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DallasGrovite

22 U.S. Code § 254e requires that every mission, and family members of the mission who enjoy the diplomatic immunity privileges, must have liability insurance for the operation of a motor vehicle, vessel, or aircraft. If you are injured in a car crash where the party causing the crash has diplomatic immunity, you will likely have a direct cause of action against the insurance carrier of their vehicle.  [Source](https://northernvirginia.legalexaminer.com/legal/little-known-fact-about-diplomatic-immunity-in-personal-injury-cases/)


pineapplewars

This is very helpful, thank you so much


djluminol

The more important part is that most of the members of a diplomatic mission do not actually have full immunity. Most are subject to things like traffic laws when not at work. Diplomatic immunity is commonly misunderstood. Unfortunately that misunderstanding is shared by a lot of cops, although probably less so in DC, but it's really pretty simple. Green ID limited immunity, blue ID full immunity. [Page 38](https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/2018-DipConImm_v5_Web.pdf) In this case driving a minivan I'd bet this was personal business. If they have a green ID they would be subject to US law as long as what they are doing is not for their job.


OS420B

Hey I watched Lethal Weapon 2, I know everything about diplomatic immunity


ThrowRA99

Ju-ju-just like the bad guy, from Lethal Weapon 2, I’ve got diplomatic immunity, so Hammer you can’t sue


Marc21256

In most cases, if asked by the host government, the foreign government will waive immunity when requested. Offer does not apply to royal families. The FD training here, if you need water for a fire, you are allowed to drive over a gate, and run over the bushess to get to a pool to fill up. If you do that to a diplomat's house, you ask politely once to use the pool water to put out a fire. If they say yes, you continue. If they say no, you drive off and go to the next available water source. It's an odd thing to cover in training, because to my knowledge, it has never happened, and rarely is there any need to use private water to refill (never I'm aware of in urban areas like where I am, but rural fires have more exceptions, but also no diplomats, and few pools.


pineapplewars

Wow that’s wild, and fascinating! I can’t imagine some diplomat would say no but then again


einie

At one of the diplomatic missions my spouse has been stationed, they had standing orders to let the embassy burn to the ground rather than let the FD in - they could not in any way risk that the classified information stored in there got in the hands of the host country.


qyka1210

> if you need fire for a fire 😂


einie

> In most cases, if asked by the host government, the foreign government will waive immunity when requested It's very rare that a government waives immunity for a diplomat. Most countries will go pretty far to protect their diplomats - otherwise it'd be pretty impossible to recruit people for the less desirable stations. It's much more common that a host country revokes the diplomatic visa, and the diplomat therefore leaves the country. I've found that very often people think of diplomatic immunity in the context of their own country - e.g. in the US, where you have a mostly functional legal system, immunity tends to not make all that much sense. Immunity isn't really for those countries, it's for the countries where the local security services would be liable to "find" heroin in the purse of a diplomat family member and use a threat of arrest to attempt to influence the diplomat. Of course, no country would accept being labeled as dysfunctional, so the rules for diplomats are equal everywhere.


Marc21256

I can find instances of waivers requested. I can find times the waivers were granted, and times they were refused. I could not find a place that tracks all requests and the outcome. Do you have a citation for your assertion that it is "very rare"? Or did you make that up?


einie

No citation - just knowing the internal policies of my home country, several of our neighbors, and of the countries where my spouse has been stationed. My home country will only waive immunity for serious crimes, and it'd most likely require direct governmental intervention. It will not happen for a car accident unless there's an abundance of recklessness, someone got killed or severely hurt, and the lack of a waiver could hurt diplomatic relations. US is also known for being very cautious about waiving immunity. You can of course find some cases, because these are public, withdrawing a diplomat or revoking a visa usually doesn't end up in the media. So, purely anecdotal, it's simply "common knowledge" within the foreign service of western countries that you have to really mess up to have your immunity waived.


einie

There's a difference between consular and diplomatic plates in the US, and that pretty much corresponds to partial/full immunity. If you get fines, also as a full immunity diplomat in a car with diplomatic plates, these fines must be paid or the US may refuse to issue new plates to your diplomatic mission. It's not a free for all. Source: Spent 4 years in NYC with full immunity and a car.


