BBadger, I thank you for your excellent posts in this thread. I have a few quick questions...
1-It's probably difficult for us to extrapolate from this thread the actual percentage of attendees who had difficulties with the police, but, generally speaking (2013 will be my 1st year), just how prevalent are LEOs? Is the place literally swarming with them, and are you basically hassled on a daily basis? My buddy went in 2011 and he said he had absoultely zero interactions with them, not even at the entrance (said he didn't even see any)
2-What's the deal with the tennis balls o' weed people keep mentioning?
3-I read the posts, researched online, and watched the two vids Badger posted. However, I have a couple quick questions (sorry, I'm very detail oriented...bear with me).
Here's my story plot.....
Earthwalker and bunnylover1279 are approaching the gate in their suburban Honda minivan after a long drive from San Diego. They are tired, but not under the influence of anything, save some red bull and maybe some red vines. They pull up, are waiting in line. A cop approaches and it goes as follows:
Cop: good afternoon gents. Had a long drive? Well, I'm bet you're glad to have finally made it. California? Where you guys from? Oh, San Diego, that's great....got any drugs or weapons or illegals?
Bunnylover1279: Sir, I respectfully decline to answer that question.
(Question 1: Isn't saying that going to provoke the cop to do whatever he can to make your life difficult? I don't think they generally like being challenged)Cop: Excuse me? Ok, well we can play it that way. I can have the dogs here in five minutes
(assuming he does get the dogs in a reasonable amount of time, as in the time it would take for him to write a ticket etc, and per Illinois per Caballes, I have to stay)
(Question 2: Dog comes, has a hit on the car (or he lies and says it does), he then has probably cause to search. If he does search, and does find illegal items, won't he, because we didn't "cooperate", want to not only give us a ticket but perhaps take us in?)I guess my point is, I'd be really tempted to say "No, we do not", then, if he asks to search say "I do not consent. Am I being detained or am I free to go?". It just seems like it's reasonable to decline a search, but saying all robotically "I plan on cooperating, but at this time I respectfully decline to answer that question" would motivate him to go to all lengths to ruin our day.
Could you perhaps line out your overall strategy? From the videos, the strategy seems to be "don't say anything, ever. Yes, you're going to get brought in for questioning, but don't say anything until you have a lawyer, that way, during your trial, they have nothing they can use against you". That's a great strategy in general, but Bunnylover1279 and I just want to get through the gates. If he calls my bluff, and the dogs come, well then I get a ticket anyways. Or are you saying that he's busy, the line is long, and he won't go to all that effort?
Am I missing something?
Thank you kind sirs and madams.
