Somebody ransacked my van last night.

[BigT]

I'll throw in another scenario.  Homeless guy (or someone more nefarious) just gets started going through the van when an LEO drives slowly by.  Perp gets spooked and sneaks away.  Or....    Who knows?

Nope, not very likely in my case.  The carport is behind the building.  You have to drive down the driveway, turn left and drive to the end to reach my van.  At that point, the cop would have to be behind the building, and if that were the case I probably would have gotten a knock on my door.  

I've been there for 5 years and two cars, and have never had a problem.  I probably just left it unlocked and some lucky homeless person with good timing found it and went through it looking for money or drugs.  
I'm just thankful their list of valuable items was so short.  I'd have been super pissed if they had taken my bed.  That's my prize possession in the van.  

 

[eDJ_]

I've been pulled over in Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, and North Carolina. Generally it was when I was traveling during the cool of the night since the temperature during the day time were in the 90's & 100's.

Any number of BS ruses were used to win through intimidation.  Basically making it out like they had some issue
with the vehicle and were about to have it towed in.   Where would I stay without it, they would ask ?  I was to turn off the engine.  Then they insisted I open the privacy curtain made of a beach towel that was hung behind the front seats.   They searched the interior using their high powered flash lights inquiring of everything they saw while trying to make mountains out of mole hills.  Real "Gestapo" stuff.   And they didn't have to open a door or get a search warrant.

This is why I endorse the 2 2 2 system if it is possible.   If you are on the road after 11pm to 4:30 am you are
liable to encounter this stuff.  In those times I was a naive young man who believed in his "inalienable rights",
traveling as if the LEO were there to protect my safety like dedicated public servants.  Those were probably the ones I never met.

 

[B and C]

I've been pulled over in Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, and North Carolina. Generally it was when I was traveling during the cool of the night since the temperature during the day time were in the 90's & 100's.

Any number of BS ruses were used to win through intimidation.  Basically making it out like they had some issue
with the vehicle and were about to have it towed in.   Where would I stay without it, they would ask ?  I was to turn off the engine.  Then they insisted I open the privacy curtain made of a beach towel that was hung behind the front seats.   They searched the interior using their high powered flash lights inquiring of everything they saw while trying to make mountains out of mole hills.  Real "Gestapo" stuff.   And they didn't have to open a door or get a search warrant.

The first part puts it more in perspective.  Prime moonshiner territory (Ohio not sure of) and the middle of the night.  The more you talk instead of saying yes officer and no officer leads to more questions from them.  Ask them if you are under arrest.

You consented to the visual search when you pulled back the curtain.

 

[highdesertranger]

well you finally made some sense to me. a LEO friend of mine once told me 95% of people on the road between 2am and 4:30am where up to no good and were easy marks. so I can believe that part of your statement, however I also have driven those hours to escape the heat. I have been pulled over a couple of times during those hours and told them I didn't want to be on the road in the hot part of the day. they didn't go though my vehicle, they didn't do anything I would characterize as being hassled and let me off without a ticket both times, I think they just wanted to see if I had been drinking. so the question remains what are you doing that make you afraid that they are going to seize your computer. highdesertranger

 

[NeedAnEscape]

I have all my computers encrypted mainly so a thief can't easily steal the data after stealing the computer. I had a high end gaming desktop stolen out of a normal house several years ago. Even with fast storage (SSD RAID) the performance hit is extremely minimal and it's just a checkmark plus deciding which password to use when installing the OS, so why not?

 

[eDJ_]

You consented to the visual search when you pulled back the curtain.

As I said, when LEO is intimidating you with perhaps towing your vehicle in and asking where you will stay,  it becomes a game of Cat and Mouse.   If you were on the street in the middle of the night in some cross roads town he could turn around and bust you for vagrancy. (all while you're awaiting a Magistrate hearing) Your arm is being forced up behind your back here and when the  LEO demands...."Open the curtain" you can imagine what will happen next if you say no to him.  Try it.

