Gortexfogg

I wouldn't want them to search, but like said above, I wouldn't resist them searching my vehicle either. I would more than likely never have anything worthwhile in my car for the police, so there's no reason to for them to search. And if things got bad somehow, I figure my legal chances are better saying "no" than saying "go ahead".

fuzzix

I would consent to the search. Nothing to hide, and acting all suspicious by not letting them would probably just detain me further...

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I'm most definately not 'lovin' it'.

Kaos

I have nothing to hide, and the hilarity of watching them sift through all the garbage in my car would be worth the time I had to wait while they did their job.

onetime2

Just another funny cop story to add. My father was selective in the laws he followed (in truth, he did what he wanted and if it broke a law he didn't care) and was driving home from work one very rainy day. He was coming through our town when a cop that hated him saw him throw a candy wrapper out of his window. The cop didn't get turned around very quickly and my dad made it home before the cop was able to pull him over. So he comes knocking on our door and tells my dad that he saw him throw something out of his window.

My dad denied it and they went back and forth a little with insults. The cop then stormed off without writing a ticket since my dad had quite a few friends in the local police force who outranked this officer and was very good friends with the local judge.

About an hour later the cop comes back to the door soaking wet holding a candy wrapper. He says "This is what you threw out the window. I know it is because I looked in your car and found the same candy wrappers on the floor." Without missing a beat my dad says, "If I've got wrappers all over the floor, why would I bother to roll down my window to throw it in the road?" Cop was even more pissed now as he stormed away because not only didn't he get to write the ticket but he spent an hour in the rain trying to find a damned candy wrapper.

Sometimes life is too funny.

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Strive to be more curious than ignorant.

santafe5000

No, unless they can quote to me their probable cause, no search. I know for sure that I don't have any prohibited items in my vehicle, so they can take my word for it or get a warrrant.

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When all else fails, QUIT.

Ratman

I asked my brother, who is a high-ranking police official in a major west-coast city, about this. His reply was, basically, in that city and state, police will rarely ask to search unless there is probable cause. They will not randomly ask, because that could be interpretted as profiling. If you refuse the search, they either have to get a warrant or move on.

Additionally, if you consent to search, you may limit the scope of that seach (You can search the passenger area, but not the glove box or trunk) and you can revoke that permission at any time. In-car video and audio is becomming almost routine (insurance companies give many departments the equipment free of charge) even in small towns. The system is set to start automatically when the emergency lights are activated. The officer should ask for your permission to record the audio. The officers have no access to the tape, so tampering is not an issue. The officer may ask for verbal permission to search, which would be recorded, as well as your response, but written permission is more commonly requested these days. Upshot: whatever you consent to, or refuse, will be recorded.

He said they use these tapes to root out the bad cops with bad attitudes, or those that profile, intimidate, or otherwise coerce a search with no probable cause.

Bottomline: Respect and politeness (the golden rule) is the best approach whether you consent or refuse. If the cops detain you unreasonably after that or in any other way misbehave, it is on camera (and audio). If you have a good attitude, that is also recorded and reviewed.

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The difference between theory and reality is that in theory there is no difference.

"God made man, but he used the monkey to do it." DEVO

battlemouth

i have nothing to hide so if they want to search they can have a lovely time cause it'll just be a waste

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like a bullet through a flock of doves

MSD

I have nothing to hide, and I'll tell them that, and politely decline the search. The only exception is if I hear something on my scanner about searching for a vehicle that matches my description. If I know I'm going to be wasting their time by making them get a warrant and it could make them miss the guy with a trunk full of explosives, there's no way I'm going to waste their time and risk hurting other people because I don't want them stepping too close to my rights.

DownwardSpiral

Consent to search my car for no reason? Nope, not a chance.

__________________
"So Keep on Pretending.
Our Heavens Worth the Waiting.
Keep on Pretending.
It's Alright."

-- H.I.M., "Pretending"

chavos

That said, if they search with out PC or consent, anything they find cannot be used in evidence against an occupant of the car. they're searching at that point just to mess with you. try contacting the civilian review board, or your local affiliate of the ACLU.

The cops can look in to areas that are visible...so as you leave the car if the ask you to, ALWAYS SHUT THE DOOR! This prevents them from looking around the drivers seat area in 9 out of 10 legal situations.

I'd never consent, on the sheer principle that a ticket for speeding is less trouble than ANY possible ticket they could write for something hidden in a car. even if i have nothing, like i always don't, i give people rides all the time...who knows what got dropped, or whatever. not worth worrying about.

rainheart

I think it's rediculous for a cop to search your car without your consent and without a reason for search.

It's bad enough here in Canada (maybe only in Ontario) that you can be arbitrarily pulled over, but it's your right to refuse getting your car search without any reason and I would not consent to it.

If in fact you do carry a small amount of drugs or something illegal/incriminating, and this is obtained through an illegal search, as long as it's not a severed head or something of the like you can go to court and most likely you will be acquitted because of an illegal search and the incriminating evidence will be confiscated.

billege

Under our state's law, and I belive supreme court law, they may not take the refusal to consent as reasonable suspicion.

So, my refusal doesn't mean shit, except I believe in our laws, and I believe they need a reason; even if I have nothing to hide.

So be it.


I will tell you, the people's ignorance of thier own rights disgusts me.

Our forefathers wouldn't give a squirt of piss for most of us. Our apathy will doom us.

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I can sum up the clash of religion in one sentence:
"My Invisible Friend is better than your Invisible Friend."

arcane

they dont have any legal right to search your car unless you are under arrest or they have a warrant.

i have run into this problem in the past and i always deny their requests to search my car, and i tell them that if they do perform an illegal search of my car that i will file a formal complaint with their commanding officer (usually the chief of police) and that i will pursue legal action. that always seems to work

fight the machine!

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<Arcane> so if you banged 2000 chicks then at least one had a pen0r?

erion

I don't think I've heard it said better. If you don't know and exercise your rights, then you are not deserving of them.

I think part of the problem is that the schools are so worried about passing test scores they neglect to teach kids anything about good citizenship, their rights, and their responsibilities.