[MulletSlayer]

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up.

I had to drive through Illinois on I-80 this week and was pulled over for having Colorado plates. They had the dog out within 4 minutes. As far as I could tell when the dog circled the car twice it didn't do anything to indicate a hit, but they still searched the trunk. When I was in the cop car the cop kept asking me if I had any Medical Marijuana in the car, which I didn't but it was a rental so who knows what the last person had in it. Once they finished I was let go with a warning for going 6 miles over the speed limit.

I was pulled over again 10 minutes later. The cop immediately asked when was the last time I was pulled over? I told him I was just profiled as a drug runner 5 minutes ago and had the car searched and he immediately let me go.

So be careful driving through that state. There is a chance you will get profiled because of your Colorado plates.

Also I don't have a criminal record, any points on my license, or a medical marijuana card and my wife and dog were also in the car.

 

[2wheelsnotfour]

I'm from Illinois and I can tell you the cops suck a*s in that state. At least in the Chicago area. They are way worse on speed traps in the Chicago area then Colorado and due to insane levels of government spending rely heavily on the resulting revenue. Taxes are high in Illinois too. I've glad to be out of that place.

 

[flowtron]

FIBs! FIB Cops!

 

[Eric Z]

gotta love illinois- hope you enjoyed the tolls too . you might have lucked out since 80 isn't a tollway.

 

[2wheelsnotfour]

Yeah I love how the Illinois government said that once the express ways (they can't be called free ways since they aren't free) were paid for, the tolls would go away. But by that time the government was so addicted to the revenue, they have instead been raising tolls ever since. There will be no new free ways in Northern Illinois. They will always end up being toll ways.

The corruption and price gauging of the Illinois Tollway authority is unparalleled. They have their own Tajmahal. The only good thing is they do plow snow off the tollways faster and much more thoroughly in Northern Illinois then anywhere in Colorado.

 

[Piston pounder]

Same thing always happens to me driving through Nebraska!

 

[literocola]

This thread makes me wanna post some of my hitchhiking stories....

I was hitchin thru the panhandle of Texas once, was dropped off at mile marker 4, walked to some town called Allenreed, could not for the life of me get a ride, so I continued down the highway, pretty much walked to Amarillo, and got a lift from a mexican driving a mini-van. Within 10 minutes of getting a lift, a k9 unit cop pulls along side of us, and just keep staring. I knew we were gonna get pulled over, and I hoped to god this guy had no drugs in his car. After 2 hours of the cops searching the car, and literally tearing this mans car up.. they had some crazy devices that I had never seen before, like portable x ray machines or something.... it was strange, the cop asked who I was, what I was doing, and how I knew this guy, I told him, Im just a traveler, I have my backpack in the back seat, cops didnt even touch my stuff.l After finding nothing.. they just let us go. The man gave me a lift all the way to Cali. Coolest mexican I've ever met, owned a soccer store in LA, family, kids, just a very nice guy.

Anyway....

 

[skiahh]

That's interesting... I wonder if having the US Navy plates would affect that at all?

 

[2wheelsnotfour]

I have family in the Chicago area not far from I-80. I'm not sure if its true but I'm told the area is seeing a lot of drug dealing along I-80 in Northwest Indiana. It is said that the drug dealers pull off to the side of roads and pretend to have car problems. Then someone meets them briefly to make an exchange, presumably drugs for money.

 

[Eric Z]

Yeah I love how the Illinois government said that once the express ways (they can't be called free ways since they aren't free) were paid for, the tolls would go away. But by that time the government was so addicted to the revenue, they have instead been raising tolls ever since. There will be no new free ways in Northern Illinois. They will always end up being toll ways.

The corruption and price gauging of the Illinois Tollway authority is unparalleled. They have their own Tajmahal. The only good thing is they do plow snow off the tollways faster and much more thoroughly in Northern Illinois then anywhere in Colorado.

no joke...and the tolls just doubled recently. looking forward to leaving this state- hopefully soon. that's why i vicariously live through the front rangers in this forum :thumbsup:

 

[Manmountain Dense]

Virtually the exact same thing happened to me in Iowa last year.

They claimed my license plate frame was blocking too much of my plate. No kidding.

Unless they have probable cause to arrest you, it's illegal for them to search you unless you consent.

Most people consent to the search out of fear of the hassle. So they feel they can violate our rights at will, because they know most people won't stand up for themselves. It's sickening.

