Red-lighting/to red-
light is to draw unwanted attention to yourself or another person, usually when committing a criminal act or trying to get away with something shady.
You risk red-lighting yourself &/or another person by behaving in a manner that may elicit unwanted scrutiny.
In
Australia the saying is usually used by those who have a criminal background and tends to be associated with
people from that demographic.
Examples;
Sitting in a
car for an extended
period of
time when waiting to score.
Being under the influence when dealing with authority figures.
Engaging in avoidable, often pointless activities that put a person at risk of discovery when they would otherwise be in a position to evade notice such as;
driving a few km over the speed limit, using your mobile while driving, stealing something trivial, engaging in unnecessary conflict (verbal or otherwise), littering and so on.
"
Mate, I ended up red-lighting myself something bad waiting for Jimbo to show."
"You're just going to red-
light yourself driving to Springvale in that
car."