So I received this in the email today:

DON’T FLASH HEADLIGHTS AT ANY CAR WITH NO LIGHTS ON!!Police officers working with the DARE program have issued this Warning: If you are driving after dark and see an on-coming car with no headlights on, DO NOT FLASH YOUR LIGHTS AT THEM! This is a common “Bloods” member “initiation game” that goes like this: The new gang member under initiation drives along with no headlights, and the first car to flash their headlights at him is now his “target.” He is now required to turn around and chase and spot that car, then shoot and kill every individual in the vehicle in order to complete his initiation requirements. Police Departments across the nation are being warned. Their intent is to have all the new bloods nationwide drive around on Friday
and Saturday nights with their headlights off. In order to be accepted into the gang,
they have to shoot and kill all individuals in the first auto that does a courtesy flash to warn them that their lights are off. Make sure you share this information with all the drivers in your family! Please forward this message to all your friends and family members to inform them about this initiation ritual. They are also known to drive with high beams on and will do the same as indicated above.

So the first thing I did was go to Snopes. And there it was as an urban legend that has been recycled since 1993 in print. Apparently it was existed in story since the early ’80s.

Whenever you get shocking emails, especially those that are “warnings”, you have to question them. If something like this was true, you would probably already know it. If not something like this would make news agencies the nation wide. So when you get something shocking, just go check it out before you forward it around the world.

Snopes points out that sometimes these are given more credence due to WHO forwards them. By the time the sender has debunked it, it has been passed on a few times with their names on it. So take the time and research before your reputation takes a hit.

Technorati Tags: Urban Legends, Don’t Flash Headlights