this post was submitted on 05 Feb 2024
222 points (96.6% liked)

Ask Lemmy

26734 readers
1499 users here now

A Fediverse community for open-ended, thought provoking questions

Please don't post about US Politics. If you need to do this, try !politicaldiscussion


Rules: (interactive)


1) Be nice and; have funDoxxing, trolling, sealioning, racism, and toxicity are not welcomed in AskLemmy. Remember what your mother said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. In addition, the site-wide Lemmy.world terms of service also apply here. Please familiarize yourself with them


2) All posts must end with a '?'This is sort of like Jeopardy. Please phrase all post titles in the form of a proper question ending with ?


3) No spamPlease do not flood the community with nonsense. Actual suspected spammers will be banned on site. No astroturfing.


4) NSFW is okay, within reasonJust remember to tag posts with either a content warning or a [NSFW] tag. Overtly sexual posts are not allowed, please direct them to either !asklemmyafterdark@lemmy.world or !asklemmynsfw@lemmynsfw.com. NSFW comments should be restricted to posts tagged [NSFW].


5) This is not a support community.
It is not a place for 'how do I?', type questions. If you have any questions regarding the site itself or would like to report a community, please direct them to Lemmy.world Support or email info@lemmy.world. For other questions check our partnered communities list, or use the search function.


Reminder: The terms of service apply here too.

Partnered Communities:

Tech Support

No Stupid Questions

You Should Know

Reddit

Jokes

Ask Ouija


Logo design credit goes to: tubbadu


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Unfortunately, I drive a ghetto minivan which causes the police to profile me and has caused people in small towns to call the police on me if I am in a public park or in their neighborhood. I even had someone call the police on me at campground that I had pre-paid for and the police were not sympathetic at all to my right to just exist.

I am aware of stop and identify laws and know that a cop needs reasonable suspicion to demand to see your ID. However, can't the cop just make up some lies about reasonable suspicion?

If a cop approaches me can I immediately start with: "Officer, do you have reasonable suspicion that a crime has occurred, is in the process of occurring, or is about to occur?" It seems like that will immediately escalate things even if technically the law is on my side.

I just want a damn right to exist law and to not be a target for an overactive imagination by the police which treats me like a criminal until they can check me for warrants.

Honestly, I want to tell them to fuck off right away but I also don't have money for a lawyer.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] confused_code_monkey@lemm.ee 152 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (3 children)

Not sure if it'd help, but you could stick a buuunch of camping, hiking, outdoors, etc. stickers on your van. Try to turn its image from a "ghetto" van to a "hippy / outdoor enthusiast" van. I imagine you can order large sticker packs online for very cheap.

[–] rebarrrrrrr@lemmy.world 49 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Yeah, that is a good idea. It would probably work best on a VW van like the kind surfers use. I suppose with enough stickers strategically placed it could look like you were into rock climbing, or surfing, or something involving the outdoors.

[–] choss@lemmy.ml 48 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Just a heads-up, vans with climbing stickers can attract break-ins because they tell people "there's a bunch of expensive gear in here that would be easy to fence". Happens all the time in vegas. Hope you stay safe out there!

[–] xX_fnord_Xx@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Maybe a bunch of penguin stickers and one that says, "Ask me about Linux!"

Might hurt on date night, though.

[–] papalonian@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago

"There's a bunch of computers in there! But we don't know how to use them."

[–] Skelectus@suppo.fi 9 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, rock climbing sounds even better than hippies for this purpose.

[–] acceptable_pumpkin@lemmy.world 18 points 9 months ago (2 children)

I just had a mental image of some overweight dude with tons of rock climbing stickers on their van. (Not implying anything OP, but just a funny picture I imagined)

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 9 months ago

After seeing the article about the 300lb pentathlete (who, yes, has to deal with social pressures due to his unusual build) I wouldn't even blink.

But law enforcement in the US are eager to invoke stereotypes if it will get them closer to securing an arrest / conviction.

Ideally, you do what helps become invisible to police officers.

[–] Skelectus@suppo.fi 4 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Guess you have to look the part to sell this one properly

[–] Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago

However, you don't want to live in a VW surfer van. They're cold as hell at night, zero insulation. Also they're decades behind safety standards, in a collision with anything, they crumple like a soda can.

They look iconic, but I don't recommend it in practice.

[–] JustUseMint@lemmy.world 24 points 9 months ago

Best idea in the thread. You see old subies covered in REI and mountain climbing and hiking and backpacking stickers everywhere

[–] 01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 16 points 9 months ago

This is an awesome idea. Here are a couple (here's one, here's another, and for kicks and giggles a third).