But Officer, I Didn't Do Anything!

Tampa Tribune ^ | Jul 22, 2002 | JIM SLOAN

[TightSqueeze]

Jul 22, 2002

`But Officer, I Didn't Do Anything!'

By JIM SLOAN
jsloan@tampatrib.com

Photo by: GREG FIGHT FHP trooper Christopher Miller directs westbound cars on I-4 near Polk City into the rest area where drivers will be asked to answer a survey about high speed rail.

LAKELAND - They call it a ``Voluntary Roadside Interview.''

But for hundreds of motorists flagged down by state troopers Monday on Interstate 4, there was nothing voluntary about it.

Off-duty troopers, hired at $30 an hour, picked motorists at random and directed them to pull off the interstate into a rest stop, where Palm Pilot- toting interviewers waited.

No, this roadside checkpoint wasn't looking for drunken drivers. The survey, which will cost about $150,000, was commissioned by the Florida High Speed Rail Authority to gauge public interest in riding a proposed 120 mph bullet train.

The experience left some motorists wondering what's next: Publix hiring troopers to corral interstate travelers for a marketing survey?

``They freaked me out,'' said Alan Kent, pulled over Monday on his way home to Clearwater after a concert. ``I thought they had pulled me over to search me.''

A woman traveling with Kent, who declined to give her name, was even more blunt: ``It's illegal,'' she said.

Not true, survey officials say. They said they checked with a lawyer for the Florida Department of Transportation.

``The bottom line is, we can do it. It's well within the law,'' said Adrian Share of HNTB Corp., general consultants for the rail authority. ``With the cooperation of state troopers, the state is allowed to pull people over just to seek information.''

Florida voters passed a constitutional amendment two years ago that requires the state to begin building a high- speed rail network by November 2003. The train could run down the median of I-4.

Last week, the rail authority, which is responsible for building the rail system, conducted traffic interviews at I-4 entrance ramps in the Lakeland area. Sunday and Monday, the authority set up shop at an I-4 rest stop east of Lakeland.

Bruce Williams, who helped design the survey, said interrogations are the only way to accurately target the people most likely to use a bullet train: I-4 commuters and tourists.

The authority could take down license plate numbers and mail surveys to registered owners, but that also could backfire, Williams said.

``You don't have to stop traffic, but you get a very large negative reaction of `How did you find me? Big Brother is watching me through cameras.' ''

Each interview took about 90 seconds. Questioners asked drivers about their travel habits, their daily commute and - a question some didn't feel was particularly relevant - how much money they make.

`Income can be a very important determinant of people's willingness to choose a certain mode of travel,'' Williams said.

Respondents were asked for a general income range and were asked to pick one, not a specific figure, he said.

``If people refuse to answer it, that's fine. We're not insisting that everybody answer every question,'' Williams said.

David Vogel, directing the interviews on I-4, said most motorists were ``understanding and patient.''

But Farouk Kahn of Orlando said the authority's methods were sneaky.

Instead of signs saying ``Traffic Survey Ahead,'' westbound traffic was greeted with red cones, ``Reduced Speed Ahead'' signs and drawings of men digging.

``I thought there was construction going on or something,'' Kahn said. ``It's like a tricky thing. You should tell the people instead of saying one thing and then doing something else.''

The traffic survey will be repeated at the rest stop Wednesday and then wrap up, officials said.

Reporter Jim Sloan can be reached at (813) 259-7691.

This story can be found at: http://www.tampatrib.com/MGA5WPU8Z3D.html

[TightSqueeze]

Voluntary Roadside Interview - is this any way to gather information?

[freeeee]

Outragous. Intolerable. Rediculous. Abusive.

I live near there. And I'm not pulling over for this BS.

[agrace]

``The bottom line is, we can do it. It's well within the law,'' said Adrian Share of HNTB Corp., general consultants for the rail authority. ``With the cooperation of state troopers, the state is allowed to pull people over just to seek information.''

WHAT? This doesn't seem possible.

