Potter, Nebraska Speed Traps

Pulled over for no apparent reason at 11:45 PM while on a business trip. State trooper’s given reason for stopping me was a “welfare check”. No further formalities, just asked for my license, registration and insurance, and instructed me to step out of the vehicle so he could search it. I gave him the documents, then stepped out, locked the car and told him that I did not consent to searches. He threatened to call in a K-9 unit, and I again refused consent. Fifteen awkward minutes later, he came back from his vehicle and asked one more time for consent to search, saying he’d have my car impounded if I said no. I said no again, and he handed me back my paperwork along with a warning for not wearing my seatbelt–even though he’d been standing alongside when I unbuckled to get out of the car at his request. I’ve seen state troopers monitoring speed out here many times, day and night, since then, suggesting a trolling operation more interested in using any excuse to stop and search, and if they just so happen to get some traffic fines out of you, cool.