This brings back another episode of LEOs interrupting time off. I remember people complaining KY police knocking on the doors of trucks parked at truck stops in order to do inspections.
What is your opinion of that circumstance, Cheri? Should a driver always do what the officer tells him, so as not to raise suspicion? There is a difference between suspicion and reasonable suspicion. In order to have reasonable suspicion to yank someone out of their bunk, there has to be more than a driver telling a cop to kiss off.
I thought the reason for the driver to hand the LEO the requested items pertaining to sleeping codriver was to avoid interrupting his/her sleeper berth period - seems easier to me than refusing.
I've never been asked to interrupt the sleeper time, but I think if I were, I'd probably comply. Because we all know that if the LEO decides to, he can really ruin your day. It may not be right, [or legal], and you may even be able to force him to admit it in a court of law, years later, but at what expense?
Having said that, there are days when principle seems more important than cost, and on those days, I might stand on my right to remain lying down.
If I am not in the driver's seat, or doing DOT regulation stuff (pre-trip), an LEO cannot LEGALLY tell me a damm thing if I am not on the clock, unless it's in regards to my well-being, or a crime has been committed.
With regards to a team, I have never been asked to come out of the sleeper. Nor has my co-driver. I have been asked to give his drivers license. Fine. I'm not one to rock the boat, if something REASONABLE has been asked. But yanking someone out of the bunk for nothing is not reasonable.