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Comment by debt | Hacker News Reader

My point is, why contest anything in that moment? You just broke the law and could've potentially caused serious bodily harm to someone. I feel like there's a small window an officer gives you to get out of the ticket. They walk up. They ask you what you did wrong. You tell them. Everyone moves on. Sometimes they write a ticket or a warning. Parent dude completely and intentionally overcomplicated the situation. Wasting his own time and the time of the officers.

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In terms of practicality "shut up and don't ask questions" is certainly going to be minimum hassle. But when the police threatened additional punishments for not having his ID he was perfectly justified in questioning them on the legitimacy of that claim. Acting within your rights shouldn't be punished because it's inconvenient.

I agree, but like some other commenter said about hackers needing a reality check; only the most disconnected of people would attempt to "educate" a police officer about the law. Why would he do that? I'm not justifying the officer's reaction, but, really, what did he think was going to happen? Most officers probably just aren't in the mood to deal with your shit; I'm not saying that's a good thing I'm just saying it's the reality of the situation.

Aside from all that, aren't us hackers trained to never say a damn word to a police officer let alone "educate" them about anything?

The OP did write "stupidly". So you aren't arguing with him.

No. When faced with an officer, you record the interaction, note the badge number, and comply with orders, and the only question you ask an officer is "officer, am I being detained, or am I free to go?"

If the officer is wrong, unless your life is in immediate danger, you comply and you sort it out later. Call your lawyer to complain when you get home.

Well said.

What I hear you saying is that you enjoy the somewhat arbitrary primate street rules that apply to interacting with people who have more power than you, and you'd rather live by those rules than laws.

Those primitive and brutish rules are sometimes easier to understand and follow compared to the complex legal spiderweb we have created.

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