We were driving home from our home fellowship group (home church group) late on a Saturday night and encountered a County Sheriff's Department check point not far from home.
The deputy asked "Where have you been tonight?"
EVERYTHING inside of me wanted to respectfully respond with..."Sir we are in America and that is not a question I need to answer unless you have probable cause that I have committed a crime". However, since we were tired and did not want to spend the next few hours extricating ourselves from stupidity, I responded with the truthful home fellowship group answer.
He grunted something and told us to go on.
What could I have said differently that would not have generated a multi-hour delay in our arrival home?
I’m not currently a LEO, hope you don’t mind my commentary and lack of answers ... And this is on the Border Patrol, not urban police...
I have heard stories (tea party speakers) of people pulling out the Constitution or nicely declining. One young preacher down here was pulled out of his car and got a face full of glass.
When I went through the various checkpoints, I was very respectful and polite. However, later, I was told that after they ask you, “Are you a U.S. citizen?” you don’t have to answer anything else. The problem was — in our case — they asked 4-5 other questions first! And, even if they did ask that question first, and continued on, I’m not brave enough to politely say anything else...