I have nothing to hide and I still wouldn’t let them take a look around. I will, however, take out my cell phone and begin recording the entire exchange, inform them of my intent to post it on the internet, and tell them to go ahead and make any not-so-subtle threats to my freedom they care to have the world see.
You actually think they would just stand there and let you do that?
“You actually think they would just stand there and let you do that?”
I should say, the scenario I described assumed the agent paying the visit is trying to toss around “athori-tah” instead of being professional and polite. I only give respect when I’m given respect.
That said, they wouldn’t be able to do anything more to me than they did with Doug Tankersley. If you’re unfamiliar with his case, you can find it at the Photography Is Not a Crime site.
Long story short: He’s photographing flowers near a dam. FBI pays him a visit. He greets the FBI agent with a camcorder. The agent acted professionally.
Personally, I would not have conversed with the agent for as long as Doug did — only because the longer you talk the more you open yourself to an inadvertent lie to a federal agent, even if it’s something said in jest.