You should never talk to any police officer under any circumstances. Why not? Take it away, Professor James Duane:
If there were any justice, this guy would be appointed Emperor of the Milky Way. Thanks to commenter Willy at A Tiny Revolution for pointing out this unbelievably cool video.
If you just can’t get enough of this civil rights stuff, see also the worthwhile (but longer and far less entertaining) “Citizen’s Guide to Surviving Police Encounters” here, or the related and very useful FAQ here.
Finally: I’m about to start following a bunch of tuneful Scotsmen across the country and then quite possibly looking at water and dirt, so posting will be light to nonexistent for a while. In the meantime, feel free to watch this excellent video not once, not twice, but thrice.
[ NOTE: This posting contains three fun hidden contests! The winners of two of them will receive the award of having impressed me by figuring them out, which is admittedly a sucky prize. As for the third, I’d be very happy if nobody wins it, though my experience with human nature doesn’t make me hopeful; the winner, should one come forward, will receive a coveted “most illogical person on the planet” award. ]
The Distant Ocean 
I saw this quite some time ago; it’s brilliant. I imagine the same arguments apply here in the UK, although, of course, we don’t have little things like constitutions written down anywhere.
There’s also the follow-up video of the police officer giving his point of view, which, amazingly enough, is essentially the same as the lawyer’s.
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Also, the best part of this video is that Mr Duane is clearly on amphetamines. I mean, can you imagine trying to take notes in his class?
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I as a civil libertarian long for Mr. Duane’s imperial rule over our galaxy. My award, please.
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Well, okay, I’ll bite: If I say that I have, in fact, watched this video thrice (though, admittedly, not in one sitting, and not all as a result of this post), do I win Prize No. 3?
I find your puzzles deeply … puzzling.
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Wow, he seems to be a professor at Regent University Law School (founded by Pat Robertston).
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Yes the Christianity crap seeps through every so often during his talk, but, even so, he’s making good points. One just has to filter that stuff out.
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He reminds me, in his jaunty manner, of that guy on the infomercials who sells a book telling people to order his book that tells you how to cash in on government grants. I know that wasn’t likely to be what you were looking for, but I say that I won, so send me a box of yummy crackers(or a bunch of coupons) to 123 Hanover St, Dallas, TX 75201. I don’t live there or even know if it’s a real address, but I like verisimilitude.
I really do like crackers, though.
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Sorry, y’all, but no winners. The first contest was to name the Scottish band, and the second was to identify the Simpsons quote. As for the third, I suspected that one of the befuddled flamers from the Gates thread might jump in here to say how ironic it is that someone like me who loves police authority so much would endorse the idea that people shouldn’t talk to the cops. Thankfully, it looks like those people have taken their straw and gone home.
(StO, you get an honorable mention on that one, since I also half-expected someone to say that the fact that I’d nominate anyone as Emperor of the Milky Way is the final proof of my authoritarian tendencies. Which would have made even less sense, since everyone knows the Emperor of the Milky Way is a ceremonial functionary at best.)
And NomadUK, you’ve indeed impressed me by having watched this video three times in your lifetime, which is the same as the sucky prize you’d have gotten for actually winning! So that’s something.
Erik, I didn’t realize the Pat Robertson connection—thanks for pointing that out. Assuming that really does say something about Duane’s beliefs as opposed to just being where he works, it only increases my admiration for him.
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Oh, cool, I have the same thing as a sucky prize! Yay, me!
I think… Wait…
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