Has there been a rash of pre dawn pot smoking?

[cyjeff]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Georgia

Something a bit bizarre happened a couple of days ago...

Daughter got pulled over for making an improper left turn. She turned into the right lane rather than the left.

Officer pulled her over 1/2 mile away.

The citation isn't the problem. When my 17 year old rolled her window down at 7:00 in the morning, the first question the officer asked was "so, when was the last time you smoked pot in this car?"

What the heck is that? Not what he pulled her over for, but some completely unrelated comment about weed?

She does have one of those "Coexist" magnets on the back of her car - she is a bit of a tree hugger but who wasn't at 17? - but that seems a little much.

Whatcha think, folks?

And yes, she is currently marking the days until she gets to drive again... and we are going to court so that she can see the process in action...

 

[justalayman]

I am assuming she doesn't smoke pot nor do her friends.

It sounds like it's a general question the cops in your area use to initiate a conversation that might lead to some dumb kid going "uh, it's been a long while" or "not since yesterday" which is going to get the cop to ask some other leading questions hopefully leading to a search and/or arrest.

 

[cyjeff]

I am assuming she doesn't smoke pot nor do her friends.

It sounds like it's a general question the cops in your area use to initiate a conversation that might lead to some dumb kid going "uh, it's been a long while" or "not since yesterday" which is going to get the cop to ask some other leading questions hopefully leading to a search and/or arrest.

My daughter is a year round swimmer. She won't eat processed sugar, for goodness sake.

Her lighting up a dobie is actually laughable.

Just seemed like a bizarre starting question.

 

[justalayman]

Just seemed like a bizarre starting question.

In todays world? Not really. It's a shame but it really isn't.

 

[Isis1]

My daughter is a year round swimmer. She won't eat processed sugar, for goodness sake.

Her lighting up a dobie is actually laughable.

Just seemed like a bizarre starting question.

Who is that pot head olympic gold medalist again? Mike something....

It was a bait question. I do that to my kids all the time. And they fall for it too.

 

[Maestro64]

It just another good teaching lesson for your daughter, which is she is not required to answer any questions which are not relevant to the reason she is being detained in the first place. Unless the officer told her first why she is being detained she is not required to answer any of his questions. However, also teach her this usually pisses off police officers who think they have a right to ask you what ever they like and you are require to answer any and all questions.

As it was pointed out, the police are hoping the individual will incriminate themselves. That question they asked is like asking someone when they stopped beating their wife, there is no yes or no answer to those questions, they are design to create a conversation and put the person on the defensive.

 

[CreativeBlock]

Just seemed like a bizarre starting question.

I'm with the others ~ it's simply the way it is now.

Of course, perhaps unlike the others, I live in prime Spring Break territory (we even became famous for "taking down" Girls Gone Wild) and see the kind of outrageous behavior most would think were fictional.

I've seen a car load of teenage boys jump out of a car, run up to the girl-laden car in front of them, drop trousers and ... um ... attempt to dominate the car. This was in the middle of a busy intersection.

The home next door to us is vacant due to bankruptcy and initial foreclosure proceedings. When we first moved into our home 3 years ago, I and other neighbors had to call the police at least 6 times in one (summer) month to report teenagers breaking in to drink and have parties.

And our neighborhood is quite prestigious and well-to-do. We are not a marginal neighborhood.

Each Spring Break, we get at least 200 cases of alcohol poisonings in our local 2 hospitals. At least 6 teenagers will dive off of 2-3 story balconies, and at least 20 teens will be stopped for not only drunk driving, but likely, running over their drinking companions with said car.

That known, now, how bizarre is a policeman asking your daughter (whom he doesn't know personally) if she's been smoking pot? I'm not trying to be snarky, BTW. Just letting you know that not only do you THINK you have a good child, but if my scenarios are extreme and insane in your mind, you can KNOW (and know it's true) that you have a good child.

That you're in here asking that just displays that you've done a wonderful job raising your child.

 

[justalayman]

this kind of situation is where I like to answer the cop with a question of my own such as: Are you accusing me of smoking MJ? why would you accuse me of something like that? Do you have some reason to accuse me of breaking the law like that? I really don't like being accused of breaking the law. Sure, I may have violated some traffic law but drugs??!!!! Are you really accusing me of doing drugs?



It allows the person to not answer the question, which, as Maestro stated, simply doesn't have a real answer which doesn't imply some wrongdoing at some time.

 

[Antigone*]

It is just a police tactic to see what you'll say.

Almost 20 years ago, my husband and I were coming home from the ER with our infant on a Friday or Saturday night. We went through a DUI check point. When we stopped because the officer indicated he wanted to speak to us, he asked my husband "How much have you had to drink tonight?"

I'm normally very respectful to LEOs but his attitude and the fact that I had been in the ER with my baby elicited a very angry response from me while I sat in the back seat with my baby in her car carrier.

I asked him why he had to ask the question in that manner. I told him we had a sick baby and were coming home from the ER.

Once he saw that mama bear was not in the mood he just waved us on.