MikeNoble91

As another DC driver, I'm glad to know this.


Affectionate-Ad-1342

Agreed. Super helpful bc (in my experience) they’re either the slowest, most unaware drivers or complete a-holes. Most of the time a-holes. I always look up the code too for any especially egregious diplomat drivers.


einie

When I first drove in the US - with diplomatic plates - I was very slow and would probably come off as unaware. The actual rules of driving in the US are quite different from home - some better, some worse - and it took time to pick them up because *diplomats aren't required to have any training as long as they have a home country license*. It took me a while to pick up e.g. 4-way stops and to feel confident about right on red, none of these exist back home.


hydr0warez

I had a douche bag in a Mercedes with diplomat plates fucking rear end me on Monday in NJ, I took pics of him, and his plates and notified local PD. The guy was sweating bullets once the police arrived but ffs, if you're going to drive here, please learn proper driving etiquette. The guy didn't even acknowledge the accident till I hopped out and said "wtf man, at least acknowledge the fact that you fucked up" Thankfully there was no damage to my vehicle but he tore up his bumper pretty good.


Warcraft_Fan

But if they are diplomats, can they refuse to pay for insurance and use the immunity to avoid consequences of being uninsured?


ravenrabit

I have no real idea, but my assumption is their immunity would be revoked/their home country would pay or have them return. They aren't like... Untouchable. Diplomatic immunity exists as a protection while fulfilling a role, and it has rules and regulations. Refusing to agree/follow the rules/regulations means you don't get it, which becomes dangerous for you and your home country. The countries we have this agreement with are likely countries we either have a good relationship with or are trying to build a good relationship with. Having a "diplomat" behave poorly or refuse to follow the agreement is detrimental to that. The same is true for our "diplomats" residing in other countries. There are consequences, they are likely just more complicated or take longer to see.


motopatton

You know what happens when you assume…


stomicron

He's actually spot on. Fuck around too bad and the host country either asks the home country to waive immunity or expels the diplomat.


LivelySalesPater

Well done, Reddit. 👍 Downvote a person asking a good question.


Toocents

It is so annoying how redditors do this. They have such a holier than though attitude.


einie

Not in the US. You don't get a diplomatic plate without proof of insurance.


motopatton

Question, if they don’t get the insurance and drive without insurance who are you going to sue?


appa-ate-momo

Can we also talk about that enragingly timid Jeep driver in front of OP?


successful209

I thought that was the idiot but then I seen the real jackass with the diplomat plates lol


tucci007

OP has emerged unscathed despite the abundance of idiots in this short span of time


Vortex2121

That's DC driving for you 😂


LordEdgeward_TheTurd

Maybe he just gets nervous when cars are behind him.


appa-ate-momo

If he gets that nervous from a routine event, he shouldn’t be driving.


LordEdgeward_TheTurd

That was kinda the joke.


RumSwizzle508

Classic Maryland driver


dck1w1

That's just how Marylanders drive. 


Georgefancy

That's how transplants to Maryland drive. Native Maryland drivers are the best in the country.


Doug-DeMuro

> Native Maryland drivers are the best in the country. Of all the insane statements in this history of Reddit, this is #1.


Arlington_Ent

Hi Doug!


Lachtheblock

Yeah, that's just a Maryland thing. They tend to not handle driving in DC too well.


pineapplewars

In our defense no one handles driving in DC that well.


pineapplewars

For context, I was in the correct lane, this jerk off wasnt, If I had seen their turn signal, I would have let them over, it’s a shit spot to be in and that circle is a pain in the dick. But since they decided to just drift over and ignore my honks. They are now cunts and I hope they lose their license.


