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What do you do if a cop approaches you and starts questioning you while you're sitting in your car in a public parking lot? (self.asklemmy)

submitted 9 months ago by rebarrrrrrr to c/asklemmy

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Unfortunately, I drive a ghetto minivan which causes the police to profile me and has caused people in small towns to call the police on me if I am in a public park or in their neighborhood. I even had someone call the police on me at campground that I had pre-paid for and the police were not sympathetic at all to my right to just exist.

I am aware of stop and identify laws and know that a cop needs reasonable suspicion to demand to see your ID. However, can't the cop just make up some lies about reasonable suspicion?

If a cop approaches me can I immediately start with: "Officer, do you have reasonable suspicion that a crime has occurred, is in the process of occurring, or is about to occur?" It seems like that will immediately escalate things even if technically the law is on my side.

I just want a damn right to exist law and to not be a target for an overactive imagination by the police which treats me like a criminal until they can check me for warrants.

Honestly, I want to tell them to fuck off right away but I also don't have money for a lawyer.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

https://www.vice.com/en/article/qj8kgw/the-pot-brothers-at-law-want-you-to-shut-the-fuck-up-around-cops

'That’s not exactly how the Founders framed the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, but it is what Craig and Marc Wasserman want you to do.'

"Why did you pull me over? I’m not discussing my day. Am I being detained or am I free to go? If detained, you say, “I invoke the Fifth [Amendment],’ and then you shut the fuck up.”

[–] rebarrrrrrr 25 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Thanks for that article. I do agree with it. But this might be similar to "there's plenty of dead pedestrians who thought they had the right of way". I already know that technically I can refuse to show my ID without reasonable suspicion but if the cop arrests me illegally I still have to go to court to assert my legal rights and I can't afford the money or the time.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago

Dead right.

There isn't any kind of script that I know of that actually prevents cops from being cops, sometimes this helps.

I used to hop freight trains, often with at least tacit permission from the crews ( I've driven locos before). Cops are a different beast as you know. It's taking each one individually, but still you are going to get screwed sometimes.

I've been banged up for 'attitude' and let off when one of the guys I was with had pron the cop liked.