Just say NO.....if I were pulled over & asked for consent to search my car, that would be my response, not because I have anything to hide, but because having a light out, or following too closely, speeding etc is not probable cause to search for anything else. Write me my BS ticket & move on. Now if a person is seen smoking a crack pipe, snorting coke off their dash or shooting up a light, THAT is probable cause to delve further into the contents of their car.

Born -- "...you can bet your sweet behind that I would be polite to the officer and let them search if they wanted to, because "I KNOW" that they wouldn't find anything."

And you are absolutely confident that the cop won't have a rock of crack in his pocket that he might "find" during the search? A chunk the size of an aspirin tablet will get you a room without a view and a roommate nicknamed "Tiny" at the Huntsville Hilton. Do you think you could convince a jury that the cop planted it in your car? Remember, this is Victoria and you KNOW what the attitude toward dopers is by the rank and file citizenry here. Steve Tyler will put your behind UNDER the jail.

Some of the cops in Mexico ARE part of the problems you speak of. Lets just make sure ours don't get like that. An officer should just follow the Constitution & laws when performing their duties and don't cut corners. Members of the public should inform themselves of what their rights are and exercise them if they feel appropriate in doing so. We as a nation and community need to be very careful when it comes to surrendering our rights and freedoms to the government. And the government (and its agents) should never resent the exercise of an individual of his or her rights. One daythe officers may find themselves in the situation where they will be glad they have the rights that they sometimes resent the citizens using.

The cops will only get more aggressive because the caliber of criminal they are coming across are becoming more and more dangerous. This weekend a deputy in SA was ambushed at a traffic light. It's only a matter of time before police work will be more like a military operation. Cops got soft in Mexico, now they're hunted. Long story short, you think a cop intimidating you into a search is bad, just wait till they have to play with these drug cartels coming over the border. Then they will really get tough.

In the first place, I don't loan my car out to anyone, except my kids, and I trust them to not do anything in my car, or to my car. They are very responsible and mature, not to mention that they are well past that stupid age.
But, say for arguments sake, I did loan my car out to someone. I would definitely make sure that nothing was in there before I drove it.
Put it this way, if I was stupid enough to let someone drive my car and not look to see if they left anything behind, then I would deserve what I got. My car, my responsibility.

Ok, 1st of all, troopers don't want or like their name in the press. Secondly, it's not like they get "a bonus" when the find contraband -they are just doing their job. @slub - get, never mind, grow up already!

Truly scary to hear all you folks out there who willingly give up your constitutionally guaranteed freedoms. So sick of the comment "If you have nothing to hide you have nothing to worry about".

I fully support law enforcement but if they have not established legitimate probable cause to search you or your car then they have no grounds for a search warrant since they are based on probable cause.

But, if you don't mind a Trooper tearing your car apart on his mere suspicion, then go for it. I have better things to do and better places to be.

Oh come on people, including those of you who are officers (past or present) who know better than "consent to a search if you have nothing to hide..."

When was the last time someone other than you drove your car??? Or you bought a used car??? Or your teenage or college age kid drove the car??? You never "really" know what's in your car unless your thoroughly search it each and every time before using it...like police officers do at each shift change, do you? Besides that most officers are trained to ask "consent to search" to avoid any 4th Amendment problems with the stop of the vehicle. We citizens are rarely trained that we have an absolute right to refuse the government access to our private places, possessions, and persons without a valid search warrant.

Most honest officers will tell you in a heartbeat "hell no I wouldn't let someone search my car...house...etc without a warrant. Along those lines ask your friendly police officer acquantance if he/she would take a breath/blood test if they have had anything to drink and are stopped while driving home from Buffalo Wild Wings or Lu Raqs, or any of the other local officer watering holes. Oh, that's right...they would'nt be stopped!!!

I haven't ever been stopped by a cop, but you can bet your sweet behind that I would be polite to the officer and let them search if they wanted to, because "I KNOW" that they wouldn't find anything.

siub, it is people like you that make the police officers act like they do sometimes. Try to understand how dangerous their jobs are, and the risks they take everyday to protect and serve people like you. They really don't get paid that much either.

siub its real simple if you have nothing to hide you give them consent to search they are done in five minutes and you go on. If you resist all they do is order a search warrant and they look and if they dont find anything you might get a ticket for something else like changing lanes without a blinker or speeding. Obey the laws and you wont get pulled over and if you do get pulled over be honest with with the officer. I know many law officers and have rode with them and they all have done there job properly and never had to intimidate anyone that was not guilty.