4 ms·

Never, ever talk to the authorities directly. Always hire an attorney. Exercise your fifth amendment rights.

iso-8859-1 7y ago
This is so overkill. What if I am just moving and reporting my new address? What if I am 20 years old and never had any income?
- SilasX 7y ago
  People parrot that line to sound edgy and virtuous, not because they've thought through the implications.
  - codesushi42 7y ago
    The implication is that you avoid self implication. So you're telling me, if you are ever wrongfully arrested or detained, you are going to be dimwitted enough to talk freely to the cops like they're your good buddies? Because it sounds like you are just that dimwitted and naive.
- AnthonyMouse 7y ago
  This is a situation where the probability that you unintentionally violate a serious law is high, the probably of that law actually being enforced against you is low, but the consequences if it is are extremely bad. From an expected value perspective the result has a negative sign but a small magnitude, so you avoid it whenever you can but not if doing so comes at a significant cost. But low probability events with large negative consequences are the category of thing that worries people a lot; other instances in this category are things like plane crashes, child abductions, forcible rape and terrorism. It's not strictly rational to be as afraid of them as many people are. However, in this case there's also the consideration that the probability of the law being selectively enforced against you has a lot to do with whether the government doesn't like you, so if you're the sort of person the government (or some plausible future government) might try to stick something to, then the "low probability of enforcement" side of the equation changes and you're in entirely different territory. And we also generally, as a pro-social activity in solidarity with those populations, might want to err on the side of encouraging everyone to behave in a way similar to what those vulnerable populations would have to, to normalize it and make that sort of selective prosecution more difficult. At least as long as we continue to have these disproportionate penalties for what are in practice honest mistakes and everyday behavior.
- garmaine 7y ago
  Why do you have to report a new address when you move? To whom?
  - NikkiA 7y ago
    The DMV, IRS, DSS, USPS etc etc. Here's a guide: https://www.moving.com/tips/change-address-checklist-who-to-notify-when-you-move/ https://www.moving.com/tips/change-address-checklist-who-to-...
    - garmaine 7y ago
      I interpreted it as HAVE to report, given the context of police asking you for information rather than the other way around, which seemed like a very fascist requirement.
ergothus 7y ago
This advice is good, but never addresses the issues of: - cost - impact to work - fear of retaliation (Oh, that's illegal? Show me how that will be dealt with in ways that don't negatively impact my job/family/bank account)

This is so overkill. What if I am just moving and reporting my new address? What if I am 20 years old and never had any income?

SilasX 7y ago
People parrot that line to sound edgy and virtuous, not because they've thought through the implications.
- codesushi42 7y ago
  The implication is that you avoid self implication. So you're telling me, if you are ever wrongfully arrested or detained, you are going to be dimwitted enough to talk freely to the cops like they're your good buddies? Because it sounds like you are just that dimwitted and naive.
AnthonyMouse 7y ago
This is a situation where the probability that you unintentionally violate a serious law is high, the probably of that law actually being enforced against you is low, but the consequences if it is are extremely bad. From an expected value perspective the result has a negative sign but a small magnitude, so you avoid it whenever you can but not if doing so comes at a significant cost. But low probability events with large negative consequences are the category of thing that worries people a lot; other instances in this category are things like plane crashes, child abductions, forcible rape and terrorism. It's not strictly rational to be as afraid of them as many people are. However, in this case there's also the consideration that the probability of the law being selectively enforced against you has a lot to do with whether the government doesn't like you, so if you're the sort of person the government (or some plausible future government) might try to stick something to, then the "low probability of enforcement" side of the equation changes and you're in entirely different territory. And we also generally, as a pro-social activity in solidarity with those populations, might want to err on the side of encouraging everyone to behave in a way similar to what those vulnerable populations would have to, to normalize it and make that sort of selective prosecution more difficult. At least as long as we continue to have these disproportionate penalties for what are in practice honest mistakes and everyday behavior.
garmaine 7y ago
Why do you have to report a new address when you move? To whom?
- NikkiA 7y ago
  The DMV, IRS, DSS, USPS etc etc. Here's a guide: https://www.moving.com/tips/change-address-checklist-who-to-notify-when-you-move/ https://www.moving.com/tips/change-address-checklist-who-to-...
  - garmaine 7y ago
    I interpreted it as HAVE to report, given the context of police asking you for information rather than the other way around, which seemed like a very fascist requirement.

ergothus 7y ago

This advice is good, but never addresses the issues of: - cost - impact to work - fear of retaliation (Oh, that's illegal? Show me how that will be dealt with in ways that don't negatively impact my job/family/bank account)