Federal Appeals Court Confirms Your Right to Flip Off a Traffic Cop

Tell the truth — when driving by a police office operating a speed trap at the side of the road, have you ever been tempted to make a rude gesture? You know the one I’m talking about: the single digit, middle finger salute. A United States Court of Appeals has now confirmed judicially that it’s your right to do so, if you choose.

When Debra Cruise-Gulyas was pulled over for speeding in Taylor, Michigan by Officer Matthew Minard in 2017, she gave in to that very temptation. Well, not right away. After he stopped her, Officer Minard had apparently gave Cruise-Gulyas a bit of a break, citing her for a non-moving violation instead of speeding. Not mollified by the break she got, following the stop, as she drove away, Cruise decided to make a crude gesture directed at the police officer.

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Connecticut Driver Contends Alleged Cellphone Was McDonalds Hash Brown

(One of the above items is not like the other…)

Sometimes the most innocent actions can get you in trouble with the law, like the Maryland mother accused of using opiates because she ate a poppy seed bagel the morning she gave birth. A Connecticut man is challenging his conviction on a charge of distracted driving, claiming he was eating a McDonalds hash brown, not talking on his cellphone. No, this isn’t anything like Dan White’s supposed Twinkie Defense — the guy sounds like he has a legitimate case.

On April 11, 2018, Jason Stiber was pulled over in Westport. Westport PD Corporal Shawn Wong alleged that Stiber was talking on his cellphone while driving. Wong later told a magistrate that Stiber was holding a phone near his face and that his lips were moving. Stiber said the officer mistook his food for a phone. The magistrate apparently believed that Wong was right (sorry, I had to), and convicted Stiber of distracted driving, fining him $300.

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  • Wjtinfwb Ford can produce all the training and instructional videos they want, and issue whatever mandates they can pursuant to state Franchise laws. The dealer principal and staff are the tip of the spear and if they don't give a damn, the training is a waste of time. Where legal, link CSI and feedback scores to allocations and financial incentives (or penalties). I'm very happy with my Ford products (3 at current) as I was with my Jeeps. But the dealer experience is as maddening and off-putting as possible. I refuse now to spend my money at a retailer who treats me and my investment like trash so I now shop for a dealer who does provide professional and courteous service. That led to the Jeep giving way to an Acura, which has not been trouble free but the dealer is at least courteous and responsive. It's the same owner group as the local Ford dealer so it's not the owners DNA, it's how American Honda manages the dealer interface with American Honda's customer. Ford would do well to adopt the same posture. It's their big, blue oval sign that's out front.
  • ToolGuy Nice car."I’m still on the fill-up from prior to Christmas 2023."• This is how you save the planet (and teach the oil companies a lesson) with an ICE.
  • Scrotie about 4 years ago there was a 1992 oldsmobile toronado which was a travtech-avis pilot car that had the prototype nav system and had a big antenna on the back. it sold quick and id never seen another ever again. i think they wanted like 13500 for it which was steep for an early 90s gm car.
  • SunnyGL I helped my friend buy one of these when they came in 2013 (I think). We tried a BMW 535xi, an Audi A6 and then this. He was very swayed by the GS350 and it helped a lot that Lexus knocked about $8k off the MSRP. I guess they wanted to get some out there. He has about 90k on it now and it's been very reliable, but some chump rear-ended it hard when it was only a few years old.From memory, liked the way the Bimmer drove and couldn't fathom why everyone thought Audi interiors were so great at that time - the tester we had was a sea of black.The GS350's mpg is impressive, much better than the '05 G35x I had which could only get about 24mpg highway.
  • Theflyersfan Keep the car. It's reliable, hasn't nickeled and dimed you to death, and it looks like you're a homeowner so something with a back seat and a trunk is really helpful! As I've discovered becoming a homeowner with a car with no back seat and a trunk the size of a large cooler, even simple Target or Ikea runs get complicated if you don't ride up with a friend with a larger car. And I wonder if the old VW has now been left in Price Hill with the keys in the ignition and a "Please take me" sign taped to the windshield? The problems it had weren't going to improve with time.