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Just wondering if anyone has had problems with the police while on their way to Bonnaroo. I'm sure the outside forces aren't stupid when it comes to what goes on at Bonnaroo, so I wasn't sure if they randomly pull people over and search them or what not. I know how they can be, so I was just curious!
There's definitey been some horror stories in the past years, including police pulling over, holding, and searching people illlegaly (and eventually having to release them after ruining their weekend or day).
I've never had any problems at all but I look pretty inconspicuous compared to the Roo crowd.
The best thing you can do is be careful, sensible and legal on your way down. I've been known in my group to be kind of a party pooper on the trip down. When a buddy of mine wanted to get the party started while waiting in line, I said no way, not in my car. Personally I'm all business until I park in my spot and get the camp set up, then its on and I forget all my worries for three whole days. ;D
that was me last year, but, i wasnt sure how cool or not they would be. but, as soon as we get into the property this year, while we are waiting, im pulling out the beer
Post by shamrockguinness on Feb 10, 2006 16:30:42 GMT -5
Yeah, I have never heard any of those stories about the police, but I do know that on the way to Bonnaroo (especially once you get into Manchester) they are VERY prevalent. It scares me a bit.
From what I understand, they cannot search unless they have reasonable cause or you give them permission. Do the cops pull over people randomly or do you have to be obviously engaging in illegal stuff to be pulled over? I don't know why I'm so paranoid, I just don't want some cops to ruin my trip to the 'roo. Considering it's gonna be me and a couple other college buddies, we're a cop's best target! Any tips for me? I've already decided that we're not going to have any drugs in the car, and we will clean our bowls so they have no resin.
From what I understand, they cannot search unless they have reasonable cause or you give them permission. Do the cops pull over people randomly or do you have to be obviously engaging in illegal stuff to be pulled over? I don't know why I'm so paranoid, I just don't want some cops to ruin my trip to the 'roo. Considering it's gonna be me and a couple other college buddies, we're a cop's best target! Any tips for me? I've already decided that we're not going to have any drugs in the car, and we will clean our bowls so they have no resin.
There's a constitutional protection against unreasonable search and seizure, which is where the probable cause requirements come from; so, yeah, they have to have either probable cause or your permission to search. Some cops will either bully people into giving permission, try to use your saying no as probable cause, or try to make you think you don't have a choice. I get the impression that when that happens, the search often gets thrown out.
And I'm pretty sure they have to have some reason to pull you over (that's from watching cops, though!). So, make sure all your lights work, always use your blinker....just generally follow all the traffic rules!
As for a locked glove box or trunk, my boyfriend says he might have heard that about the glove box before, but I never have. I've been trying to see if I can find something definite, but I can't. I could be wrong, but logically, to me, if they have probable cause or your permission, I just can't see that stopping at a locked glove box. Regardless, I wouldn't count on it.
Last Edit: Feb 10, 2006 17:28:04 GMT -5 by hilari - Back to Top
I'm not knowledgable about this, but the locked glove box or trunk thing doesn't make much sense to me. There would be some cars with really big glove boxes on the market if that were the case!
There are certainly supposed to be protections against unreasonable search and seizure and they are definitely supposed to have a reason to pull you over.
My point above was that I have heard quite a few stories about people who were pulled over for no reason and held for a night. Ultimately a lot of these cases did get thrown out, but it still throws a nasty wrench in your weekend and will probably cost lawyer money. Pretty much the bullying or coercion that Hilari described above. It sucks, it's illegal but I've heard several instances of this happening on the way to Bonnaroo, and think I even remember some newspaper articles a few years back (I will look for some of this).
I've never had a single problem in four years. Technically I could have had a corpse or a bazooka at the bottom of my trunk any of the four years I've been and no one would have been the wiser by the time I pulled into my campsite. I've decided that its just good for my blood pressure to be super safe, careful and legal on my way down. I'm pretty paranoid about this kind of thing though, so you're mileage may vary.
I've decided that its just good for my blood pressure to be super safe, careful and legal on my way down. I'm pretty paranoid about this kind of thing though, so you're mileage may vary.
I'd call that smart! Better to be overly cautious and get to enjoy your weekend!
i will not drink or let any passengers drink in the car on the way down. As for smoking, im fine with it until we get to tennessee, and the last leg of the trip, then it all gets packed
Were these people taken to jail for illegal drugs and/or underage possession of alcohol, or were they taken in due to suspicion? Dumb question, I'm sure, but just curious because you never know these days.
Definitely pack it up. The first year I went down with three other buddies in my car, one of them doesn't seem to have much common sense, especially when he's been smoking. He hid our pipe in a bag of pretzels we had in the car. I was cool with that except for that while waiting in line for them to give us our bracelets and let us in he offers one of the workers some of the pretzels. The guy reached in and luckily came out with just pretzels but we were all holding are breath, except for my dumb buddy who totally forgot he had put the bowl there. I'm sure the guy probably wouldn't have done anything since he was just a volunteer and not a cop.
oh I almost forgot. Hide your beer bottles well. They can be strict about letting glass go through the front gates. Not because they care that much but because it's real hot out and the workers get to drink whatever they confiscate. When they were letting us in last year one of the guys asked to borrow a bottle opener from us to open all the good beer they had taken.
