislature told them they could no longer issue tickets unless they were issued by the officer witnessing the infraction.
 
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

Here in SC they used to have a van with radar set up on I95 at the 22 mile marker headed south toward GA, and they would nab passers through with a fine ticket for speed, until conservatives in the state legislature told them they could no longer issue tickets unless they were issued by the officer witnessing the infraction.

It's not really a liberal vs conservative issue. It crosses over. Both for and against folks cross over. I know liberals and conservatives opposed to it. I know liberals and conservatives for it. For instance, in AZ when I lived there, it was the conservatives that wanted it in place because it was a way to raise revenue without raising taxes.
 
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

I'm on the side of the cops in this. So far as I'm concerned both this and the headlight flashing should be charged as conspiracy crimes.
 
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

I'm on the side of the cops in this. So far as I'm concerned both this and the headlight flashing should be charged as conspiracy crimes.

That's a good tax slave. You should get a medal for your obedience.
 
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

That's a good tax slave. You should get a medal for your obedience.

It's not about slavery. It's about people getting punished when they choose to break the law. If you choose to speed, you run the risk of getting caught. It's a risk/reward thing.
 
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

This should be protected under freedom of speech. Personally, I think speed traps should be illegal.
 
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

It's not about slavery. It's about people getting punished when they choose to break the law. If you choose to speed, you run the risk of getting caught. It's a risk/reward thing.

My childish bout of verbal bashing was in reference to your automatic acceptance of the law as legitimate. What ought to be considered in this discussion is the legitimacy of the speed limit itself. There is an exhaustive amount of research available to us which ought to allow us to draw the conclusion that speed limits are entirely arbitrary and have virtually no relationship with safety.

The fact is, a 55 mph speed limit might be perfectly reasonable for some people, driving some vehicles, in some traffic conditions, with some environmental conditions. But a single speed limit will never adequately address the safety risks of all drivers and conditions. This leads us to the inescapable conclusion that speed limits are truly arbitrary.

Since speed limits are completely arbitrary, it ought to be up to each individual to determine whether or not the speed at which he/she is driving is an acceptably safe speed for conditions. Should the driver err and cause an accident, he/she is at fault and will be liable for damages. If not, the safety police have no moral or legitimate authority to fine them for something which might occur.
 
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

This should be protected under freedom of speech. Personally, I think speed traps should be illegal.

You don't like free speech?
 
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

It's not really a liberal vs conservative issue. It crosses over. Both for and against folks cross over. I know liberals and conservatives opposed to it. I know liberals and conservatives for it. For instance, in AZ when I lived there, it was the conservatives that wanted it in place because it was a way to raise revenue without raising taxes.


Absolutely. Like I said at the start, I support law enforcement, but I am also a truck driver that has to put up with far more than the average car driver has to. I think auto drivers should have to deal with the same regulations I do.
 
Re: Pedestrian thrown in jail for 12 hours for holding up sign warning drivers about

You don't like free speech?

I do. I'm saying that flashing one's lights and holding a sign to warn of cops is protected under free speech. I also think that speed traps should be illegal.
 
Back
Top Bottom