Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
In light of the problems reported with checkpoints and the like associated w/ Wakarusa, I figured I'd start this post.
If you do nothing else go to www.flexyourrights.org (props go to Jason for originally posting the link). The most important take home msg from it is "DO NOT CONSENT TO A SEARCH OF YOUR CAR!". If the police are asking you for permission to search (and they may be very nice or very hard about it) then they do not have probable cause and can't do a search without your permission (www.flexyourrights.org has a very good explanation of "reasonable suspicion" vs. "probable cause" and what that means to someone pulled over). There is NOTHING wrong with refusing a search consent, if there was there was there wouldn't be a 4th amendment to the Constitution.
If your goal is to avoid a hassle, keep a low profile. Writing "BONNAROO OR BUST!!!!!!" on your car is like driving a red Porsche, the cops can't resist. DO NOT DRIVE REALLY REALLY FAST! This is especially important just as you're coming into Tennessee, people have been pulled over for going 2-3 mph over the limit near the border. Make sure your car is street legal; headlights work, taillights work, current tags, muffler is actually attached, etc. If you are really paranoid, don't wear clothes that would peg you as "one of those fuck1ng god damn hippie freaks" (some, not all, but some of the cops still think along those lines down here). Drive in the right hand lane when you can, wear your seat belts.
When you get to Manchester, you'll probably be waiting in line on the interstate for a while. Keep in mind, "Bonnaroo rules" don't apply yet! Cops can see in your car and there are a fair number of them right around 'roo (most of them are busy doing a very good job keeping traffic flowing but THEY ARE NOT BLIND). Tennessee has an open container law (i.e. no one in the car is allowed to be drinking) (Thanks to Knoxville for the correction) In Tennessee the driver may not drink alcohol and like anywhere else, drugs are frowned upon. Try to wait to get into 'roo to get loose.
If you do get pulled over (happens to all of us), BE SMART! The one thing that cops like is respect. It costs you nothing to end sentences with "sir", "ma'am", or "officer", even if you don't mean it, it really gets them off. Don't make sudden movements. Every cop's nightmare is being shot over a stupid traffic stop. Don't get out of your car, keep your hands on the wheel, wait for the cop to ask for your paperwork before you reach into the glove box. If you need to reach under your seat or another "non-standard" place for your paperwork, let the cop know. Saying, "I need to reach under my seat, is that OK?" could save you a world of grief. But most of all, DO NOT CONSENT TO A SEARCH OF YOUR CAR. If you get the whole "if you did nothing wrong you have nothing to hide" lecture, just tell them you have personal items that you want to keep private. If the cops can legally search your car, they won't ask your permission, they will just do it. If they are asking your permission, that means they can't search it UNLESS YOU LET THEM!
Bottom line is, don't be dense and you should be OK. Feel free to add ideas. I'll update the original post w/ the good ones.
Last Edit: May 2, 2007 9:43:45 GMT -5 by Leo - Back to Top
Post by mangopositive on Jun 9, 2006 20:34:23 GMT -5
Also, if an officer says, "Why don't you just pull over so I can search your car" ask if that's an order or a request. If he says request, ask him if you are being detained. If not, ask if you can go. ALWAYS treat them with respect... think about it... they are at work.
ONLY DO ONE ILLEGAL THING AT A TIME. Either speed or don't, possess or don't. Not both. When you start doing multiple illegal things they start stacking and making your chances of not getting caught worse and worse!
i agree. wear you seatbelts and dont speed. and dont soap up your windows with roo and whatnot. it just draws attention. just be smart and safe and you almost eliminate the chances of getting bothered in the first place
I just try to be as inconspiculous as possible, I drive an old truck, Move with the flow of traffic, stay in the right lane, just dont stick out is the main thing, But as with every one going to roo, the cops in TN will know where im goin when they see my truck packed to the hilt with all kinds of sh!t
Post by blueraideroonie on Jun 10, 2006 0:20:17 GMT -5
As we've seen in previous years, the police around here are generally decent folk. Most of them would be tickled pink to work an entire weekend of serious banking overtime without having to actually do any real work. Some of them are gung-ho types, and these are the ones to avoid. They want all of us to have a good time at roo and leave without incident, but they also know that there are sketchy troublemakers that come to these shows. If you look or act like what they think is one of those kind of people, they will probably go out of their way to see if you are or not. Don't be paranoid. Be smart. Don't think that this year's roo will be like wakarusa. Kansas is not Tennessee.
