What exactly does the law say??(long)

This story sounds very similar to one that I just read in the stress release board, but it got me to wonderingabout a situation that I had about a month ago...(BTW I really get nervous when I get pulled over, and I am quite a smart ass when I get over it and start to get irritated.)

The other day a friend and I had been out to eat, and we didn't drink anything while we were there. We decided to swing by a friends house on the way home, and pulled off of the loop onto a sidestreet going towards her house. But we decided to call first, so that we didn't go all the way out there and she would not be home. So I pull off the road, in front of someones house, and wait while my friend calls. When she doesn't answer I turn around and start to go back towards the loop. But then the phone rings, it was her, and she said that she was in the bathroom and couldn't get to the phone(she has caller ID though). Anyway I slow down and turn around again, but I don't really pick up speed right away because from the sound of the conversation it sounds like she is getting ready to leave for something.

Anyway, a cop pulls up and pulls me over. Of course my friend says that we are about to get pulled over, and so he had to go so they hang up. The cop comes to my window and askes me to step outside. So when I do he proceeds to play 20 questions.

Officer: Where are the two of you going?

Me: Friends house.

Officer: Why did you pull around that house twice?

Me: blah blah, I told him the story.

Officer: Have you been drinking tonight.

Me: Does tea count?

Officer: Depends.

Me: Nope. I only had tea.

Officer: Do you or your friend have any drugs or any other illegal
paraphenalia (sp?) on you.

Me: No sir.

Officer: Where have you been tonight?

Me: Out to eat.

Officer: Where?

Me: Bennigans.

Officer: And did you have anything to drink?

Me: Have you had anything to drink because I believe that you have
already asked me that question. By the way the answer is still no.

Officer: And where are you headed tonight?

Me: Like I said, blah blah, so I guess I'm gonna go home.

Officer: Is this your friend in the car with you?

Me: Yes.

Officer:And what is his name?

Me: Andrew.(BTW it was cold as shit outside, and I didn't have my
jacket so at this point I put my hands inside my pockets to
keep warm.)


Officer: Keep your hands where i can see them, turn around and put
your hands behind your back.(handcuffs me, about the time
he puts me in his car another cop pulls up.)

Officer #2: Why don't i ask this guy some questions while you handle
the other one.

So dipshit #2 proceeds to ask me all of the same questions that
dipshit #1 had, only this guy was a jerk about it. At this point I
am quite pissed and I really want to just go home.

Officer #1: (After running me, my friend, and my car through the
radio,then pulling me back behind my car again with my
friend.)
Do you mind if I search your vehicle?

Me: It's getting kind of late, I would like to just go home.

Officer #2: So that means you are refusing us permission to search
your vehicle?

Me: You know what go ahead. I would love to sit here freezing my ass
off for a little bit longer.

So the search began. While twidle dee(dipshit #1) kept an eye on
us, twiddle dum(dipshit #2) rummages through my car. (note: I
had been fiddeling with the system in my car earlier.)

Officer #2: And just why are the panels off of the dashboard, are you
trying to hide something back there?

Me: Well sir you caught me, yes I am.

Officer #2: Uh huh, what are you hiding?

Me: Speakers.

Officer #2: blah, blah, this is serious business, not a game, ect, ect...

Officer #2: Why do you have a knife mounted to the console?

Me: Why do you carry a gun? It's for personal defense, there are a lot
of bad people out there.:)

Officer #2: (rummaging around some more)

Me: Did you find anything yet?!?

Officer #2: You just wait back there.

Me: O.K. I was just checking.

I swear to you that this next part happened, It is in no way fabricated.

Officer #2: (walking to the back of the car with a grin on his face and
his hand behind his back.)
Do you have anything that you would like to tell me about
before it's too late?

Me: No.

Officer #2: And just what is this?? He produces a large, cellephane
wrapped package with leafy green contents.

I almost had to die!! It was so freaking hilarious!! My girlfriend has a
pet rabbit, and in the backseat she had put some spare alphalpha grass
from a trip we had taken the weekend before.

Me: Oh that's just rabbit food.(smirk....stiffle a laugh)

Anyhow as soon as he cut the bag open it was obvious that it wasn't what he thought. I kind of stood there for a second, and they says, "Oh", and puts it back on my roof with the rest of my crap that he was pulling out.

About 15 minutes later we were finally able to leave, with no citation. When we asked what this had been about he said my tags had been out. Well, that was true, but there is no way he could have known that at night. The whole ordeal took a little over 45 minutes.


So heres my question

What exactly do you have to tell the police when they pull you over?

I mean I have never done anything that I would be ashamed to tell them, but it pisses me off that I have to tell them where I've been, what I'm doing, where I'm going , what I have consumed recently, the people who are with me, who I'm going to see, ect. ect.....