[WindMinstrel]

``The bottom line is, we can do it. It's well within the law,'' said Adrian Share of HNTB Corp., general consultants for the rail authority.

just because it's legal, doesn't make it right

[Semper Paratus]

Great, I 've goto to go down there tommorow for a funeral.
They won't appreciate my opinion if I'm stopped.

[freeeee]

"The bottom line is, we can do it. It's well within the law," said Adrian Share of HNTB Corp., general consultants for the rail authority. "With the cooperation of state troopers, the state is allowed to pull people over just to seek information."

If this is the law, then the law needs to be changed.

[rockfish59]

Und you vill sign ze paypuhs!!

[freeeee]

ping

[dead]

``The bottom line is, we can do it. It's well within the law,'' said Adrian Share of HNTB Corp., general consultants for the rail authority. ``With the cooperation of state troopers, the state is allowed to pull people over just to seek information.''

F you, Adrian.

It’s not “well within the law” you dick.

I’m probably going to wind up shot one day, when I start screaming my lungs out at any bastard who subjected me to this.

And it would only escalate the more they tried to reassure me that they were allowed to do it.

[NMFXSTC]

No red light, no pursuit, no DUI checkpoint?

Sounds like this falls under the same sort of crap Carl Chessman did in CA in the 50s...?

I don't stop for unmarked cop cars either...acknowledge that I see some hidden flahing lights and just drive on the the nearest service station or public place...sometime a long way!

This is one helluva squander of tax money! $30/hour????

Oh....it's FL...home of that "chad" thingy and the blue hairs who can't figure out a ballot...and all those "green card" folks?

[steve50]

I wonder what was said to those who refused to give any information, if there were any in these times.

If they're going to question you demand a court appointed lawyer first, lol

[Conservative til I die]

Wonder if they'd arrest you if you didn't pull over. Would kinda put a hole in this whole voluntary idea.

[ArmoredCav]

Not true, survey officials say. They said they checked with a lawyer for the Florida Department of Transportation.

``The bottom line is, we can do it. It's well within the law,'' said Adrian Share of HNTB Corp., general consultants for the rail authority. ``With the cooperation of state troopers, the state is allowed to pull people over just to seek information.''

I don't think information is the same as an opinion. I would think information would be along the lines of "Did you see a dark green Ford with New Jersey plates with bullet holes in it?" which may aid in law enforcement, not this opinion gathering gestapo tactic. I hope that some nasty lawyer having a bad day got pulled over, and now seeks payback... BTW-- what would be the legal status of a person who got pulled over solely for this survey that was found to have drugs/stolen goods etc in their vehicle?

[FryingPan101]

I was disappointed to read it was just a survey. If it was a random search, I would have felt better. Everytime we enter Fort Bliss military installation, we show ID at the gate and subject ourselves to a thorough random search of our vehicle (in our case, a gorgeous "there's only one") Jeep. We welcome the search and feel good about what it means. No rights lost- just great security. God Bless the USA!

[taxcontrol]

If they want my opinions, I'll charge them my normal consulting fee at say $300 per hour that's $5 per min. Time starts from when they pull me over and runs untill I return to the highway. They would have to sign the contract first - otherwise no opinions.

[Conservative til I die]

Wait a second, they couldn't just send out surveys via mail? I would have to think it's a lot cheaper than hiring off duty troopers for $30/hour. And you can hit a lot more households to compensate for the fact most will throw the mailer in the trash. I mean, what's the most it cost to develop, print, and mail the survey, $1-$2 each?

[unixfox]

They said they checked with a lawyer for the Florida Department of Transportation.

If a a lawyer says it's ok then it must be true.

[freeeee]

Wonder if they'd arrest you if you didn't pull over.

Time, money and effort spent dragging this through the local press and courts would be well spent.

If we don't make this difficult for them, it will only encourage this behavior.

[Woodman]

Not that I like it, but even if they ask the questions, I'm sure you could just refuse to answer.

[TightSqueeze]

If it was a random search, I would have felt better.

You would be in favor of random searches on open stretches of highway, for what purpose and how would these searches contribute to well being?