Post by flicky0urbic on Jun 10, 2006 8:39:53 GMT -5
DO NOT DRIVE REALLY REALLY FAST! Granted, actually driving the speed limit is unreasonable, but keep it within 10 mph.
I agree with everything you said EXCEPT this. Cops are looking for ANY reason to pull someone over, especially when you first drive into Tennessee. A bonnaroo car usually isnt too hard to spot, and as soon as they see one they will try to find a reason to pull them over.
Last year my friends were going 72-73 mph in a 70 mph zone and they got pulled over, and busted. This year we're planning on going 69 on cruise control.
This is just my experience, but I'd say still be careful ...
Last year as we were exiting the interstate and waiting to be waved onto the side road, I started talking to the cop directing traffic. Of course, the discussion turns to the anticipated drug problem. I asked if the big problem is weed, and he said "Pot? I don't care about pot. You could roll up a joint right here and I'd tell you to smoke it." He said they were more concerned with the meth-heads because they get violent.
Post by digitalc0nfusi0n on Jun 10, 2006 14:31:46 GMT -5
yeah I think that makes sense...if all you have is some green on you, you prolly wont f'ed with too hard...most cops do understand that there are more important things to worry about than some potheads at a concert. They are trying to find large amounts of stuff, weapons, and things that could pose a serious health risk. I think a lot of people who got busted for pot prolly freaked out when the cop was searching them, therefore, he might have felt that there was something worth finding. If you play it cool, then you have a less likely chance of getting searched/inspected more closely.
Humanity has advanced, when it has advanced, not because it has been sober, responsible, and cautious, but because it has been playful, rebellious, and immature.
You know, that's what I've found over the years... most cops would rather the sweet leaf be legalized and or decriminalized. This makes for less work for them. Ridiculous arrests/paperwork basically, of people that weren't causing harm or disruption anywhere in the first place.
You know, that's what I've found over the years... most cops would rather the sweet leaf be legalized and or decriminalized. This makes for less work for them. Ridiculous arrests/paperwork basically, of people that weren't causing harm or disruption anywhere in the first place.
it would seem that way. and lots of them will say that. but the truth is that most cops get payed off of dui's and small time drugs. they tax you on your drugs. they can sieze your property and auction it. not to mention all of the court costs and fines youll pay. and then throw in the 400 dollar sobriety programs they make you take and its really expensive. its a money maker for them that keeps them employed. i dont think they want it changing at all. a few of them sure. but it would collapse their corrupt sytem if they did. it costs money to track down, arrest, and jail most criminals. on these small time busts harrassing average ctizens they make boatloads of cash. that what its about. i doubt we will see a change anytime soon.
Last Edit: Jun 11, 2006 18:43:12 GMT -5 by Dude - Back to Top
and by the way thats why they are out everynight on the highway. profiling for dui's. looking personal amounts of drugs. and yet that dude who broke into your garage and stole all of your sh.it is living it up. try telling a pig someone stole your tent and cooler at roo. see if they fill out a report and investigate or if they just say uhh ok. i gotta go bust someone for drugs, screw the true criminals. and even crazier is that if they find your thigns they wont tell you. you have to call and check to see if its at their claim center. if you daont call they hold it for a couple weeks and then auction it. without ever informing you they have it. and if they do find it you can only claim it if you have proof of your serial number and its still on whatever they have. you can have pictures of a tv in your living room and if the serial number is removed they will not give it back. i think half of the time the pigs take them offso they can auction them off and pay their checks.
i had a horrible experience with claiming items stolen from my car and garage. i ended up getting nothing back even though half of my stuff was there and i was looking at it.
