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Hot take: Should you really answer every single police question during a traffic stop?
I used to think being fully cooperative meant answering everything a cop asked me during a traffic stop on the 405 near LA. Last year I got pulled over for a broken tail light and the officer asked where I was coming from, where I was headed, and if I had anything illegal in the car. I answered all of it like a good citizen. Then he asked to search my trunk - I said yes because I thought saying no looked guilty. Nothing was found but it took 20 extra minutes and I felt dumb. Later a lawyer friend told me I have the right to say 'I don't consent to searches' and to just hand over my license and registration without extra chat. Now I'm torn between being polite and protecting my rights. Has anyone else navigated this line and what do you do when the officer keeps pushing for answers?
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gavin6923mo ago
The 405 stop you mentioned really resonates with me because I had almost the exact same thing happen on the 101 near North Hollywood a couple years back. Cop asked where I was coming from and I just handed him my license and registration without saying much else. He asked again and I just said "I'd rather not answer questions, officer" and he got a little annoyed but that was it. What worked for me was keeping it real simple - license, registration, proof of insurance, and then polite silence. If they push for more just say "am I being detained or am I free to go?" and that usually stops the fishing. I learned the hard way that being chatty just gives them rope to hang you with even if you've done nothing wrong.
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morgan_bailey933mo ago
Is it really that serious though? I get what you're saying but I've been pulled over plenty of times and just been normal and friendly and it always worked out fine. Cops are people too and if you act like they're the enemy right off the bat they're gonna treat you the same way. I don't think you need to turn every traffic stop into some kind of legal standoff. Most of them just want to write you a warning or a ticket and move on with their day. The whole "am I being detained" thing feels like something people watch on YouTube and then try to act out in real life. I just don't see the point in making it more tense than it has to be for no reason.
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