# For God’s sake, let me explain **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 27, 2021, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995 "2021-05-27T00:38:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995/41 "2021-05-27T18:32:40Z")
And, more seriously, if folks are thinking that 7 years is too much for the traffic cone incident, imagine seeing a furious guy rear back and throw one at your car while you’re driving at normal city speeds. That would be strange and terrifying enough that, even if it didn’t hit your windshield, it could cause a swerve and a serious accident. I’m not a giant fan of long prison sentences in general, but as long as we have them, this doesn’t seem out of line with other long prison sentences. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995/42 "2021-05-27T18:33:23Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > that’s a real mixed signal. Well, I suppose you could argue that a traffic cone flying toward you is a self-warning hazard. Kind of like soap being self-cleaning. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995/43 "2021-05-27T18:45:44Z")
Just an FYI, [cone-ing](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cone-ing) was a thing a decade ago but the OP was doing it wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Ranch\_Dip](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranch_dip/32/5238_2.png) [@Ranch\_Dip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranch_Dip)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995/44 "2021-05-27T18:51:48Z")
Several years ago, I lost a significant amount of weight. I was given escitalopram, and gained all of it back and then some. I have spent the last year working on my weight loss. I’ve finally lost what I gained, and am a little lower than I was. None of this “made” me do anything to commit a felony. Seek out therapy. Talk to your PO. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995/45 "2021-05-27T19:07:01Z")
That second coneing video made me laugh until I cried. It’s been a long year. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995/46 "2021-05-27T19:11:27Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I believe other people are similar with their brain chemistry and there shouldn’t be any more stigmatization associated with it than with me taking blood pressure meds. Yes. Off-topic, I know. But until we get over this bullshit about having to take meds for psychiatric reasons, and making it some secret, shameful thing, we’re not going to be able to fix a _lot_ of stuff. And, parenthetically, until we cover psychiatric care and meds like we cover anything else, whether through private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, or any other insurance program. The brain is an organ, same as a kidney or an intestine or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995/47 "2021-05-27T19:41:11Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > > [@Grrr](#): > > > > Oh cursed is thy life, when your internet piers think you gullible! > > > [@MrDibble](#): > > > > Oh quay, then. > > It’s a real pair o’ docks. > [@digs](#): > > Do you think the OP is a buoy or a gull? Lt Wharf, take these people to the brig. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995/48 "2021-05-27T20:24:11Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I’m not a giant fan of long prison sentences in general, but as long as we have them, this doesn’t seem out of line with other long prison sentences. Is this a whoosh? Some people get less than seven years for actually killing someone. And if some yayhoo threw a cone at me, well, absolutely nothing would happen, even if it hit the windshield. It isn’t going to punch through and impale me with its coneness. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995/49 "2021-05-27T20:32:30Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > And if some yayhoo threw a cone at me, well, absolutely nothing would happen, even if it hit the windshield. It isn’t going to punch through and impale me with its coneness. But it could create such a startle reaction (or shatter your windshield and effectively blind you) that you steered your car into oncoming traffic where you were killed by a tractor-trailer going 60mph in the other direction. It’s not a trivial offense. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995/50 "2021-05-27T20:40:01Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > But it could create such a startle reaction (or shatter your windshield and effectively blind you) that you steered your car into oncoming traffic where you were killed by a tractor-trailer going 60mph in the other direction. > > It’s not a trivial offense. A tractor trailer full of bowling balls, which got loose and bounced into a bus full of nuns taking orphans to the zoo, and the bus hit a gas tanker truck which exploded and burned down a bridge post and twenty cars fell into the Mississippi river. Seven years is still too much. Without anyone getting hurt, even getting jail time for malicious cone-tossing seems a stretch. Unless you’re black in a red state. