Right to Search and Seizure

Our trip to Nebraska this weekend was good, fast and well weird, like our trips usually are. Something always happens while we are making our 6-10 hour trip, time based on final destination.

3^rd World Memories

About 30 miles into Iowa everyone was suddenly slamming on their breaks. There were State Patrol officers standing around with signs saying be prepared to stop and to be pulled over. This all occurred near a weight station which was full of State P. Trucks and cars were lined up all over the place. We got through it without being stopped, but not without being eye molested as we drove by. Phillip googled it to see what was going on. They called it a “Safety Check.” The cops were randomly pulling over vehicles in groups of 10 and making sure their vehicles passed a safety expectation. Drivers licenses, registration documentation and insurance cards were also being checked.

I read the article about the event this morning and it sounds like it is an annual occurrence. I also read the comments people made about the issue. There were various opinions from people believing it was necessary to those who felt like they were witnessing Nazi Germany.

All I have to say is, first it scared the crap out of me. Suddenly out of no where there are state troopers with signs warning that you might be stopped, and people were scattered everywhere, for what? Second I understand the reason, but I also do not agree with it. If a vehicle looks like it would be in dangerous disrepair you have probable cause to pull them over, that is it.

United States citizens are slowly giving up their rights, without question. The response is always “if it makes my family and me safer.” The fact is I was not driving drunk, carrying drugs or in a vehicle that had the bumper tied up with rope. I am obeying the laws; I do not need to be subjected to a random search. Are we going to start allowing the police to randomly enter our homes to make sure that it’s up to code? I think not. If safety is the concern they should make more of an effort to do that daily instead of on one concentrated day, for anybody.

The whole thing reminded me of the constant threat of police pulling you over in third world countries at will, with machine guns. Often they aren’t police at all and they can rob you blind, kidnap you for ransom or just plain kill you. I’ve been in that situation before; I should not have to worry about that in the U.S. where I am free. I am free, right?

Stormy Weather

Then we hit, well drove between, some big storms. We saw a few large funnel clouds outside of Council Bluffs and we swear one of them had to have touched down. There were storms all around us and we were at the back ends of all of them. Just outside of Omaha we sat on I-80 stuck in a late night traffic jam and watched as nonstop lighting chased across the sky. We hoped we could get to Lincoln before the huge storm in Columbus blew through. Later, that storm ended up swiping Lincoln without hitting with full force. More lighting, some rain and marble sized hail came and went rather quickly.  

Rest Stop Mania

The trip back on Sunday was rather uneventful until we needed to stop for gas just over the Minnesota border. The place was packed. We’ve never seen so many cars lined up for expensive gas. Same went for Cabela’s were we stopped and purchased an old fashioned ice cream maker. It was also packed with cars and people everywhere. Needless to say it was nice to finally get home and well, not really relax, but we were at least home.