bart40330
2 HN recommenders · recommended in 3 months, 2010–2017
4:33 · 3.6M views · Jun 16, 2008
A short video advising how to handle a police stop by politely refusing searches and not answering questions, citing Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights.
HN points to it as a companion to Don't Talk to the Police for knowing your rights during stops.
3 comments from Hacker News
I've seen these two videos a long time ago and they are GREAT advice. It's actually scary the kind of stuff the cop says he has done and other cops will do to you during questioning. In the UK, where I'm originally from, the police are not allowed to lie or ask you to do anything outside of your rights and so it is total wake up call for anyone who is not used to the way the police work here in the US. This video is also useful, this video However, a friend who I talked to about this did make a counter perspective... that sometimes it is worth talking to the cops in the right circumstances. For example, if you are pulled over cos you just ran a stop sign and you have nothing illegal on you/in the car/etc then it is better just to talk to the cop and get the ticket dealt with. If you start playing the 'not going to say anything' and 'no you can't look in the car' then you are opening yourself up for a long painful experience and potentially arrest if they decide to fuck back with you and they can pin some suspicion for something on you (eg you are driving through an area that happens to be associated with drug sale, you have a LeatherMan tool you and the cop can say the knife was being carried for other intent, etc) Cops are naturally authoritarian and can choose to make your life hell if they think you are trying to be superior or above them.
My take: KNOW your rights. Nothing stinks here. As one of the videos below states: If police is entitled to a search then they will just break in and do a search. If they ASK for consent, and even more, if they threaten, they KNOW that they are not entitled. Keep the door shut and don't given up your rights. this video [LINK] [LINK] [LINK]
The best way to avoid civil asset forfeiture in a traffic stop is to just not ever answer any nosy questions the officer may ask. When pulled over, never answer questions. You don't have to. If the police officer asks you to remain once they've written the ticket, ask if you're being detained or if you're free to go. Once they've written the ticket, the stop is over, but aggressive police will try to fool people into thinking the stop is not over. The longer they can keep you there, the more pressure they can apply. this video