Last year we were coming in the back way, about 30 minutes to entrance, going about 8 or 9 mph over the speed limit, when we got pulled over. It was unlike anything I'd ever experienced, we pulled into a lot and within a few seconds cops came out of the wood work and we were surrounded by police. They had a drug dog on site who proceeded to jump all over my car. They found random bags of grass throughout our two cars, maybe an ounce and a half, and a half pan of brownies. They weren't to terrible.. they made us do the "Tennessee grinder", dumping all of our pot on the ground and grinding it up with our shoes, and we had to smash our bowl, and they gave us a $75 speeding ticket. After that they let us go. Some of the cops just hangin around were pretty funny, joking around with us... they told us they were just looking for bricks and not to worry they were just having some fun with us. It sucked, but it wasn't a terrible experience.
Not on the way there (even though we smoked on the whole car ride down), but watch out for the police on the way back.
I was filling up gas in White House, TN when a police officer approached my friends car parked to the side of mine. He somehow bullied them into saying that they had some weed. They searched their car and mine as well and I had to spend 10 hours sitting in the jail office trying to bail them out. They set bail at 2,500 per person (3 people) for an 1/8, 1 bowl, and one brownie. The brownie counted as both substance and paraphanilia. These events followed the police officers explanation of how this was not a big deal at all and that if we co-operated that we would be out of their in 15 minutes. 12 hours later (and out of 600 dollars - bondsman money) we were back on the road home to michigan.
NEVER STOP IN WHITE HOUSE, TN. IF YOU GET STOPPED BY POLICE IN TN, DO NOT LISTEN TO THEIR CRAP AND KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO CO-OPERATE IF THEY DON'T HAVE VERY REASONABLE SUSPICION TO SEARCH.
I was lectured by this cowboy looking bondsman in the county jail about how corupt the police force (he claims he was on it) in tennesse is and how they ran out of money in the state wide DEA organization because every single large marijuana bust was deemed illegal search and seizure.
Do as Jay-Z does:
"Well, do you mind if i look round the car a little bit?" Well my glove compartment is locked so is the trunk in the back. And i know my rights so you gon' need a warrant for that "Aren't you sharp as a tack, you some type of lawyer or something? Or somebody important or somethin'?" Tah i ain't pass the bar but i know a little bit Enough that you won't illegally search my shhh-it
Post by shamrockguinness on Feb 12, 2006 15:28:49 GMT -5
Let us not forget the next line of the song, though... "Well see how smart you are when the K-9's come"
Pretty much, from my understanding, if they want to search you, you're f*cked 'cause not letting them search your vehicle arouses suspicion. So either way, you're screwed. Am I wrong?
When you are pulled over, do the cops search through all your bags that you have, or do they just kind of look through the car to make sure nothing is up front with you?
Post by jimmyjamesx5 on Feb 13, 2006 20:01:51 GMT -5
The people at the roo care about two things, they will get you if you are blatatnly showing off anything that you have that is ilegal but they don't want anybody with glass in their coolers they will get you for that and man they really get after those nitrous tanks
Post by pheeeelingphunky on Feb 15, 2006 13:28:07 GMT -5
i heard when you go into roo they search your car.... but you can bring alcohol into roo.... do they care if your underage and have alcohol in your car?
when going through the gate don't have any thing in sight. have all your liquor and or durgs hidden. they don't allow glass bottles so if they see any they will search through your shit. Last year the security seemed especially bad with the searches i saw at least 3 people pulled off to the side of the main gate area having their stuff searched and the gate to centeroo my buddy got his pot taken 2 times. As far as the centeroo gate goes though, if they do find something and want to take it just leave the line and get into a new one after you've hidden it better
I got pulled over in an RV before I ever made it out of my hometown.. LMAO.. Me and 7 buddies piled in a 25 footer... Cop says "Where ya headed?" Buddy #1 says "Bonnaroo man!!" Buddy #2 smacks Buddy #1 in the back of the head and says "Camping officer" Cop says "I've pulled over several vehicles heading there today, your the first to admit your were going to Bonnaroo. I've confiscated alot of pot today. You got any drugs in the vehicle?" I say "no sir, from what i understand thats about like taking sand to the beach" Cop says "Well thats obviously the truth.. be carefull and enjoy yourself"
Post by melikecheese on Feb 17, 2006 10:47:17 GMT -5
I remember reading an article after last years roo and the officers where saying how it was easy to find drug offenders. They would drive up and down the line of waiting cars and they would just smell who was smoking. Lesson being, wait to smoke till you get inside!
I do not remember what the article was, something from a Tenn paper online.
Also a note on the searching. Me and my friend who just had plain tee shirts on and were in a clean honda were only asked about what we had while the people in line next to use with tye dyes and a car covered in Dead stickers had to remove all the bags out of the back so the guy could get a look in the car. They had a station wagon and you could see in the whole car. We didn't even have to pop the trunk. So just a thought, could have been the line and the guy checking or they could have been doing some profilling. So if your going to take a big bag in you might want to appear like you don't take part in any sub culture activites.
No body died, well not from drugs, last year so maybe it won't be so bad this year. I know in 04 a few people overdosed on a bunch of things and thats why some of the extra searches went into place.
Post by jambandjohn on Feb 20, 2006 1:54:34 GMT -5
The past two years we've come from NC on I40 and we've seen a bunch of cars pulled to the side with alot of unhappy Roo-sters... Are the cops profiling? Hell, yes, it's easy pickings. I'll bet the little local governments make alot of their yearly income off this one weekend. Be smart - don't speed, don't drive like an idiot, make sure all your car's lights work, etc Try not to give the cops anything to work with. A few hours of trying to blend in as a model citizen will get you a big weekend of heavy duty, hassle free partying...