Just once I want to tell them it's none of their fucking business. Becuase it isn't any of their God Damn business.

happened to me once, i was pulled over cuz i forgot my lights at night, but i turned them on within 10seconds of being on the road

cop pulled me over, had 4 freinds in the car, and one of them did have some drugs, 3 more cop cars pulled in cuz they were all bored, and the cop had his search light right in my eyes, i played it off pretty good, even started asking him questions, and in the end almost made me a new freind :)

jut be polite and dont say stupid shit like u did, act like the guys ur freind, ask him if its been a busy night, and apologize for anything u did wrong, if he offers to give u a ticket, claim u will do anything to not get a ticket, like pick up trash or community service, most will let u go, but some miht even let u pick up trash instead of getting a ticket, its wise to turn of the radio, take off any hats headgear or sunglasses, and even tuck in ur shirt if u have to. Tell the officer ur on ur way to ur grandmas house and u just came from ur aunts house. mayeb even say ur grandma is moving tomorrow and u just wanted to make sure u saw her before she left, just make sure if u get pulled over with freinds tell them what ur gonna say before the officer approaches u and when u talk to the officer look him in the eyes, i happen to have a license from another city and i am just plain lazy to get it change so i said i was down visiting my mom for the holiday, and so the cop let me go, i think he questioned me cuz he was just bored from not doign anything that night, i thought they were gonna beat me down when i saw 3 more cops pull up, but i started asking the officer stuff like "so, make any big busts tonight?" "and, damn yall must be bored, theres 4 of yall!"

Yeah being polite is the right idea. but unless they see something in your car or in plain sight that gives them probable cause you can quite simply refuse to let them search the car. And refusing to let them search is not probable cause. so there is no need to let them jerk you around. but if you are nice they usually are not arses.

there are some areas around here where theres a pretty major lack of any import cars, much less fixed up. one night i was driving in my old civic BEHIND A LINE OF TRAFFIC and i get pulled over. he tells me i was driving too fast, but somehow the 6 trucks right in front of me werent. so he asks me if he can search my car, and i know i dont have anything and not wanting to piss him off and make him write me a ticket i consent. he searched through EVERYTHING, questioned me thouroghly about the 15 or so knives i had in the back seat (i got them wholesale and was selling them) wanted to dismantle my speaker box to see if there were any drugs inside, cuz "theyve been having a lot of drug shipments through the area". yeah i know theres a lot of drugs going from mena arkansas to texarkana arkansas :rolleyes: the whole time i was forced to stand with my hands on the (very warm) hood of his cherokee. then he let me go, no citation, but with my car torn apart and almost an hour of my time wasted. needless to say a call was made to his city council the next night!

OHH oHHH i have something to say but I shall respond with my storie tomorrow, but for now im off work and on my way home...:D :D Everyone have a very good night see u all tomorrow:silly2: :silly2: :p :silly2: :silly2: :sun:

Originally posted by fearless_simian
Yeah being polite is the right idea. but unless they see something in your car or in plain sight that gives them probable cause you can quite simply refuse to let them search the car. And refusing to let them search is not probable cause. so there is no need to let them jerk you around. but if you are nice they usually are not arses.

Wether you like them or not you have to admit younger people driving Stangs are targets for cops and I will get pulled over for anything and have. I hate that shit! Any way I always refuse to let them search my car no matter what. I have never been pulled over and afriad what they'll find cuz I never had anything. But my friends.... thing is if you say ok it doesn't matter if they were right or not you gave them a free pass. If you say no and they still do and they find something 9 times outta 10 a decent lawyer will get you off as long as your not falling outta car car drunk ior something. My dad is a lawyer so this is what he does all day. So be polite and if they ask you just say no

But what about what you have to tell them?? I mean is it legal for them to demand to know everything about what you are doing, going, been with, ect...???

Unfortunately there are cops out there that think they are God because they have a badge and a gun. Technically, they are not supposed to do a search with out having good reason behind it. Was crime in the area high, did someone report you lurking in the area...those are some reasons that would make it necessary to do a search. As for the knife taped to your console, you would have to research your state's laws on concealed weapons. If the cop had suspicions because you looped around a house, and you told your story (don't wanna talk n drive) then unless you or your friend were twithing funny, then he should have just said "Well your tags are bad, do you have registration....." and focussed on that, dealt with that issue and let you off. Technically they should not do a search without a warrant or without a "justifiable cause"...meaning unless they saw you throw a suspicious looking baggie out of the window there really was no need for the search. If you feel that the cop was way out of line, you should report it to his superiors (if you got a name or badge number). Also you could probably research the criminal and traffic laws at nearby university's law library. Or call an attorney who is willing to give a few words of advice over the phone and ask him what your rights and the officer's rights were as far as a search goes.

I had my car searched once by police, I was in an area outside city limits and late at night. Long story short...the direction I was driving was going towards a location where illegal drags are held (i did not know that at the time) and since my car is lowered and all that crap they had reason to believe I was heading there. Also the area I was going thru is a prime location for criminal activity, so the cop and his back up buddy asked nicely to search my car, and having nothing to hide, I let them. They saw my stereo system and wanted to hear it. My fiance, who also installed it, was with me and then he and the cops chatted for an hour. In the end being nice paid off. And it probably made their night and maybe they now they realize that not all people with fixed cars are jerks or have bad intentions.