# "Refusing the California Fruit Nazi Checkpoint & Driving Away" - Is this guy breaking the law?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [November 8, 2013, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388 "2013-11-08T08:03:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/61 "2013-11-11T13:15:26Z")

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> [@PunditLisa](#):
>
> We have an Emerald Ash borer problem in the Midwest…

I wasn’t aware that ash trees were a multi-billion dollar cash crop in Ohio. Ignorance fought.

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**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/62 "2013-11-11T13:37:15Z")

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> [@Fear\_Itself](#):
>
> I wasn’t aware that ash trees were a multi-billion dollar cash crop in Ohio. Ignorance fought.

Agriculture being a multi-billion dollar cash crop doesn’t mean that this jaundiced campaign to prevent pests from coming into the state is worthwhile. It’d be like the TSA only screening one out of 8 lines. Or the US border only actually manning every fifth station, with everyone else just being waved through.

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**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/63 "2013-11-11T14:55:57Z")

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Those videos, especially at DUI checkpoints, do have instructive value. They demonstrate that cops will rarely answer a direct question.

Sir, roll down your window.  
I do not consent to a search.  
Sir, roll down your window please. Have you been drinking tonight?  
I refuse to answer questions and I do not consent to any search.  
\<So the guy is being a douche but he is within his rights. Then we get to the fun part - where the cop starts acting like a dick right back at him\>  
Sir, roll down your window.  
What is you name and badge number? \<Cop refuses to answer.\>  
Sir, you need to roll down your window.  
Am I being detained? \<Cop refuses to answer.\>  
Sir, do you understand why we have these checkpoints?  
Am I being detained or am I free to go? \<Cop refuses to answer.\>  
Where have you been tonight?  
Am I being detained or am I free to go? \<Cop refuses to answer.\>

\<continue ad nauseum\>

Ignoring the general dickitude of the drivers for a second, it really shows that if you are in a situation where you really should not talk to cops or consent to a search that the cops won’t just say, “OK, off you go.”. Instead they will bulldoze you and refuse to answer you when you say, “Am I free to go.”

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