[lukan]

"Don't talk to the police, without your attorney present, under any circumstances whatsoever."

Oh but I did. Multiple times, without a lawyer ever, how shocking:

"Hey, my bicycle was stolen, I need to file it so I get insurance payout"

"Hey, this demonstration and the roadblock of yours for guarding it, will it be around for much longer?"

"Hey, nice weather, isn't it?"

(Misdirecting small talk, while they were searching for drugs on the road to a festival, but then didn't really check me)

"Yes I know I have to have a light with a bicycle, but the battery went out and it was a emergency now to go anyway"

(Did not had to pay a fine)

And countless other examples like this.

Also more serious ones.

"Yes, it was those neonazis who beat up my friend"

So .. I never cared much for this online advice, but then again I also don't live in the US. Maybe there they shoot and arrest anyone approaching them on general principle?

Well in my world, that was actually shaped a lot by anarchistic anti establishment people, I found that one can talk to cops as inhuman cops, then they will act like one, or you talk to them as humans and might be surprised that they reply as humans.

That doesn't mean, that there ain't lots of assholes on a power trip in uniforms, but the "never talk to them advice" assumes they all are. And this is just wrong and act as a self fullfilling prophecy.

[ceejayoz]

> I also don't live in the US

“Don’t talk to the cops” is not global advice. In some countries it harms your defense in court. In others it gets you beaten.

Most times you hear it it’s an American talking to Americans.

[lukan]

"some countries it harms your defense in court. "

In all countries it harms your defence if you confess something wrong. But itnis not a general rule that it always hurts.

[ceejayoz]

I'm referring to things like the UK's right to remain silent, where the Miranda-style warning is:

> You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.

Basically, your alibi is considered much less credible if your first mention of it is at trial.

[xigoi]

> “Don’t talk to the cops” is not global advice.

I’ve seen the advice several times on HN (a global site) and it never claimed to be USA-only.

[xboxnolifes]

And when people say "the government" on HN they arent usually talking about every government or even a world government. Frequently, its a specific government. The US one.

[ceejayoz]

You'll find HN is very frequently US-centric, yes.

[throwawayqqq11]

In all your cases, you wanted something from LE. The advice to stay shut is mainly for the other way around.

[lukan]

Internet experts, also here on HN, tried to convince me otherwise.

Also no, in the drug search example I just wanted to be left alone (and not have them find the small bag of weed). So I answered, but talked about harmless things.

[FatherOfCurses]

The key statement here is "I don't live in the US"

I grew up outside of the US and immigrated here in 1995. US police are on a completely different level.

[joquarky]

> but then again I also don't live in the US

You could have said that up front and we would immediately know to skip the rest, as the advice is founded on the behavior of police in the US.

[boring_twenties]

> but the "never talk to them advice" assumes they all are

No, it doesn't, that's absurd. Does wearing a seatbelt assume that you're going to crash every single time you drive?