urban legends

[John Fountaine <jfount@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>
>Date: Wed, 21 Oct 1998 08:06:49 -0500
>From: "Andrew D.Mendez" <AMENDEZ@domain.elided>
>Subject: urban legends-WOB long
>
*******Warning, this contains graphic info and no BMW content*********>
Daniel-
>
>You are passing on untrue information about as
>useful as that "hot tip" to avoid insurance points
>by overpaying your fine. [Hey, try this with your
>felony arrests -- just overpay the fine & you'll
>never have a record & can buy firearms and have
>nothing to fear from repeat offender statutes!]

This is a funny response and a good point that should be well taken!

>You are repeating an urban legend (see movie of
>the same name) -- that people have been killed
>after flashing their lights (gang initiation
>usually). This story is as old as the damn hills
>and as untrue as all get out. I have met several
>people who insist it happened in their town --
>they heard it from their hairdressers's cousin's
>girlfriend!

Well, Andrew it did happen and it happened in Stockton California about six
years ago.  It happened just off Pacific avenue, and I didn't hear it from
my hair-dressers cousin's girlfriend, but rather from a friend of mine that
I went through the police academy with who works for Stockton PD.  Oh yeah,
did I mention she was one of the first on scene?  Seems the driver of the
car (a mother) died from multiple gunshot wounds, and her female passenger
was wounded in the exchange.  Feel free to contact the Stockton Record
(city newspaper) to research this "urban legend" and find out for yourself.
This was covered by national media and resulted in it acheiving  "urban
legend" status.  But hey, Stockton isn't a bad town full of gang-bangers.
Tell that to the widow of another guy i went through the academy with who,
while going through the hiring process with Stockton PD and working as a
security guard, was kidnapped, hands bound with barbed wire, shot two times
in the back of the head and dumped into the Delta.  Why?  He was a witness
in a court trial where two gangbangers were convicted for auto theft and
awaiting their sentencing hearing, so they were mad at him.  Oh probably
just another "urban legend", but his body looked real enough in the casket.

 The facts are, you never know what is going to set off these "people".  I
was followed into a parking lot by a car full of gangbangers in Sacramento
with my (now) wife (then) girlfriend, a buddy and his girlfriend in my car.
These guys were pissed off because we were lauging and having a good time,
and I happened to look over at them at the stoplight while i was still
smiling.  Major crime huh?  Fortunately when I got myself cornered in this
parking lot, I exited my car, as two of the three of them did.  They had a
baseball bat, and announced they were going to "crush my f*&cking skull.  I
drew my .45 from my shoulder holster and announced that bringing a bat to a
gun fight was a poor strategy.  They said their partner in the car had
gun, so I pointed mine at him and said, "then he dies first".  His eyes got
very wide and they retreated, but this all happended over an innocent look.

in the free to cower in your vehicle,
>quivering like a kitten, each time you pass a
>vehicle with its lights off rather than signaling
>your fellow motorists if you want to believe
>everything you hear. I'll take my chances -- oooh!
>big risk! Hey, did you know Mikey from the Life
>cereal commercials died after eating Pop Rocks and
>drinking a Pepsi? It's true! He exploded!

Some of what you say here is funny but the facts are, that lots of innocent
people die for lots of different reasons.  Maybe discretion is the better
part of valor.

********off my soapbox*********

Sorry for the WOB

John
>

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