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995/51 "2021-05-27T21:25:45Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Without anyone getting hurt, even getting jail time for malicious cone-tossing seems a stretch. I very strongly disagree. Throwing anything at a vehicle moving at a decent speed should be punished severely. I can agree that 7 years might be far too long but some jail time isn’t out of line. Here is a discussion with lawyers about the potential consequences of egging a moving car, and you could potentially serve jailtime depending on what kind of a record you have. The OP claimed a previous crime that had a 3 1/2 year sentence that we can only speculate about, but he did claim to be on supervised probation while committing the second crime and as the lawyers in the thread state, committing a crime on probation makes it far more likely to receive jail time. [https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/can-i-be-arrested-for-egging-a-car--2911529.html](https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/can-i-be-arrested-for-egging-a-car--2911529.html) Keep in mind that an egg might of course startle someone into an accident, or obscure their vision if splattered the wrong way on a windshield, but doesn’t have the potential for damage that a traffic cone might have. An already-cracked window could shatter, or if it struck someone on the head while the window was down it might cause serious injury (while driving at 35 MPH) which itself is bad enough, but that is also very likely to cause an accident. To me the concern is less the potential direct damage you are doing (though that is bad enough) but the damage that the vehicle itself might do once you cause it to lose control. > [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Seven years is still too much. In the OP’s fantasy situation where nobody was hurt I’d agree, but in your hypothetical situation where multiple fatalities resulted, maybe not. It is at least debatable. > [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Unless you’re black in a red state. In that case you don’t even necessarily need to do anything at all. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995/52 "2021-05-28T00:20:23Z")
Where is it that one gets a _federal_ felony conviction for chucking an item into traffic? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995/53 "2021-05-28T00:33:55Z")
Was it tossed at an FBI agent’s car or into a presidential motorcade? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995/54 "2021-05-28T00:35:24Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Where is it that one gets a _federal_ felony conviction for chucking an item into traffic? The OP didn’t say anything about “federal.” I think **Knowed Out** introduced that idea in post 6. It may be an autocorrect error, and he may have meant “felony.” ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995/55 "2021-05-28T00:41:00Z")
Yes, I meant “felony.” Brain fart. The OP also mentioned gaining weight from his medication. How does that happen? Pills weigh milligrams. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995/56 "2021-05-28T00:43:57Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > The OP also mentioned gaining weight from his medication. How does that happen? The Mayo Clinic has suggestions for how weight gain may coincide with (while not necessarily being caused by) taking medication. > **[Some antidepressants seem more likely to cause weight gain](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/expert-answers/antidepressants-and-weight-gain/faq-20058127)** > > An antidepressant isn't always a direct cause of weight gain. Learn the other causes of weight gain when taking antidepressants and how to manage weight. The examples here are for antidepressants, which seem plausible if we want to humor this story. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995/57 "2021-05-28T02:21:36Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > FWIW I reported it for a move to MPSIMS 🙂 Really? I thought the Pit was the Black Hole of forums; once it enters it can’t ever come out. > [@Enjoy\_Slurm](#): > > Thank God you showed up and properly educated us about the importance of not stopping taking life saving pills. Otherwise a whole lot of us would have taken Jasmine’s advice and stopped, and died. I almost died until you came along and saved me. Hey now… Scientologists do exist, you know. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995/58 "2021-05-28T02:22:50Z")
(cant find the trash can to delete this) ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995/59 "2021-05-28T02:29:06Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Where is it that one gets a _federal_ felony conviction for chucking an item into traffic? > [@Atamasama](#): > > Was it tossed at an FBI agent’s car or into a presidential motorcade? I know it’s not really relevant here any longer, but just as a matter of interest any traffic violation inside a National Park is a federal ticket. So I assume if you tossed a cone at car on a road inside a National Park and seriously hurt someone you’d be doing federal time. Especially if the cone was the top of a hoodoo. > **[Bryce Canyon National Park](https://www.nationalparks.org/explore/parks/bryce-canyon-national-park)** > > Bryce Canyon National Park in Southwestern Utah is famous for the largest collection of hoodoos—the distinctive rock formations at Bryce—in the world. Bryce Canyon is also home to horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters carved from the eastern edge of the... ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995/60 "2021-05-28T02:34:28Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > Really? I thought the Pit was the Black Hole of forums; once it enters it can’t ever come out. The legend is that once every thousand years Satan lets a soul escape Hell in order to give others false hope that they too can escape. It is no fun if they _totally_ give up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-god-s-sake-let-me-explain/942995.md?page=4)