Posted by NJ_gent:
"...If you don't ask if you're allowed to leave or refuse the search, then exactly how is the cop supposed to know that you want to go now?..."
My vehicles are registered, inspected, insured, and operated by courteous, law-abiding people with valid licenses and no moving violations. This is precisely my reason for planning ahead with an emphatic, "Absolutely not!" response if the question of a vehicle search is ever posed to me.
I will explain to the officer that I'm not transporting anything illegal or dangerous, but that my time is valuable. Additionally, I will advise him there are reports of accidental damage and inadvertent property loss incurred during roadside searches due to the hasty nature of the exercise and difficulty cataloging possessions.
My point is that I wouldn't want to be perceived as a threat, but I wouldn't wish to be considered a pushover, either. Everyone wants to be helpful, especially when they're considering expensive insurance surchanges hanging in the balance...but I suppose we each have to draw our lines somewhere.
~ Blue Jays ~