Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire You All Convinced Me

note to self, perhaps read the whole thread instead of just the OP before posting


I'm not a dumbazz but I play one on TV


sorry Scott


good thread, thought provoking


makes me wish they still made LEOs or men like TLee

I don't know how to fix it, but this is the best way to start. Being in prison significantly affects your ability to enact political change. So many scared people out there, wanting to be protected from everything, willing to give up freedom for a (perceived) certain level of protection. Don't know how you fix that, but that is what drives it.

..so much drama

I am always polite when dealing with others, I do not believe in making trouble where there is none. My tact has been when in other jurisdictions that do these things is polity ask what sort of checkpoint it is. If they reply that it is a sobriety one, I state that no I have not ingested any alcohol before driving and I do not use drugs. If asked about where I am coming from or going to I simply state I am peacefully going about my business.

I will provide my License, insurance card & registration as that is a legal requirement of my state and refusing or not having them with you is a ticketable offense here.

I am not one of those folks that will make a scene out of the deal. If they want to search my vehicle I will ask for the warrant to do so. Sans a warrant I will refuse and if not under arrest will at that point attempt to leave. I have not been detained for politely exercising my rights yet and I do not play the retired LEO card ever.

Hi Scott,
I am a New Zealander and haven't been in a situation like this, but I do recall working in an underground coal mine, and it became very dangerous, and we had been told that in 2 weeks the mine would be closed. So I thought it better to leave the job and take the redundancy offered, rather than risk life and limb and hope to get selected for a job at another mine. Is it possible for you to take sick leave or some other leave even if you dont get payed for it???. I do know how you feel as I often "blow my stack" at the crazy goings on in NZ, but it is better to eat humble pie now, and then vent your frustrations after you have retired...ie, legally through the media. Life behind bars is not what you need...please obey the Law and live a long and prosperous life.
Richard B. Western Australia

These roadblocks increased exponentially around here after they lowered the blood alcohol content.

All an officer needs is probably cause. In other words, he needs nothing at all, other than a couple of more or less meaningless words...

I remember one of thse stops the officer walked up to my truck and the first thing out his mouth was "I think I smell alcohol". I said, "well, sir, that'd be quite a trick as I havn't had a drop in over 8 years."
He waved me on through.

If you refuse the vehicle search and pat down (read: treated like a criminal for no other reason than because the officer spoke those 2 words... PC) You WILL be detained until other officers arrive, often bringing the K9, and they'll haul you in for finger printing and tow your vehicle. Standing up for your rights will waste the remainider of your day, cost you a bunch of money, and get your name in the paper even if nothing is found and no laws have been broken.

Most of these roadblocks have only one representative of the Sheriff's office and the rest of the officers are State Patrol. They import SP personnel from down in more populated areas. Local deputies know pretty much everyone traveling to and fro around here. These imports know none of us and we know none of them. And you can always tell when there's going to be a batch of roadblocks set up for our enjoyment, there's a bunch of vehicles for several days down by the state patrol office and "training" exercises going on out back. Dressed in black or camo and repelling down a wall, etc. People who don't know to keep an eye on these 2 places and what to look for over there are surprised by the roadblocks. When I see abnormal activity I know there's probably going to be some raids on suspected druggies and probably going to be some roadblocks in the area.

The whole thing stinks of tyranny. A new level of tyranny building towards yet another new level.
Right here in our own free country...
Looks to me like too many cops on the payroll and nothing better for them to do.

This does remind me though, of an incident here last year. I was driving N on US 441 to my mechanic's shop. There were a LOT of flashing lights in the distance, in the median. I drove up to see what was going on.
Before I got to the police cars, there was a sign saying 'drug check ahead'.
Satisfied as to the situation, I turned around, and drove on to the shop.
On the way, a Sheriff's deputy pulled in behind me and hit the blues. I pulled over, and asked the officer the reason for the stop.
He said I was suspected of trying to avoid a drug check point, and would have to let him inspect my vehicle.
I refused his request, and was told that it might be an hour or more before another unit with a drug dog would show up.
I smiled, and said fine. I said I had a book, a bottle of water and lots of time.
He sighed, and told me to get the heck out of there.

Fishing expedition.

Don't know Fla. law, they may have a law regarding avoiding checkpoints. That's why they put up the sign and watch those who turn around.

One of the better ones i've ever seen was on I-40 in E.Tn. an S.O. up there, put a sign on the interstate stating "drug checkpoint 2mi's ahead". The only exit prior to it, exited to a dead end county road, that appeared to run beside the interstate.

There was no "drug checkpoint", LE was more interested in the out of state veh's. that exited the interstate and went down this road.

You can operate road blocks, and still have good repore with the citizens. In my area they put the road block notice in the paper. The majority of them are for simple things like DL. Veh. registration and insurance. One of the reason that insurance rates are high is the number of uninsured drivers running around.

The majority of DUI checkpoints normally occur, hours after many of you are in bed. The agencies that i'm familiar with, who do these check points, don't start till after midnight and run to about 3am. on Fri. or Sat. nights.

The percentage of good law abiding citizens driving around is normally lower at that hour. The percentage of drunks and criminals is normally higher. This with better results for the intended purpose and less intrusion on the citizens.