Fair enough, but he was a bit hesitant to shake my hand, thinking that my hand might feel like a guy who just did 15x50m hill sprints 5 minutes ago, and when he did shake my hand his first thoughts were correct (judging by the facial expression and insta-hand wipe on his pants).

I pulled over to arrange my presentation for class that fell off the passenger seat onto the floor. A cop pulls up and tells me someone has been opening fire hydrants in that area. He asks me if he can search my vehicle for a big wrench even though I'm clearly on my way to school and I let him because he's just doing his job and I don't have a chip on my shoulder.

Shaking hands is super fine, not shaking a hand would be a sign of being a little bitch. Always be polite imo.

Seriously, what's the upside to you letting the police search your vehicle when you have nothing to hide and what's the downside? Think about that a little more before you flap your yap.

Knowing you, this is not something you can figure out; you think innocent = no probable cause or justification for arrest.

The obvious downside is him suspecting me of being the fire hydrant bandit and wasting countless hours investigating the wrong person while the real criminal roams the streets. I'm lucky he didn't find my notes on how to open fire hydrants for another school project I was working on. That would have been hard to explain.

Countless hours? If he has probable cause, then he wouldn't ask; he'd search your vehicle and you'd have no choice, so telling him to piss off would get him back to the real investigation. There is no upside in relinquishing your 4th amendment rights and give into a search.

They are not looking for innocence; they are looking for guilt. Many times arrests are simply saving political face, so if your dumbass gets arrested while being innocent, then they've met their political objective and it's up to the courts to do the rest.

Amazing how so many are clueless to this, but you are in good company. Hopefully you don't keep a few hundo in cash, as they'd snap take that due to you being a trucker and "selling crank" (you know, whatever excuse they can make to take your cash, and there's lots of "reasons").

I'm not too worried about it.

That's the problem, not enough are.

It'll be alright.

LoL is correct about this one. I'm unfailingly polite to policemen but would never ever permit one to search my car voluntarily. There is literally no upside at all. And if I for example were going to or coming from a poker game, there might be a significant downside.

Interestingly, the two times I've gotten pulled over in Virginia (once for a lapsed inspection sticker and once for a right-turn on red at an intersection posted otherwise), I've been asked "Do you have a firearm in the vehicle, sir?" I've answered that question "no." I suspect I get asked that question because I do own a registered firearm. I figure that there's little downside in letting a policeman know he's safe when he in fact has data that might suggest otherwise; the plus side here of a policeman feeling secure is worth the downside of giving him any unnecessary information whatever.

You're a lawyer though. It's your job to give cops a hard time.

I'm correct about it all, son.


Where I live you must inform the officer you have a weapon if he asks (but only if he asks).

It's everyone's job to attempt to preserve constitutional rights. This quip of yours falls far shorter than you think it does.

Good containment imo

I find that the best way to avoid awkward situations with a cop is to offer him a hand job.

.

You are making a good case for yourself: "I'm innocent, so feel free to search me." That's about the best case for containment (and far more broad than 2+2) than I can think of.

If lbr keeps his posting on this level he'll need contained. As howard said, there's literally no upside to letting cops search your property when they have no warrant or probable cause. Saying they may waste hours investigating you implies that they waste a lot of time snooping on people they have no evidence against. Its a good point, but not for the reason lbr thinks.

"Can I see your license?"
"Go to hell, pig."

Containment for LBR coming soon...

You are required to show proof of license and registration to an officer if you drive a vehicle; it's the law in order to drive a vehicle. You are not required to answer any other questions, as you can invoke your 5th amendment rights when questioned by an officer.

Sadly this sounds like how lol thinks interactions with cops should go.

Stop be a ****ing douche. Quit going through life looking for each and every opportunity to be stubborn. If a cop asks to see you ID, show your ID and move on with your day. Enough with the "I have rights and they're being violated" bull****. People like you suck at life.

Some outlaw.

lol as in LoL, as in Land O Lakes?

No, not at all. I give my info to the police with no issue and am very polite, but I won't answer their questions as to why I've been pulled over; they are asking to incriminate, and I'm not that easy of a mark. You guys really need to rethink why cops ask questions to begin with, and what the benefit is to answering these questions.

Ha...cooperation kept me out of jail a few times when I was younger.