Right. Some cops are bullies, but most don’t want to push civilians around too much unless they have a hunch you’re causing trouble. Also, they know that the deeper they dig on a warrantless, non-consensual search, the greater the odds that anything they find will be tossed out. Is it really worth pushing the envelope to search an innocent person? In general, no.
Of course the attitudes change drastically from city, to state, to federal level.
There are *code words* that tell a cop you know what his real limits are. Also there are other things that will either alert him or calm him. I have lots of the latter.
In both cases I was a fish out of water and they were checking up, I don’t really mind since it was well intentioned and was not a large delay. In the latter case the LEO had never seen a headlight modulator on a motorcycle. After we discussed it, I left him a copy of the Federal rules.
One can assert ones rights without being an asshat...something the young take a long time to learn.