Post by frankthemute on Jun 12, 2006 2:18:15 GMT -5
I saw something sick today. I was watchin MSNBS Dateline and they were catching internet predators. This 40 something guy got caught going to what he thought was a 13 year old girls house to have sex with her. He pleaded guilty and only got 67 days in jail with 67 days credited for time served. My friend got 6 months for selling MJ.....now tell me what the hell is wrong with this. A fucking sicko pediphile got less time than my MJ selling buddy. Really pisses me off, I have a 9 year old niece and if this mther fucker had tried this on her he would die and I would get way more time than he woulda got for raping her. Non-violent offenders getting more time than violent criminals.....isn't the U.S. great.
I saw something sick today. I was watchin MSNBS Dateline and they were catching internet predators. This 40 something guy got caught going to what he thought was a 13 year old girls house to have sex with her. He pleaded guilty and only got 67 days in jail with 67 days credited for time served. My friend got 6 months for selling MJ.....now tell me what the hell is wrong with this. A honkey donkeyg sicko pediphile got less time than my MJ selling buddy. Really pisses me off, I have a 9 year old niece and if this mther f**k*r had tried this on her he would die and I would get way more time than he woulda got for raping her. Non-violent offenders getting more time than violent criminals.....isn't the U.S. great.
That's completely fu*ked up, David. I had no idea the sentences were so backas$wards between the two offenses. Makes me sick.
Hi all. This will be my first 'Roo, and I have a few questions that may be appropriate in this thread (but not important enough to warrant a new thread)
How thoroughly have your cars been searched in the past? Is it routine for them to dig through all your stuff, or do they normally give everything a good once-over?
I don't plan on bringing anything illegal (not really my thing) but I'm very obsessive-compulsive and hate people poking around in my belongings. Mostly, I'm just afraid I'll end up stuck for 20 minutes while some random dude is digging through my stuff.
The inspections are generally very cursory. The have to process ~80k people, they can't take a lot of time w/ everyone. Last year was the longest for me and all they did was glance in my glovebox and center console (from outside the car, so it really was just a glance) and peek in my coolers (didn't actually move anything around in there). How shady you look coming in probably correlates w/ how much time they take looking through your stuff.
Post by flicky0urbic on Jun 12, 2006 11:12:54 GMT -5
I watched that special. It was "Dateline: To Catch a Predator". Really crazy sh1t if you ask me. They have all the episodes on the dateline website.
What's really interesting is that you get to watch for the look on the guy's face when he realizes he just ruined his life, and he's going to be on television.
Yea, that is really messed up. Also, when they decided to do a show in "small town" USA to see if it was just as bad there they chose the little town in Ohio where I grew up and my parent s and family still live!!!!!! CRAZY! I watched the show hoping not to see anybody I knew! You just can't tell these days. Thank god I don't have any daughters.
Post by frankthemute on Jun 12, 2006 12:53:42 GMT -5
Yea I called my mom and was like listen, this town is the same size as us....we have like 12000 it had 13000 I believe. If it can happen there it can happen here. So I made her put it on there and made her make my little niece watch so she truly undertsands there are people out there who are sick. On the small town onw, they caught a 6th grade teacher!!!!! And an EMT. But like I said, what just really pissed me off was that one guys sentence. He was the only one who pleaded guilty. 134 DAYS!!!!!! Like i said my buddy had to serve a full 6 months just for sellin some mj. Sorry, for kinda bringing a somber mood to this thread lol, but I know a lot of people on here have kids and if you watched that it would just freak you out. So if anyone gets busted at ROO and lets hope not.......be sure to tell the judge an internet predator only got 134 days and to consider that lol.
Question - my friends and I are not bringing herbal treats with us to 'Roo, if we want that we figured there will be plenty available. But we will probably bring some alcohol, and none of us are 21 yet. Obviously possessing alcohol under 21 is illegal - we get that. But as far as getting pulled over / car searches go, do you really think a few water bottles with rum in them will be noticed?
!!!" on your car is like driving a red Porsche, the cops can't resist. DO NOT DRIVE REALLY REALLY FAST! This is especially important just as you're coming into Tennessee, people have been pulled over for going 2-3 mph over the limit near the border. Make sure your car is street legal; headlights work, taillights work, current tags, muffler is actually attached, etc. If you are really paranoid, don't wear clothes that would peg you as "one of those fuck1ng god damn hippie freaks" (some, not all, but some of the cops still think along those lines down here). Drive in the right hand lane when you can, wear your seat belts.
