Urban Angst

Previous legend || Urban Angst || Next legend

Lights Out

Copycat: As part of initiation, potential gang members drive around with headlights off at night and will shoot people who signal that their lights are off by flashing headlights at them.

This UL burst onto the scene with a fury in September (when else?) 1993. It may be older--there are anecdotal tales of people remembering it from the early 1980s, but it came to the fore in 1993 with rumors and official-sounding notices popping up all over the US. Despite all the warnings, not a single case could be found to have actually occurred.

In October 1993, there were an incident in Wichita, KS that may have been a copycat. Shots were fired at a car that had flashed its lights at another that had its headlights off--or so claimed the occupants of the target vehicle. The driver was wounded. Whether this was indeed a copycat or whether the occupants made up story to cover up the real reason for the gunshot wound is unknown.

References:

• AFU Archive: Lights Out
• AFU Archive: Lights Out Copycat?