As a former professional driver (messenger/courier), I’ve dealt with my share of traffic. I know first-hand it’s not the job to take if you’re trying to reduce your blood pressure from an unhealthy level, or if you’re trying to quit drinking, smoking, or swearing. (I was mostly guilty of the last of these, and I’ve joked that all couriers in Houston are fluent in two languages: clean English and profanity.) For those and other reasons, it’s a job I will probably never take up again. I’ve learned a lot from the experience.
Nevertheless I was a bit dismayed to learn that over in Los Angeles, the DA is filing felony conspiracy charges against a rap group (the Imperial Stars) that blocked a freeway for a publicity stunt (laweekly.com). My rationale is this: there are all kinds of traffic accidents that result in a freeway getting shut down in major cities across the US (and elsewhere). The driver at fault rarely gets cited for a felony for the accident unless it results in serious injury or death and even then it is only for that and not the consequential traffic tie-up.
I don’t approve of what the Imperial Stars did. It’s inexcusable. However, I feel making it a felony is a step too far. Appropriate relief would include misdemeanor charges, and an injunction forbidding them from repeating this stunt. That, combined with the civil liability as suggested by one of the commenters on the LA Weekly story, is enough of a deterrent. Actually, the civil suits alone and resulting bad PR should be plenty to ensure that not only do the Imperial Stars not repeat this ill-advised stunt, but that nobody else tries this.
Please, let’s reserve felonies for the truly serious crimes. Not blocking traffic.
It’s a form of false imprisonment. I think false imprisonment should stay a felony.
Comparing it to someone who caused an accident is bogus because traffic-blocking is done on purpose.
On what basis do you consider blocking traffic to be false imprisonment? That doesn’t make any sense to me.
Look it up. How is blocking traffic NOTfalse imprisonment??
How is blocking traffic NOT false imprisonment? What element of false imprisonment does blocking traffic NOT include? It is physically interfering with people’s liberty under threat of beating them or their car if they dare to resume driving.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_imprisonment
You’re free to park and walk to your destination if nothing else. There is no restraint of you. Your vehicle, maybe, but not you.
I guess that lucky driver who got through on I-70 in Ferguson punched herself in the eye. And it’s news to me that parking on the interstate is allowed.
With regard to the latter, normally no, but during an emergency it’s another story. During the snow emergency earlier this year, there were many cars parked along (I think) I-65 overnight due to an accident blocking both lanes.
It’s illegal to assault someone, whether it’s related to blocking traffic or not. The assault (punching the driver in the eye) would most likely be a felony (at least in Texas it would be), but that’s separate from just blocking traffic as a protest. It’s the same with retail theft (formerly called shoplifting in Texas): if you punch or shove the security guard trying to escape, it’s no longer just theft, it instnatly becomes aggravated robbery and a second degree felony.
The blocking alone is an assault. It is an implicit threat to beat you and/or your car if you try to resume exercising your right to drive on a road you paid to be able to drive on. Let’s stop making excuses for mafia tactics.
Weather emergencies are different, like accidents, because they are not inflicted by human intention.