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A website devoted to the study of the human condition |
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A website devoted to the study of the human condition |
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It's after dark, you are driving along and notice a car that is cruising along without it's headlights on. What do you do? Flash your headlights and you might die!
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Police Departments across the state are being put on alert due to some disturbing information obtained from an undercover source. It has been confirmed that over the Halloween weekend, gangs will be engaged in initiation rites that will endanger the general public. Their intent is to have all new members drive around on Saturday and Sunday night with their headlights off. In order to be accepted into the gang, they will have to shoot and kill anyone that does a "courtesy" flash to warn them that their headlights are off. Sgt. Isaiah Hokes of the Houston Police Department and Sgt. B. S. Worning of the San Antonio Police Department have stated on the record, that they are aware of the situation and all officers have been informed of the impending threat to public safety.
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| Since the early 1990's, this rumor has plagued just about every major metropolitan area in the U.S. To date, there have been no documented cases of this actually occurring as an organized activity. However, two cases related to headlight flashing are on the books. In 1992, a school secretary from California was shot to death as she was riding in a friends car. The driver of the car flashed his headlights at a car full of teenagers. Apparently, the teens in the receiving car mistook the gesture as a sign of disrespect and opened fire. A "copycat" incident also appears to have taken place in Wichita, KS over the weekend of October 2, 1993, although no one can be truly certain as to the instigating circumstances. According to the San Fernando Valley Folklore Society, this legend may have it's origins dated back as far as 1980, when a reader in Montana heard that the Hell's Angels bike gang in California was said to conduct such initiations. By 1984, the story had spread to Oregon and mutated into a tale of Black and Hispanic gangs targeting L.A.'s white population. By 1993, the story had spread nationwide, due to the effort of good intentioned people forwarding emails and faxes to their friends and family. September 25 & 26 of 1993 was dubbed "Blood Initiation Weekend," named after the gang that calls themselves the "Bloods." A nation was in fear. The weekend came and went without incident, but the emails and faxes did not stop, making 1993 a strong year for this hoax in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York and Texas. And just when the rumor seemed to die off, one woman single-handedly managed to revive it with a handwritten flyer. The flyer stated that police were warning women to be careful at the local mall because they had reason to believe that a gang was coming into town to murder a woman as part of an initiation rite. And just so you know (remember this the next time you pass on a questionable email), the woman who distributed the flyers was arrested and charged with inducing public panic. The legend basically faded into history for five years. In October of 1998 however, it sparked back into existence and spread like a wildfire through the internet. The tale had mutated once more, this time with an added air of authenticity. The warning was now said to have originated from a DARE officer. (To see copies of this warning, click here). The new look of legitimacy added vitality and veracity to this legend. Soon it was being passed through city departments, local law enforcement offices and fire departments, each adding their own official name to the warning and each being burned by the hoax. Where does it end? At the next opportunity, give a "courtesy flash" to a passing motorist and find out for yourself. -The Folklorist ===================================================
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| Links
http://www.snopes.com/horrors/madmen/lightout.htm
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