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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? (lemmy.world)

submitted 9 months ago by rebarrrrrrr@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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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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[-] David_Eight@lemmy.world 10 points 9 months ago

Something like this probably. Just make sure to video tape everything.

[-] rebarrrrrrr@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago

@David_Eight

Thanks for that video. I want to be like that kid. He wasn't always the most elegant with his words but he was right the entire time. That's what I would like to do when the cops show up. I'd just like to state my rights, ask am I free to go, and then have them go away.

[-] David_Eight@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

I didn't read the whole thread before linking that video, so a few things to consider.

There is no federal law stating that sleeping in your is illegal but, some states and or cities do. So if you're in a state or city where it IS ILLEGAL, definitely don't do this lol. They'll just arrest you.
If it IS LEGAL where you are, theoretically you don't have to move and can stay as long as you want. But, the cops will escalate things and start looking for other reasons to arrest our fuckery you.
Have you considered going to a 24hr gym or something similar? So if anyone hassles you, you're just going to the gym. Just an idea.
If your renting a camp site you do have "Campers Rights" and can tell the cops to fuck off. I remember watching a similar video to the one I linked about that specifically. I'll add it later if I can find it. Best of luck though 🖖

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[-] AtmaJnana@lemmy.world 10 points 9 months ago

If you want to legally be able to tell police to leave you alone, unfortunately being in a car probably isnt the right move.

[-] papabobolious@feddit.nu 8 points 9 months ago

It's really helpful to say what country you are in.

[-] rebarrrrrrr@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

U.S.A.

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[-] cali_ash@lemmy.wtf 4 points 9 months ago

I'd just show them my ID.

[-] rebarrrrrrr@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago

Well, go buy a shitty minivan and drive it through some small towns and then after you get harassed you might get fed up a little. Maybe I was too ambiguous with the post title....I should have posted "what should I do" rather than "what do you do"

[-] xor@infosec.pub 5 points 9 months ago

i also live in a shitty minivan... getting it over with as quickly and politely as possible is actually your best bet.
one lovely cop expression is "you only need one nail to hang your hat on", meaning: they can pretty much arrest you at any time because there's always some crime or suspicion of a crime they can get you for...
or another way to frame it is: at the end of the day, cops with guns will do what they want... so don't make them want to do anything...
or, more directly, in my decades of vagabond experience... do not try to argue, debate or shame the cops, unless you really want a couple of tickets and several court dates to argue your position...
"i smell burnt marijuana", for example, is a cop's goto for searching your van... ive seen them say it when there was definitely no weed around... but that's not going to help you, until after a bunch of court and bullshit...
...
basically there's no way to make all cops respect your rights without some tedious court shit... you may be legally correct, but that doesn't help until much later...
...
pragmatically, you can try to blend in more... paint rusy spots, etc and make your van look more normy... keep your van clean and free of any character... any self expression...
clear dashboard, clean interior... make it look like you might not be camping in there.
...
another touch i like is leave some folders from the local city college on your dashboard.
there's a huge difference in sympathy between a broke student living in their van, trying to pull up bootstraps or whatever, and what they imagine is some junky/psycho bum living in their van getting free rent.

it's a dumb world but just seeming friendly and sympathetic helps... they don't have the framework to imagine what you're going through...

housey-psychology is all guesswork, but it seems like college, musician/artist, and having a dog helps...

definitely seeming as clean and organized as possible helps... any evidence of beer and you're automatically a scumbag...

reddit sucks, obviously, but the vagabond and vanliving subs have good resources...

[-] rebarrrrrrr@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago

All of that is good advice. I do get haircuts and stay clean shaven most of the time. So, I don't look homeless but my van does.

It seems like every day there's a new article about people getting priced out of apartments and unable to afford homes. So, it's just a matter of time before there's some huge "Grapes of Wrath" style caravans of people living in cars. I wonder if it will get to the point where the cops look the other way simply because there's too many people living in cars.

[-] bane_killgrind@kbin.social 3 points 9 months ago

Dude in my area apartments are 3/4 of my take home pay.

I can only live because I live in coop housing that is 1/4th my pay, and I was only invited here because my buddy moved away and the neighbors already like me.

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[-] Cheradenine@sh.itjust.works 4 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

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.”

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[-] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 9 months ago

During the pan, I ran out of stuff to watch. I ended up watching police-cams and dash-cams of car chases. Ironic, given that I loathe the police. But it's way better than fake reality TV cause it's authentic.

I believe in our rights not to be abused by police. I believe even more that asserting our rights can make us a target for bullies. I'd say clam up and offer nothing beyond an ID. Tell them you don't want to speak without representation. You may have to invoke your right to stand mute for it to be relevant in court (if it comes to that) to argue that that was your intent. I think that's the best way to say nothing without appearing to challenge their power.

I am not an expert or lawyer or anything. I just know that I've seen a LOT of videos of cops getting belligerent when they feel challenged and they are fucking violent. There may be some who aren't, but I wouldn't gamble on it at all. My plan, if confronted, is to obey every physical order and never to argue.

I don't have reason to think I'll ever have a confrontation with a cop (I'm not a "kid" anymore) beyond maybe a speeding ticket, but if it happened, I'd be super compliant and assert my rights after the fact.

[-] Agent641@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago

I have no specific advice but check out the book "Talking to strangers" by Malcolm Gladwel, it might be insightful.

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this post was submitted on 05 Feb 2024

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