 

[IndecentExposure]

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up.

I had to drive through Illinois on I-80 this week and was pulled over for having Colorado plates. They had the dog out within 4 minutes. As far as I could tell when the dog circled the car twice it didn't do anything to indicate a hit, but they still searched the trunk. When I was in the cop car the cop kept asking me if I had any Medical Marijuana in the car, which I didn't but it was a rental so who knows what the last person had in it. Once they finished I was let go with a warning for going 6 miles over the speed limit.

I was pulled over again 10 minutes later. The cop immediately asked when was the last time I was pulled over? I told him I was just profiled as a drug runner 5 minutes ago and had the car searched and he immediately let me go.

So be careful driving through that state. There is a chance you will get profiled because of your Colorado plates.

Also I don't have a criminal record, any points on my license, or a medical marijuana card and my wife and dog were also in the car.

Wow, that's fascinating. My father was a judge in Kansas for half his life; we always talked about the issues of marijuana being legalized. Implications and the ramifications during the period of if being legalized. I never thought of the profiling aspects. What may be legal in Colorado isn't in other states, and you're not immune to local laws.

This is a very serious issue (what you ran into) of profiling and civil rights (there's controversy surrounding it). You should absolutely go to Time, Newsweek, Washington Post, New York Times and contact the media. You may have been speeding, but they were probably looking for any reason to pull you over to search your car. I've been pulled over many times for speeding, but never once has anyone got a dog out to search the car. Media would be all over this.

 

[ChainChain]

I had a similar experience west of Chicago several years ago driving a car with temp tags. Cop was friendly and acted like it would be fun to come back to his car for a casual chat. I thought it was strange. I met his K9 partner and was on my way in about 10 minutes. It was a drug search. It was before MMJ but I-80 is a major route for drug smuggling.

 

[concretejungle]

Wow, that's fascinating. My father was a judge in Kansas for half his life; we always talked about the issues of marijuana being legalized. Implications and the ramifications during the period of if being legalized. I never thought of the profiling aspects. What may be legal in Colorado isn't in other states, and you're not immune to local laws.

This is a very serious issue (what you ran into) of profiling and civil rights (there's controversy surrounding it). You should absolutely go to Time, Newsweek, Washington Post, New York Times and contact the media. You may have been speeding, but they were probably looking for any reason to pull you over to search your car. I've been pulled over many times for speeding, but never once has anyone got a dog out to search the car. Media would be all over this.

Lulz. The media doesn't care about the profiling of pot heads.

They have been doing this for years and people let them search their cars. Most LEO's became LEO's for a reason and bullying is something they enjoy. Know and excercise your rights.

 

[IndecentExposure]

May as well say this

Cops in other states have a profile filter. Here's what your license plate really says

 

[2wheelsnotfour]

My problem with Illinois cops in the Chicago area is their preoccupation with doling out speeding tickets rather then confronting legitimate criminals. There are many areas which are essentially war zones due to drugs and gangs but instead of pulling those people over they harass the ordinary citizen. In my view its because the real criminals can actually be quite dangerous and driving around Chicagoland, I can assure you, you can pick out the people who likely up to no good. Regardless of one's view on so-called profiling, that's the reality in places like Chicagoland.

 

[zrm]

I'm from Indiana and still have family there. I drive through Illinois 2-3 times a year and have never been pulled over for anything.

 

[SkaredShtles]

<snip> They have their own Tajmahal.

Jefferson County does too.

The only good thing is they do plow snow off the tollways faster and much more thoroughly in Northern Illinois then anywhere in Colorado.

Haven't been on the E470 Tollway recently in a snowstorm?

 

[SkaredShtles]

<snip> I've been pulled over many times for speeding, but never once has anyone got a dog out to search the car.

You've never been subjected to the Utah Beer Dogs?

 

[MulletSlayer]

I had a similar experience west of Chicago several years ago driving a car with temp tags. Cop was friendly and acted like it would be fun to come back to his car for a casual chat. I thought it was strange. I met his K9 partner and was on my way in about 10 minutes. It was a drug search. It was before MMJ but I-80 is a major route for drug smuggling.

This is exactly how it went. Then he started in on me having marijuana and then it hit me like a ton bricks what was about to go down. Then I started thinking keep your mouth shut because you can beat the rap but you can't beat the ride and I didn't want to take a ride.