Whoa!
Hooked on phonics, anyone?
I find the whole "checkpoint" thing to be about as "American" as Checkpoint Charlie (the "other side" of it), and I find "fishing trips" to be repugnant to the Constitution. But that said, to answer "High" to "How are you tonight sir?" is to BEG for "special attention"!
Remember, what the cop heard was "HIGH" as the answer to his question of how the kid was. He (the cop) wasn't reading the kid's answer off a typed transcript, he was HEARING it. Why am I thinking that if the kid said "I'm doing fine", or even "OK", it would have been the end of it?
If you think about it, "High" -- or even "Hi" -- is NOT a rational reply to "How are you tonight sir?" It's bait, pure and simple!
Not really. I don't personally like the "how are you" questions in life. It's basically American for "Hello". Many times I respond to "how are you" with a "good morning" (evening, etc. as appropriate), because I don't like giving the cursory "fine". If i'm feeling great, I say so, but no one wants to hear what a bad day I had or that my aunt is sick, etc.