I don't see it as giving consent...more like being coerced or bullied.  

 

.

 

[B and C]

I have no idea on how you talk to LEO when stopped or how you dress or act.  The sheriff that lives behind me says he can pick up on when someone is trying to hide something. 

I had a '77 Dodge van that had a full race cam, 4 bbl carb and headers with 50 gallons worth of gas tank that got its best gas mileage at 85 mph (rarely stopped for gas).  This was in the days of 55 mph speed limits.  I got my share of tickets.  I put over 250k miles on the van (wish I still had it).  In those days it was always destination driving.  I would come home on a Friday after work and the wife would climb in.  We were off to somewhere for vacation, normally Colorado.  I would drive from Houston to the West side of the divide in Colorado by 9 or 10 Saturday morning (drove all night at speeds).  Did I get pulled over in the middle of the night?  Sure.  I was never asked to search the van.  I did not always get a ticket either.  I was always respectful.  My experience was always on main roads though.  Not much driving through small towns in the middle of the night. 

If I were paranoid about my laptop being confiscated, the data on it is not what I would be worried about.  I have all my data backed up.  It would be the loss of the laptop itself.  I would have to get another one while waiting to get mine back.

 

[eDJ_]

I always travel clean, well groomed, and decently dressed.  Likewise with keeping the Van clean and inspected
before departing. (lights, signals, etc checked and papers license/registration/insurance ready for presentation
if requested)  

My demeanor is pleasant and laid back.  Cooperative.   I don't say much but give direct to the point information when it is asked for.   Nothing to hide and comply when asked.  (like opening the curtain) 


My experience with this "element" of LEO's is similar to that portrayed in the Movie, "Driving Miss Daisey".
(when Miss Daisey and Hoke are harassed by a couple of "Thug" LEO's, when they were simply on the road
side taking a lunch break)

I think I would now consider the purchase of one of those cheap $150 dollar Lenovo PC lap top's to take on the road.  If they rip me off It's not like I've lost a Power Mac or something.  Again, the news media is always reporting how information was found on lap top's leading to convictions.  I'm surprised they don't have Dogs
trained to smell lap tops now.  Who knows, maybe someday the Dogs will be able to sniff out OS or Windows.
As if the Government can't breathe down our necks enough already.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

You consented to the visual search when you pulled back the curtain.

Actually, they don't need your consent.  The Supreme Court has ruled that police can conduct a limited search of the passenger compartment only during stops if they have some reason to be concerned for their safety.  See:

http://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6396&context=jclc

If a passenger car, they would not be able to search your trunk.  But arguably, with a van, the entire van is the passenger compartment, and the cops have a right to make sure someone with a gun isn't hiding behind the privacy curtain.  Or there isn't a weapon back there that YOU can reach.

Disclaimer:  I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on the Internet.  Feel free to disagree with me, I don't mind.

Regards
John

 

[highdesertranger]

actually I think they have dogs to sniff out electronics, isn't that how they busted that guy from Sub Way Sandwich. but I think we are comparing apples to oranges. I can't see them pulling you over for a traffic stop and confiscating your lap top. what reason would they have to do this? when they are confiscating computers you are being investigate for something big, not for speeding. highdesertranger

 

[WriterMs]

Also not a lawyer, but I'm very sure a search warrant is needed to even open a laptop or read someone's cell phone. Even if they towed in your vehicle for some bizarre reason (lawsuit from driver to follow if they did), I believe they must have a reason sufficient to convince a judge for a warrant before getting into things.

Don't believe everything you see on TV.... the truth is always what's on the Internet! (not)

And not that in a million years would it come to that, but if they did forensically examine your computer and found you keep nothing on it -- would that not suddenly make you suspected of some REAL crime? And then would they not thoroughly search for your "hidden" drives?

LEOs have a legitimate reason to need to feel safe. Lots of good advice on how to do that has been offered.

 

[GotSmart]

I have my wallet stacked so the first thing LEO sees as I am going for my ID is my USAA card, and a stack of plastic and business cards.   Then there is the Medicare card.   

