Seattle Cops Ticketing Drivers Who Honk in Support of Protesters

[Liberal_in_LA]

Seattle Cops Ticketing Drivers Who Honk in Support of Protesters

The Seattle Police Department has begun handing out tickets to motorists—including cab drivers—who honk if they love their local Occupy Wall Street contingent. People can probably still honk if they love Jesus, though don't quote us on that.

Apparently lots of Seattleites have been been making the beep-beep in support of the protesters, currently camped out at Westlake Park (in case you want to visit them after church today). One ticketed honker is cab driver Ayad Agila, who told KOMO News he was "shocked" that he had to pay either $124 or $144 just for honking. Agila told KIRO he won't pay the fine, and now he's probably on some sort of government watch list. Meantime, protesters have been trying to help their supporters by holding signs warning them not to honk.

http://gawker.com/5848031/seattle-cops-ticketing-drivers-who-honk-in-support-of-protesters

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Oh, that's nice.............NOT

Did we lose our freedom of speech, too?

:argh:

[TheMadMonk]

8. It's called missuse of a warning device, and it actually makes sense.

Unnecessary use of horns can be distracting, potentially causing a driver to fail to notice the "kid stepping out in front of them" while they search for a non-existent danger.

Yes these cops are being dicks to at least some extent here, since the reason for the horn blowing is reasonably clear and unlikely to confuse other drivers, but selective law enforcement is a big fucking chunk of the problem the protestors are protesting, so it might be just a bit hypocritcal to demand to be let off the law whilst applauding the protesting of the lawlessness of others.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

11. I appreciate your explanation.

:hi:

[provis99]

12. this wasn't enforced against the teabagger protesters.

So yes, it damn well is more evidence of selective law enforcement, in that it is being used against liberal protesters, but not conservatives.

[marmar]

2. ........

[kath]

3. Fucking pigs.

[BanzaiBonnie]

4. What is up with Seattle police?

Do the good people of Seattle Approve of this kind of bully behavior?

[nolabear]

10. Nope. Next question?

[WillyT]

5. Seattle ???

Wow.

:kick: & Rec !!!

[lunasun]

6. The horn police = intimidation supremo

I cant wait for the thought police to back them up!!!......

[Smarmie Doofus]

7. Beyond belief. nt

[Odin2005]

9. The pigs have the law on their side, unfortunately.

It's illegal in most places to use a car horn except to warn others on the road, but it's usually not enforced except for situations like this where it will give cops a reason to ticket you.

[ret5hd]

13. But most times honking isn't political speech.

[saras]

14. What if you honk, wave your fist, and flip them off? That'll twist the cops knickers.

I wonder if there's a law against playing vuvuzelas while driving.

[AngkorWot]

15. Only after 10 PM, citing noise ordinance violations.

:shrug: