Brickbat: Threatening Gesture

In Pennsylvania, West Shore Regional police officers cited a 12-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy with disorderly conduct after finding them with a plastic toy gun. Callers had reported the two were pointing the toy gun at passing cars.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Disorderly conduct? This sounds more like a textbook case of disturbing the peace to me.

[JW]

You're resisting arrest, right now, aren't you?

[Copernicus]

Why is this article posted at Reason? Is this supposed to be an example of outrageous police behavior?

The little shitheads need to learn now that it is not cool to point any gun at people, if for no other reason than they are less likely to get shot by the responding police.

[Neoliberal Kochtopus]

Poe's Law is in full effect.

[JW]

Is there a corollary to Poe's Law where you can't tell if the speaker is an idiot or not?

[Copernicus]

There's no Poe here. Don't be confused by the picture, those aren't the kids in question.

If a couple of 20 year-olds were pointing guns (toy or otherwise) at passing cars, would this be no cause for concern?

History has shown plenty of kids aged 12 or a lot less who have gotten their hands on guns and done serious damage. A 12 year-old pointing a gun (toy or otherwise) at a bunch of passing cars can be both unnerving and quite dangerous (duck and swerve, etc.).

The kids were given a citation. That is a very minor way to make a point: Don't point guns (toy or otherwise) at people.

[Doctor Whom]

I know, right? Without government, who would protect us from the scourge of small children with plastic toy guns?

[Copernicus]

How big are the children? Are you sure they are "small"?

[sloopyinca]

But they didn't point "any gun" at someone. They pointed a plastic toy at someone.

[Copernicus]

They pointed a plastic toy gun, so it was that type of gun.

Hey what did the gun look like? Is it possible the 12 year-old looked like a 16 year-old and the plastic toy looked like a real gun? Does it matter?

I'm assuming just about everyone here is "pro-gun" (as am I). I would have thought that that implies pro gun safety. And one of the principles of gun safety is:
Don't fucking point a gun a someone. Any gun. Including toy guns.

[Old Man With Candy]

The equation of a toy gun with a gun is hilarious. My son had a toy fire truck. Did that mean he had a fire truck?

[Old Man With Candy]

And my ex-wife had a dildo. Does this mean she had a penis?

[Copernicus]

Well, If your son had a toy fire truck the same size as a real fire truck, someone might believe he had a real fire truck. Can you think of a more stupid analogy?

You really don't get the point that pointing a gun (or toy gun) at passing cars might be dangerous or even fatal should it result in a car accident, or result in someone shooting the kid? You really don't can't see that point?

And yes, your wife has a penis.

[Old Man With Candy]

Can you think of a more stupid analogy?

Yes, equating a toy gun to a real gun. Doesn't get any stupider.

[Copernicus]

Never equated a toy gun with a real gun.

But they can look alike and their appearance can produce the same effect, ie., fear, dangerous driving reaction, violent response.

I know you understand this, you are just pretending to be a stupid asshole.

[Old Man With Candy]

They pointed a plastic toy gun, so it was that type of gun.

OK, you didn't even have to pretend to be a liar.

[Copernicus]

You took my clear statement that it was a plastic toy gun to mean I was stating it was a real gun.

Really?

I take back my previous comment. You are not just pretending to be a stupid asshole.

[Snark Plissken]

Two local juveniles were recently charged in connection with an incident involving a toy gun. Around 6:30pm, on Monday, May 20, 2013, West Shore Regional Police received a report of two people pointing a gun at traffic in the 1st block of Market Street, Lemoyne. Vehicles were slowing and stopping as the two would point the gun in the direction of the approaching cars.

I guess they haven't heard of the imaginary rope trick yet.

[Protagoronus]

Some kids in Ecuador did that to me once... except they used an actual steel chain.... and they had actual guns... and they demanded money (though I think I got away with like $0.10)

[Old Man With Candy]

We did a variation of that. It works late at night when there's a blind curve. Tie some fishing line between two trees or posts or whatever's convenient on opposite sides of the street, about two feet off the ground. Drape newspapers over it, reaching the ground. When a car comes around the curve and the headlights pick it up, the first reaction is "HOLY SHIT THERE'S A GODDAM CONCRETE WALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FUCKING ROAD!!!!!" followed by vigorous brake application, swerving, and much rubber left on the road. Presumably also involuntary urination, especially in the split second before the car "crashes" into and through the "wall." Hilarious. Probably dangerous. Immense fun for 13 year olds.

[Copernicus]

Ha ha ha ha ha..
Probably dangerous, but who cares, right?
Fuck em if they can't take a joke.

[Copernicus]

Hey just curious..
What was the payoff to you in this stunt?

I mean sure the downside was the driver nearly crashed, stressed his car, and pissed or shit his pants.

But that must be offset by the huge benefits of the stunt. What exactly does a person gain from sneaking around late at night, setting up all the optical diversions, and then hiding and waiting for the big show. Don't you have to be a horrible, malicious little fuck to get a thrill from this?

[Old Man With Candy]

I mean sure the downside was the driver nearly crashed, stressed his car, and pissed or shit his pants.

That's the upside.

[Copernicus]

Yes, I already figured that out.

[Unauthorized Journalist]

Vehicles were slowing and stopping as the two would point the gun in the direction of the approaching cars.

[RBS]

When we were kids my cousin and I had a bow and arrow war in my front yard with the domestic terrorism materials our parents bought us on our hyperracist weekend trip to Cherokee, NC. If some neighborhood busy body saw that today we'd both be in prison. Probably federal prison with the hate crime and all.

[Snark Plissken]

We used to stick orange cones in the street. Don't know how I didn't get recruited to terrorist camp.

[Fatty Bolger]

Thank God those kids were stopped before somebody pretended to be shot.

[Brian D]

+1000 imaginary points

[Ted S.]

Callers had reported the two were pointing the toy gun at passing cars.

Name the callers.

This is nothing more than another example of people using the state to bully others engaging in behavior they don't like.

[DontShootMe]

Back in my day we threw snowballs at passing cars. Drivers either ignored us, or slammed on their brakes and got out and chased us. No cops involved.

[Doctor Whom]

Somalia gets that much snow?

[DontShootMe]

It was still a colony when I was a kid.

[sloopyinca]

We did the same. We loved chucking the at the big can trailers especially, and one time we missed one and the snowball hit. Cop car traveling the other way. The cop came after us for a minute or two and then just have up as we ducked through some back yards.

We meandered the mile or so to the house and when we got there, the cruiser was in our driveway and the cop was ratting us out to our dad. No arrest, no threats...just ratted us out so we'd wet our asses spanked by our dad.

I swear, if I was a kid today, I'd be in kid prison getting kid-raped for all of the shit we did.

[Neoliberal Kochtopus]

Did John take over your phone?

[sloopyinca]

Jesus, that's awful. Stupid fucking autocorrect.

I guess I ought to grab a laptop and do this for real instead of phoning it in today.

[Ted S.]

This is why I'd never use auto-correct. I'd rather run the risk of a typo getting through.

At least you didn't try to blame Banjos or Baby Reason. 😉

[Copernicus]

Just one of many excerpts to be found:

"TEENAGE driver Gemma Battersby is in shock today after swerving her car and crashing into another motorist when she was hit in the face by a snowball thrown by a group of boys.

Gemma, 18, suffered suspected whiplash - and the other driver was rushed to hospital with burns to his hand from a burst airbag - following the smash on Wostenholm Road in Nether Edge, Sheffield, last night."

So happy your snowball throwing didn't result in any serious injuries or death. Would you feel the same about the innocent kid hijinks if it resulted in someone's death?

[Copernicus]

Hey, here's another one:

"Sioux City police say students who pelted a school bus with snowballs caused a collision that injured 21 other students.

Sgt. Brad Bollinger says the accident occurred about 3:05 p.m. Tuesday in front of West High School.

Bollinger says the driver stopped the school bus when the snowballs hit it. It was struck in the rear by a city transit bus that couldn't stop in time."

[Copernicus]

Hey here's one:

"Two snowballs pelted Figueira's truck as he drove to his parents' home. He said he lost control, causing him to crash into the Wareham duplex. It ripped off the walls, exposing the kitchen, and breaking appliances in half.

"My son was on the floor right here in this room watching TV," said Anni Dean."

[Copernicus]

Hey, look at this:

"A GANG of snowball-throwing youths caused a two-car smash which left a 10-year-old girl in hospital.

Youths positioned themselves in trees just past the Aldi roundabout in Hart Lane before hurling snowballs at the two cars, a blue Citroen Xsara and a grey Nissan.

It resulted in the 37-year-old driver of the Citroen car colliding with the Nissan.

Travelling in the Citroen car was the 37-year-old man's family: his 39-year-old wife, 10-year-old daughter and son, aged seven.

The daughter was taken to University Hospital of Hartlepool by ambulance suffering with abdominal injuries. Doctors detained her in hospital overnight.

[Copernicus]

What the hell?:

"The smash last Wednesday evening happened when one lorry, heading to a nearby quarry, was hit by snowballs.

This caused the driver to brake suddenly and another lorry crashed into the back of the LGV, trapping the driver in his cabin.

PC David Cumming, of Coatbridge Police Office, said: "Someone could easily have been killed in this incident.

[Copernicus]

Drivers either ignored us, or slammed on their brakes and got out and chased us. No cops involved."

I wonder why the drivers would go to the trouble of getting out of their cars on a freezing day and chasing a bunch of kids.

Everyone knows throwing snowballs at cars is just silly kid hijinks. Certainly not dangerous in any way. Couldn't lead to injury, death, or a crash.

[The Late P Brooks]

Drivers either ignored us, or slammed on their brakes and got out and chased us. No cops involved.

It was a simpler time. Try that today.

HINT- Wear your bulletproof vest.

[sarcasmic]

When I was growing up I was told we were in a cold war with an evil country where the citizens were encouraged to report on one another, and no one felt safe. Everything they did was watched, and if they stepped out of line even in the slightest bit, government agents would come down on them like a storm. Neighbors were all pitted against each other, and no one trusted anyone. There were no communities, just individuals and families minding their own business. Nobody helped one another for fear that a kind gesture would be reported to the authorities as a crime. I was glad I didn't live in a place like that. I was glad that I lived in a free country. What happened?

[DontShootMe]

Apparently, the evil country won. "We have met the enemy and he is us."

[Mainer2]

We must have grown up in the same era.
Thanks for depressing the shit out of me, btw.

[sarcasmic]

I'm good for that at least once a week.

[The Late P Brooks]

I was glad that I lived in a free country. What happened?

A lot of well-intentioned people decided you were too feckless to fend for yourself.

Sit down, shut up, and do as you are told.

[Copernicus]

"I was glad that I lived in a free country. What happened?"

Is that the FYTW type of freedom?

The kind where you can do whatever you want and other people either don't exist or are too insignificant to consider?

That whole sarcasmic rant was a really lame straw man.

Libertarian freedom means you give at least as much consideration to the rights and freedoms of others as you give to your own rights and freedoms.

Jesus Christ, no wonder libertarians are stereotyped as selfish assholes.

[sarcasmic]

The kind where you can do whatever you want and other people either don't exist or are too insignificant to consider?

Talk about a really lame straw man.

[Copernicus]

Well, that's what you are advocating. Your straw man rant was a response to someone's nostalgia about pelting cars with snowballs.

You equated someone reporting that dangerous behavior with the state of fear which existed in the former Soviet Union.

You said it, so own it.

[sarcasmic]

You've got the straw man on the ropes! Work the belly! Give it a good left!

[Copernicus]

Nice concession.

[sarcasmic]

You are truly delusional.

[Old Man With Candy]

Indeed, you're right, it's possible that he's not a liar, because that's deliberate rather than a product of mental illness. Perhaps that also explains the utter humorlessness. Feminist Democrat, perhaps?

[Copernicus]

Old man, you got your ass stomped today. You should just go back and suck your ex-wife's penis.