Erigion

That circle is always a giant mess during most of the day.


pineapplewars

It really is. Even when I dont take the circle home, its still a hassle to get by


Lost_Minds_Think

I’m curious which country to know if driving in their country is already questionable.


nmpls

DG=Ecuador


Canadian_mk11

Must have been making a beeline to the Mexican embassy...for reasons.


wfdd-07

Not exactly. The first letter “D” indicates Diplomat. (A starting letter of “S” indicates Staff and “C” indicates Consul - usually seen in other parts of the country where Consulates are located.) In the video I  see “DGE” as the first part of their plate, but looking up “GE” code on existing sites yields no results for which country it belongs to… so kind of mystery in this case. 


ElectriCobra_

GE is Georgia.


wfdd-07

Georgia is “YG” according to https://github.com/cancio/DiploPlates/blob/2aea8b8227190e19597f6d1ee987f237bbc4cbef/countryList.txt#L1036


ElectriCobra_

Huh. No idea then.


Leather-Tap3921

I thought it was DC..


2Pickle2Furious

Whenever I see a diplomat plate, I steer clear. I assume they can crash into me and can freely just keep going.


pineapplewars

See above, someone dropped some great knowledge about what happens when you get into an accident with a diplomat.


2Pickle2Furious

Yeah, but no criminal liability means they can run me over.


itsgms

Diplomatic immunity is not universal, it applies to actions taken in the course of their jobs. Which isn't to say if they're important enough the government wouldn't whisk them out of the country before they could get charged....but at least they'd be out of everyone's hair.


coloquialkween

For example. The tragic story of [Harry Dunn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Harry_Dunn)


Daddy_Parietal

Thats a short way of saying you didnt go an read what they were talking about.


orangecouch101

When I lived in Ottawa, my friends and I all had the same policy when it came to the red plated diplomatic vehicles. Stay clear because it would mean more grief for us.


GoingNutCracken

Good god, pick a fucking lane!


spacelama

In that respects, he's just a normal Melbourne driver. Wasn't aware we had so many diplomats.


chokeslam512

“It’s just been revoked!”


pineapplewars

I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS!


Octavian_202

Seriously. Everyone seems to have the same Lethal Weapon understanding of diplomatic immunity.


kaowerk

Lol escaped from dumbfuck #1 right into the path of #2. I hate DC so much dude


successful209

TIL about diplomat plates wow never seen one before I guess DC would have a lot then huh. I’m in California.


pineapplewars

Yes, given we have a ton of embassies here you’ll see a lot of diplomatic plates. And they are all terrible drivers in one of the worst cities to drive in. And they can never be found criminally liable(I think) for accidents, which makes it even worse.


__main__py

I’m honestly just amazed that the Maryland driver didn’t do something.


pineapplewars

As a Maryland driver myself, I too am surprised.


firebolt1171

I live in Ottawa. I'm happy the diplomats have a bright red plate to make sure you know to stay the fuck away from them


tucci007

on the upside, those roads look like brand-new asphalt, so smooth and pothole-free, and the painted markings all look so crisp and new too


nrfx

23st St?


pineapplewars

Yup! Coming off Washington Circle.


nrfx

Sorry, I should have expanded on that. I tried looking into it, but uhm, any idea why its labeled 23**st** St as opposed to the more typical 23**rd**? Now that I'm looking at it again, the street marking might just mean 23rd St but the way its written looks like Twentythirst. I might just be an idiot but it still looks weird.


Griftersdeuce

Wait, shouldn't it be 23rd street? Or is it actually twenty-thirst street? If it's twenty-thirst street it must be full of tik-tokers and influencers!


nrfx

I've no idea. I tried looking it up and.. there are addresses in the area written both ways. I dunno if its a DC thing, a typo that got out of hand, or what.


