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Is it just me, or has this website’s symbol recently become the Yahoo symbol?
https://gyazo.com/566423819d5b9962a5896d2b00430dfd
I noticed the same. Not sure what, if anything, it means.
It means I screwed up my favicon file. I’ll fix it later.
“I don’t answer questions,” in response to a run-of-the-mill stop?
Meh. What’s wrong with politely greeting the officer, asking him why he pulled you over, handing over the license & registration when asked, and simply refraining from making any statements? What does copping an attitude get you that simply keeping your mouth shut wouldn’t have gotten you?
While in theory true, in practice, how do you NOT answer questions directed to you by a cop? Isn’t silence going to set off the cop’s suspicions?
I would suppose that the way to not answer a question, and yet not remain silent, would be to repeat a statement of fact which admits of nothing yet remains a reasonable answer to the question, such as “I don’t answer questions,” or “I plead the fifth.” Additionally, throwing off their rhythm by asking a completely unrelated question in response may also be useful, such as “where can I find the nearest bathroom?” or “can you help me find my way back to [such and such a place]?”
“I assert my Fifth Amendment right to remain silent on that matter. Here are my driver’s license and proof of insurance.”
I was actually referring to a “stop” on the street/walk, as depicted in the above comic panel directly adjacent to the “run-of-the-mill stop” statement therein, when I made my comment, not traffic stops. And I wasn’t intending to insinuate running an attitude at the cop either, rather stating matter-of-fact-ly, “I don’t answer questions,” and continuing on your way, as a method to avoid any manner of potential legal tangles that engaging with a cop could otherwise produce.
If you are asking me what I hope to accomplish by tending towards “copping an attitude,” as you put it, with Law Enforcement Officers, I would be happy to discuss such matters with you via E-mail, if that is your wish.
Ok, let’s try this:
“Hi officer! What brings you out today?”
“Do you know how fast you were going?”
“Do you always answer a question with a question?”
That would certainly throw the cop off his rhythm. But if this is a walking stop as I was talking about, as opposed to a traffic stop, the cop would never ask you that question in the first place (do you know how fast you were going?).
A constant theme in this chapter is how easy it is to accidentally waive your rights or consent to something. Why would anyone want to take that risk?