I am just a disabled grandpa driving around seeing the country with my cat. 

Full insurance and new tires.  

Nothing to see here officer, move along

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

if you are being arrested they can search your vehicle. if your cell or laptop is open, that too. if its locked, theyll need to pass higher scrutiny aka warrant to get in im pretty sure. Disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace aka trump charges to haul you in, probably arent enough to warrant that type of search. Any evidence of drugs is usually a free pass to one tho ( even just a lump of cash..somehow counts). That war on drugs, so handy...

 

[eDJ_]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...-dead-family-lawsuit_5620005ce4b028dd7ea73d53
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...-dead-family-lawsuit_5620005ce4b028dd7ea73d53
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...-dead-family-lawsuit_5620005ce4b028dd7ea73d53

 

[gingerperth]

I have a friend who leaves his un lived in van open.  Vinyl seats.  A homeless woman sometimes sleeps in there when it is raining and leaves it clean, and does not abuse the privilege.

for many years i owned old, rusty vehicles that i'd leave unlocked, making sure there was nothing of value in the car. about twice a year i'd find evidence that someone had checked out the interior for goodies to sell (for drugs). but they never did any damage, unlike friends who always locked their cars and would sometimes have the door lock jimmied (which cost $$$ to have fixed), just so someone could check in their closed glovebox or console. 

now i have a slightly better car with central locking so keep it locked (and empty), but the word has already gone out that my vehicles are a waste of time. 

for 20 years i've left my front blinds up and a light on 24/7 so poor neighbours (and their friends) could see i have nothing of value. so far (knock on wood) no break-ins or vandalism. 

i have a petty-criminal nephew who advised me on all this.

 

[66788]

I can't be sure if I accidentally left it unlocked or if they "jimmied" the door, but sometime between Thursday night and Friday morning, somebody got into my van and ransacked it.  Funny thing, though, absolutely nothing was taken.  :huh:   I had a pair of good quality binoculars, some tools, my Revo Lithium jumper pack, some CD's and a couple bucks in quarters in it, but they were all ignored.  

The only thing I can think of, and I know it sounds odd, is that they wanted to charge their electronics off the Acc. plug on the dash.  
The homeless used to use an outlet in our laundry room, but now that the door is locked, perhaps they're looking for alternative sources of electricity.  
I did find the cap/cover to one of my Acc plugs removed, so it's pretty clear they were messing with it.  

Oddly enough I'm not that angry about it, I'm actually relieved they didn't take anything or do any damage when breaking in.  The fact that they didn't find anything worth taking makes me think that if they do it again, I probably don't have to worry about losing any of my stuff.  Clearly I don't have anything they want.  

Still, I'm going to shop for a car alarm this weekend.

Probably the Feds planting a bug in your van.    Help! The paranoids are after me!

 

[BigT]

Hmmm, I didn't think of that option.. Good idea. And they ransacked the interior to make it look like a homeless person did it, looking for drugs.

I guess I'd better start shopping for that tinfoil hat now. I'll probably get a pretty good deal given this is Black Friday.
Where does one shop for something like that, I wonder?

 

[rvpopeye]

Where Else ????
ROSWELL NM.

 

[GotSmart]

I guess I'd better start shopping for that tinfoil hat now.  I'll probably get a pretty good deal given this is Black Friday.  
Where does one shop for something like that, I wonder?

Amazon  They have it all.

http://www.amazon.com/Aluminum-Foil-Deflector-Beanie-Protection/dp/1581603762

 

[Reverse Engineer]

When I was in Hawaii for a conference in 2010, the car rental agency warned me not to leave valuables in the vehicle, and to leave it unlocked so it would not be broken into.

This works fine for day tripping around, but if you live in your vehicle you are bound to have some things of value in there.  Tools, Electric or Propane or Kerosene Appliances, etc.  So just leaving it unlocked does not seem like a very good solution.