4 ms·

The story would have been a lot shorter if the author knew not to answer police questions. "The officer then opened the backseat door where I was sitting and a

The story would have been a lot shorter if the author knew not to answer police questions. "The officer then opened the backseat door where I was sitting and asked if I was paying for the ride." Just don't answer. You don't have to. Even if you knew the law had passed in Denver, why would you answer? It cannot help you.

blazespin 12y ago
Right. Piss off a cop. Brilliant! The balanced and calculated reactions of these individuals was very impressive, I only wish I had their fortitude and thoughtfulness in such situations.
- bra-ket 12y ago
  never talk to cops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc The right way to handle a police stop (in the US): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDJrQBwJpqk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDJrQBwJpqk
  - rahimnathwani 12y ago
    And the wrong way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_HUNQIAAR0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_HUNQIAAR0 Starts at 1:10
- jemfinch 12y ago
  There's no need to be an rude about it. "Sorry, officer, I don't understand your question." "Are you paying to be a passenger in this vehicle?" "I'm sorry, officer, I want to help you, but I just don't understand how this involves me. I'm just a passenger here." Most cops will just give up asking the question there. If the officer pushes the issue, he's being an asshole, but you can still very politely invoke your fifth amendment rights: "Sorry, officer, I should have an attorney present to help me with these questions." At that point, answers to any further questions (if any: standard police policy everywhere is to cease questioning immediately) are completely inadmissable (Edwards v. Arizona, 1981). You can beat the rap, but you can't beat the ride: that's true. With that said, the cops who will bring you downtown for asserting your rights are exactly the cops that you really shouldn't be talking to. (IANAL, FWIW; I'm just an occasionally rude anti-authoritarian citizen who has to mentally practice polite assertion of my rights so I don't accidentally piss off cops who, in their view, are just doing their jobs.)
  - jcromartie 12y ago
    The correct way to politely decline a question is "I'm sorry officer, I can't discuss this without my attorney present." You're not dodging the question, but offering a well-understood reason, and the reason involves something real but external to both yourself and the LEO.
- nextweek2 12y ago
  I am in no way familiar with american law, however Miranda rights state that you have the right to remain silent, the Fifth amendment says you have the right not to self-incriminate. They are asking questions in a leading way, its how they are trained. You just have to be diplomatic and nice about it. I have been stopped before and asked how fast I was driving. I simply said I was not sure but I thought it was at the speed limit. Unless the police have evidence they can only have a talk with you.
gexla 12y ago
I don't know it's that simple. There's dealing with the law and then there's dealing with people. Which of those you give more weight to depends on circumstances such as risk vs. reward. The police are people, subject to the same quirks that everyone else is. Just as with any organization, the culture also has a part to play (hopefully you aren't in an area with heavy police corruption.) If you are riding as a passenger and you don't otherwise have anything to worry about, then there is probably more risk to going against the police than by simply cooperating even if you don't have to. If you have something to hide and you are the driver, then you want to be pulling every trick you can. Unless being an Uber driver is a criminal offense, then I assume they could only write you a ticket that you could then take to the courts. If the police aren't up to date with recent changes to the laws, the the courts should be. Just be a nice person, even if you are encountering someone in a position of authority who is having a bad day.
- jemfinch 12y ago
  Like I said in reply to another comment[0], asserting your rights doesn't have to be rude. There are polite ways to assert your rights. The critical point in that comment, though, is that the kind of cop that's going to be angered by your assertion of your rights is exactly the kind of cop you shouldn't be talking to anyway. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8059772 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8059772
- chrismcb 12y ago
  In reality there is more risk with simply cooperating, with no risk for exercising your rights. In both cases they could arrest you, but in the first case they may now have evidence they can use against you. Simply inform the officer you cannot answer any questions. You can be a nice person and still exercise your rights.

blazespin 12y ago

Right. Piss off a cop. Brilliant! The balanced and calculated reactions of these individuals was very impressive, I only wish I had their fortitude and thoughtfulness in such situations.

bra-ket 12y ago
never talk to cops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc The right way to handle a police stop (in the US): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDJrQBwJpqk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDJrQBwJpqk
- rahimnathwani 12y ago
  And the wrong way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_HUNQIAAR0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_HUNQIAAR0 Starts at 1:10
jemfinch 12y ago
There's no need to be an rude about it. "Sorry, officer, I don't understand your question." "Are you paying to be a passenger in this vehicle?" "I'm sorry, officer, I want to help you, but I just don't understand how this involves me. I'm just a passenger here." Most cops will just give up asking the question there. If the officer pushes the issue, he's being an asshole, but you can still very politely invoke your fifth amendment rights: "Sorry, officer, I should have an attorney present to help me with these questions." At that point, answers to any further questions (if any: standard police policy everywhere is to cease questioning immediately) are completely inadmissable (Edwards v. Arizona, 1981). You can beat the rap, but you can't beat the ride: that's true. With that said, the cops who will bring you downtown for asserting your rights are exactly the cops that you really shouldn't be talking to. (IANAL, FWIW; I'm just an occasionally rude anti-authoritarian citizen who has to mentally practice polite assertion of my rights so I don't accidentally piss off cops who, in their view, are just doing their jobs.)
- jcromartie 12y ago
  The correct way to politely decline a question is "I'm sorry officer, I can't discuss this without my attorney present." You're not dodging the question, but offering a well-understood reason, and the reason involves something real but external to both yourself and the LEO.
nextweek2 12y ago
I am in no way familiar with american law, however Miranda rights state that you have the right to remain silent, the Fifth amendment says you have the right not to self-incriminate. They are asking questions in a leading way, its how they are trained. You just have to be diplomatic and nice about it. I have been stopped before and asked how fast I was driving. I simply said I was not sure but I thought it was at the speed limit. Unless the police have evidence they can only have a talk with you.

gexla 12y ago

I don't know it's that simple. There's dealing with the law and then there's dealing with people. Which of those you give more weight to depends on circumstances such as risk vs. reward. The police are people, subject to the same quirks that everyone else is. Just as with any organization, the culture also has a part to play (hopefully you aren't in an area with heavy police corruption.) If you are riding as a passenger and you don't otherwise have anything to worry about, then there is probably more risk to going against the police than by simply cooperating even if you don't have to. If you have something to hide and you are the driver, then you want to be pulling every trick you can. Unless being an Uber driver is a criminal offense, then I assume they could only write you a ticket that you could then take to the courts. If the police aren't up to date with recent changes to the laws, the the courts should be. Just be a nice person, even if you are encountering someone in a position of authority who is having a bad day.

jemfinch 12y ago
Like I said in reply to another comment[0], asserting your rights doesn't have to be rude. There are polite ways to assert your rights. The critical point in that comment, though, is that the kind of cop that's going to be angered by your assertion of your rights is exactly the kind of cop you shouldn't be talking to anyway. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8059772 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8059772
chrismcb 12y ago
In reality there is more risk with simply cooperating, with no risk for exercising your rights. In both cases they could arrest you, but in the first case they may now have evidence they can use against you. Simply inform the officer you cannot answer any questions. You can be a nice person and still exercise your rights.