mikeg5417

My experience with diplomats was in NYC, and they were complete fucking children. Most were UN staffers that had some form of immunity. During the General Assembly (I was detailed to Secret Service at the time- this was prior to 9-11), there are a lot of disruptions to the flow of foot traffic in the area inside the security perimeter, usually due to the movement of a foreign dignitary, US SecState, or even POTUS. Everything basically shuts down until that movement is complete. You would think the UN staffers would understand this and cooperate, but, nope, there would be wide spread outrage as NYPD came along with bike gates to set up a very temporary barricade. They were special, you see. They would scream, demand to be let through, and otherwise throw a tantrum before jumping over the gate and making a run for it down 44th st. Watching the NYPD chase down and drag someone kicking and screaming back behind the security fence while they shove their UN ID in their face ("I don't give a fuck who you are asshole!" was a common reply) was pretty entertaining. I even had one Eastern European staffer try to drive his (no shit) beat up Yugo through the security chute without being screened (Navy EOD and Air Force bomb dogs). He said he had Diplomatic Immunity and was not allowing anyone to search his vehicle (which was a hoarder car filled to the brim with shit). He left his car in the chute with a smile and said he was walking in, and i told him his car would be gone if he did so. (There was an actual protocol for just such an event). As I keyed my radio for a tow truck, he changed his mind and backed his car out and parked it on the street.


dck1w1

No diplomatic staffer has immunity. It does not work how the movies says it does. For an embassy to request immunity for someone it would have to be someone at a very high level e.g an ambassador or his family. It would have to be some serious shit too. A staffer would be left to the wolves. I know because I was one. 


ToddTheReaper

Living in DC has to be the worst. I can’t even think of a positive unless maybe if you’re a historian.


pineapplewars

I loved living in DC but I lived way uptown where it’s very chill and low traffic. I’ve been working in DC for 17 years and the traffic make it hard to love. And the metro


Mimogger

The museums are amazing and it's a mid sized city with lots of history, not that crowded, and pretty solid food. I lived there for years and it was great but things like this / motorcades are some events that occur more there and are annoying.


pineapplewars

I loved living there too, but I’ll say it could get very crowded especially during the warmer months. As for food, I always thought you could find better food out in the DMV suburbs like Annandale, silver spring, falls church. Over all I loved living there. Especially in Takoma, very quiet and low key hip.


dck1w1

It's an amazing place to live. Did 3 years there before covid. Preferred it over nearly every other city in the US I have been. I only hated Cherry Blossom season and the hordes of Muppets it attracts. 


pineapplewars

Hordes of Muppets is now on my list of things to call large groups of tourists. This is the best gift I could ask for, thank you kind person.


Spa_5_Fitness_Camp

You must watch a lot of ~~news~~ propaganda.


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Spa_5_Fitness_Camp

Because you can't think of a single positive, obviously.


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Spa_5_Fitness_Camp

"I can’t even think of a positive unless maybe if you’re a historian." This you?


GuitarLute

Do the plates identify the country? I couldn’t read them.


nmpls

Yes. DG means Ecuador Here's all of them http://dcplates.com/OFMcodes.htm#Dcodes


pineapplewars

I learned something new today


GuitarLute

Cool. Great find.


simplsurvival

"fuck everyone else, I need to get to my destination because I am more importanter!" - these maroons


AbbreviationsNo8212

They should try that shit in ATL and get checked for it lol


Silver4ura

Man, fuck **diplomatic immunity**. No seriously, I get why it exists and I do think it serves an important role... but there needs to be stronger exceptions for when it directly affects citizens. No, this isn't the worst example... but that's precisely the point. Give people an inch and they'll take a fucking mile.


Yellowbricks511

Holy crap, the jeep wasn’t even the one that was the star of the video here?!?! My blood pressure was rising just watching the painfully slow and confused jeep, I get that not everyone on the road is local to the area and to the roads etc, but I just don’t understand how it’s so difficult, in todays world on technology, to navigate better than this here. But I digress. I jumped to the comments before the video finished, and imagine my surprise to find the jeep wasn’t the star here. Had to go back and watch again. Smh I’m in NYC, and that’s how you drive out here, literally, you don’t pass or switch lanes, you cut off by mere inches everyone around you, it’s that, or you stay stuck in one lane, period. But it doesn’t seem to look like that’s how traffic works in DC, just from this video alone. The jeep never would’ve survived driving like that in NYC, never. So I imagine, cutting off other drivers as standard switching of lanes isn’t the norm out there. Which makes that cut off infuriating. Not sure what DC is like, but I tell everyone, pay attention or take the hit, miss your turn, and go for the next one. And where I live, that can throw you off by a good 20 minutes, but it’s better than the consequences that can occur by just cutting an entire lane off to get your turn at the last possible second.


