Urban Legend, For Real?

[Ricardo]

Do you remember the urban legend about the gang initiation where gang members would drive at night with their lights off, waiting for someone to flash their lights at them, so they'd then follow the person who flashed their lights and shoot at them? It was in the movie Urban Legend.

Well I received an email that suggested that was actually happening now, and I'm not sure how to take it. The email came from an acquaintance who's a retired police officer, and the forwarded email supposedly came from an RCMP officer.

Have you received anything like that?

[twocents]

Not yet, but it isnt too far fetched either. How many times have we heard about people creating reality from fiction? It happens more than you think, people take things they read and then try to recreate them so I wouldn't put it past some kids to hear the legend themselves and decide it would be a fun thing to do.

[writerip]

My kids have talked about this recently....telling both my husband and I that this has been happening in communities where there is gang related activity.

[allsteve]

I've heard of it being true ever since I reached driving age. I was told that it happened in all of the neighboring towns but never actually knew of it happening for real.

[Sven]

Well I'm sure that kind off stuff doesn't happen where I live, damn we hardly have any 'gang' in the Netherlands ;).

[Ricardo]

In this case, I've since learned that according to snopes.com or a similar site, this wasn't for real but it appeared more realistic because an employee of the RCMP accidentally forwarded the email, making it look "official."

[Agent Fred]

Well I received an email that suggested that was actually happening now, and I'm not sure how to take it.
Take it just as seriously as you did when you saw it in the movie. Once an urban legend, always an urban legend. :)

[HiddenAnomoly]

Lol. Don't flash your lights at people anyways, that's just rude.

[tlourdeau]

Yeah, this sounds like something that was just based off the movie to make a big stink to me. We've seen this kind of thing before. I mean, I bet a lot of people here have gotten the "Bill Gates is giving away his fortune!" emails. Those things spread like wild fire.

[Agent Fred]

Don't flash your lights at people anyways, that's just rude.
If you flash them for no reason, yes. But the signal commonly has some meaning, like "dude, you forgot to turn your headlights on" (which we've all done at least once in our lives).

I remember a similar gang legend that was going around when I was in high school. They said that at the local mall, gang members were hiding under cars and slashing people's achillies heels, again as part of an initiation thing. No one was ever actually harmed.

[tlourdeau]

It seems like all it takes is a few people to start spreading that stuff, and it becomes so bad people start thinking it's actually true. That is why I really like shows like MythBusters

[HiddenAnomoly]

Lol I doubt MythBusters has anything to do with this kind of thing though.

[guru]

I have not get that type of mail but i have heard about that.

[bizofwords]

just because it's an urban legend doesn't mean that it might not happen...

[mandiees]

Yes, I have heard about this, and yes, I am afraid I have to agree that there is some truth to this tale. I heard about it being done in my area... It really is a shame when you can get into trouble for being a good Samaritan.

[Crunch]

I haven't heard of this happening where I am from - most gangs are too busy making money and keeping a low profile to get involved in silly stuff like that which would draw attention to themselves.

[indian rep]

Well, where is it taking place?

Even in Chennai, India, there is physco killer newly arose killing people on mid nights. He kills them by half burning them until their stomach exactly before their male or female anal part. Cinema has a bad impact on people.

[Orrymain]

That is scary and sick, and I hope it's just legend. Unfortunately, our world is so messed up that nothing would surprise me, not even something like this.

[elvenrunelord]

People are crazy now. You have these drugs up kids who will do anything for kicks. Mandatory gun ownership and carrying privledges would stop almost all of this nonsense in my opinion. You tend to shoot less when you know the odds are a gun could be pointed at you.

[framedoctor]

I've seen that e-mail off and on for the last 2-3 years.