"Stop, Don’t Consent to that Search!”

[VRM]

When I get pulled over I turn on the interior light (if it is night) and put both hands on the wheel. This alone has gotten me out of just about every ticket. I treat the officer politely, but I would refuse any search request. I have nothing to hide, but I still think that the search and seizure aspect of the Constitution is important.

With regard to the Coasties - I think that they act as customs agents, and that is a whole different game. I had a discussion with some friends about that very topic recently, and I ended up finding out about a court case regarding a boat that was boarded and searched. It was something Italian or Spanish sounding IIRC. I'll see if I can find it again, or maybe one of my friends remembers it.

Steve

[cobra de capell]

It seems to me that even with nothing to hide, allowing some stranger, even a police officer, to search opens up the possibility, even if remote, that something can be planted. Yes, it's a little paranoid to think that way, but why even allow for that possibility? I'm thinking that most people are a little intimated by a police presence, so going along with 'reasonable' requests seems like the smart and natural thing to do. I say that allowing a search is a ticket to be treated badly – simply because if they have a lawful reason to search, they don't have to even ask.

Hands on the steering wheel is a good plan, along with the interior light on at night.

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Since 1969, I have been stopped by the Louisiana State Police 3 or 4 times for speeding and was guilty as charged, no problem there....

A couple of years ago, while doing exactly 55 mph in a 55 mph zone on a flat, 3 mile straight (I saw the cop from afar), I was pulled over....Louisiana State Police again, obvouisly a new guy.....

Got out of the car and obayed his command to give him my license/registration and proof of insurance... He called in my license # and plate # and all came back "clean"... he never said a word to me and proceeded to look into the windows of my car (it's 8:00am), after he went completely around my car, I respectfully asked him why I had been pulled over, he said, I had an expired inspection sticker, he had not even checked the inspection sticker as of yet....I told him I thought the sticker was current as it was only about 3 or 4 months old (the're good for 1 year)....he then checked the sticker and told me I was right and it was valid.....

I asked him again why he pulled me over and he told me about the sticker again, at that point I was getting a little pi$$ed, but kept my cool and was very respectful to him... I pointed out that the stickers are color coded for easy identification and he should have seen that as I passed him on the highway.....he then asked for permission to search my car and I respectfully REFUSED.....then he got pi$$ed and told me by refusing,he could call in a dope dog which would take about 1 hour and then take another hour searching my car,I told him to make the call........

Then, he began looking in the grille of my car, sticking his hands in there and feeling around, I asked what he was looking for, he told me he was looking for the hidden Radar Detector!!!!!! Told him I don't have one, never owned one (the truth) and probably never will own one...He called me a liar and told me he would take my car apart piece by piece right there till he found it, I told him, go ahead.....
BTW: radar detectors are legal in Louisiana, which I also told him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, he's really pi$$ed......I then asked him one more time why the stop, he had NO answer....I told him he never did have "probable cause" to stop me in the first place and all I wanted to know was why the stop.....He then confessed to me he stopped me cause he had clocked me at 55 mph for about one mile and that was suspicous to him!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I told him that the reason I was driving 55 mph was that it was a 55mph zone!!!!!!!!!!!! He said NOBODY drives 55 in a 55 zone!!!!!!!! I said, I DO !!!!!!!!!!! and now I would like to get back to work, either let me go or arrest me right now......he told me I was free to go and just before I left, I asked for his name and badge # which he DID NOT want to give at first, but finally did and I filed a complaint with his watch commander that just happened to be my next door neighbor growing up.......A week later, I got a real nice letter from the trooper apologizing for what he did that day.........

All the other troopers were more than nice when they stopped me....

Moral of the story: sooner or later your going to run into an A$$HOLE, not matter what line of work your in............

David