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."
