Who said anything about being a tough guy? How about complying with lawful portions of a traffic stop and simply exercising your right to not comply or not be forced to comply with anything outside of that?
Oh wait, let me guess, "if you don't have anything to hide you don't have anything to worry about" right?
How about private contractors without a valid Oklahoma law enforcement commission conducting traffic stops and questioning motorists as part of civil forfeiture "training" here in the state. We should just go along with that too because we "have nothing to hide"?
TK's point is, if you have probable cause or I was speeding, then do your job and let's all get on down the road but don't expect me to play your word games or answer 20 questions that have nothing to do with the infraction you originally pulled me over for.
If officer safety is the driving force, then minimizing contact and speeding up the interaction is in everyone's best interest. If you are fishing for probable cause that you don't already have, don't expect me to help you with building said probable cause.
Oh yea, I see now....
When the drug dog comes, and he may well come, and "alerts" on your car...be sure to tell him that you have other things to do and that you are not going to put yourself out to satisfy his curiosity.
I have been on lots of stops and I don't ever remember the officer asking to search someone's car just because he wanted to. And if he really wants to, believe me he's going to search it.
It seems to me if you'd cooperate with a cop that they'd treat you better-unless you had something to hide. Why be confrontational just so you can exert your rights? They have a job to do, let them do their job and you'll both be on your way. Right now the protest groups are confrontational and it creates bad attitudes and the cop always has the upper hand-usually except in Democrat cities.
Declining to give permission to execute a search in the absence of reasonable suspicion or probable cause isn't confrontational. Not on its face, it isn't, anyway. If you simply politely decline, what is confrontational about that? Nothing. Just be polite but know your rights, and don't offer up information not required, move along about your day.
If a cop gets butthurt, angry or confrontational due to refusal to allow access in the absence of PC, there's a bigger problem at play than my refusal to give up my rights.
Your refusal to voluntarily turn in your assault weapons lends reasonable suspicion you might commit murder. It's not like you're going to hunt with it, why do you have it anyway?