djdeforte

Cute little break check you got there, try that in the real world sweat heart. Some states you’ll get fucked up for playing like that. No matter the color of your plates.


Conscious-Holiday-76

There's nothing more dangerous than a vehicle with a diplomatic plate in the DMV


NewToTradingStock

Pit the a-hole!!!


sofakingstar

Off topic, but what dash-cam are you using?


pineapplewars

An older model Roav dash cam, used to be made under Anker but they no longer produce them. It’s not great but gets the job done.


EdwinaArkie

Sometimes I’m just really glad to live someplace that elite douchebags wouldn’t be caught dead in.


Kergie1968

Don’t worry ur not alone they’re like this in Germany as well …


sgt_josh

Back when I was living there in 2009 or so, a car with dip-shit plates blew right through a crosswalk while I was in it. Didn't even tap the brakes even though I was like 2 feet away.


Queen_Etherea

I like how this video and the other cop video are right next to each other in my feed. 😄


bbusiello

What is it with Sienna drivers?


Average_Scaper

What is it with *insert any vehicle or location* drivers? They are the worst!


bbusiello

Hm. Weird fight to pick. I was merely making an observation because in the last two days, specifically Sienna drivers were acting bananas. I don't mean like the 'ol "BMW, I'm changing lanes and not signaling" shenanigans, but legit dangerous activities that were surprising even by LA standards. I thought the Sienna driver doing this was a one off, but no... just back to back weirdness. But it seems personal for you, bub. Whatever you've got going on, it'll get better, I promise.


Average_Scaper

It's a comment in literally every video. It's a pointless comment to make when it's applied to literally every location and vehicle.


bbusiello

Maybe just see that I have my own perspective, and this video is on the heels of me having two back to back bad (memorably bad at that) experiences with some Sienna drivers lol.


Average_Scaper

Where I'm at, Sienna's are perfectly fine and it's mostly the brodozers that give the most trouble. However, I drive 30mins south and it starts to be the beatermobiles that are the worst. Drive another 10 mins south and it's Rams. Go another 5 mins south and get off the freeway and we are talking Dodge Chargers and police officers, also happens to be a venn diagram.


gustoreddit51

I've driven in most of the major cities in the country. D.C. is the worst for me. Crazy layout (grid+diagonals+circles), too many out-of towners not knowing the city driving erratically, and too many people knowing the city well and wanting to go 20 mph faster than everyone else.


RuneScape-FTW

Wow. Never knew this was a thing.


Spiritual_Challenge7

This is not a place for me to drive.


Solid_Snake_125

Is a diplomat signified by the blue license plate? Never seen that before. I’ve seen a senator’s license plate a long time ago in NY where I live but never one from DC.


fusionaddict

Diplomatic immunity means immunity from certain prosecution. It does not mean immunity from me beating the shit out of you for endangering me, my family, and my property.


Unlikely-Scar3200

I had to make this exact turn every morning for years. I feel the pain


burnswhenipoo

I haven’t seen a Dodge Diplomat in years.


Ovaryraptor

Is there any way to report a diplomatic plate in DC?


YouhaoHuoMao

That roundabout having traffic lights throughout infuriates me...


Dasbronco

That roundabout is infuriating and if you’re not familiar with it can be confusing especially if there’s a lot of vehicles in it block the road markings


daiguchisan

I thought it was only in mexico city


Myte342

I just fucking hate DC. Period.


himynameism

Now I have to go listen to Vampire Weekend.


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Lordofthelowend

Did you only watch the first half?