Facebook post jokes Valentine’s dates can lead to fingerprints, permanent records
A recent Facebook post urged men to choose partners carefully this Valentine’s Day, warning that some dates might not simply ghost them but instead “fingerprint you, photograph you, and add you to a database that never forgets anniversaries.”
The post, addressed “Fellas,” uses humor and a string of hashtags including “#ValentinesDay” and “#CaughtFeelingsAndCharges” to play on the overlap between romantic relationships and encounters with law enforcement. It also references the “Miranda” warning, a shorthand for the Miranda rights that U.S. police must give suspects, named after the 1966 Supreme Court decision Miranda v. Arizona.
Fingerprinting and booking typically occur when someone is arrested and can create a record with law enforcement databases. Advocates and legal experts say such records can have lasting consequences for employment, travel and background checks, which is why the idea of a dating relationship producing a “permanent record” resonates as both a joke and a cautionary image.
The post blends social commentary about “cuffing season” and dating culture with legal imagery. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
