Ransacked tacklebox, ticket for smoking a cigarette, and a skunk at Puddingstone...

[DEVOREFLYER]

Never ever give consent to any search of anything without a search warrant. It is your right to not give consent to a search, the Sheriff was out of line to search without your consent and I would file a complaint to his superiors ASAP. Again never ever give consent to a search. I would make a BIG DEAL out of it and perhaps it would get your citation dropped because of it.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

[xjdesertfox]

Remember these words:

Officer: do you have any weapons or dope or anything i should know about?
You: I do not have anything illegal.

Officer: Nothing I should know about?
You : I do not consent to any searches.

Officer says anything else
You: Am I being detained? Am I free to go?

[bendopolo2004]

Maybe a little lighter Pudd authority story. Half of Big Bear was on fire as well as most of Arrowhead. The Santa Anas were blowing and I was Float tubing in a calm spot just outside Sailboat cove. It was at least 90 degrees. Ashes were falling kind of heavy but slowly. A young lady Lifeguard comes up to me and I stated to her " Kind of hot to be snowing this hard " . She looks down at me and explains " Sir, thats not snow. It's ashes from a fire in the mountains. It never snows here.". Totally serious. I bet she went back and told her equally clueless Guardmates the story of the Snow Guy.....No wonder the Cops come up and use them.

[CL SmooV]

Yes, the pudd, which happens to be one of my favorite lakes, can produce some seriously anal staff. A recent reason is due to deaths on the lake last year. They have board meetings and pass down some serious fear to staff. Thus, acting like paranoid and uptight tools to the fishing community. To add, who you really have to look out for are the snitches who walk the lake frequently. I think most of them live in on top of the hill in the camper park. Some of these folks feel they own the lake and even call the life guards or sheriffs to make illegitimate complaints. Example, I take me daughter to the pudd every summer to fish pan fish. This tool comes walking by and says out loud so I could hear " and this guy is fishing with 3 poles here". I immediately turn around and tell this moron that's its perfectly legal--- that I have a valid license and stamp for a second pole. And under 16 fishes for free--- my daughter is 5. He turns bloodshot red and walks away feeling very foolish. This tool STILL calls the lifeguard who in which came to ask for licenses less than 5 minutes later. The locals who live around the lake act like school kid hall monitors. And I'm sure it was one of these tools who called the lifeguard on you. Guaranteed.

[dday07]

It's simple...obey the rules no tickets...i'm guessing reason your in the back fishing cause you know it's wrong to drink in park...count your blessings you didn't get one before...pay lakes allow drinking,try there next time like us.

[CrouchingNinjaHiddenFish]

that is just lame, i feel like people with authority now at days really take advantage.

[Kingfish Addict]

It's simple...obey the rules no tickets...i'm guessing reason your in the back fishing cause you know it's wrong to drink in park...count your blessings you didn't get one before...pay lakes allow drinking,try there next time like us.

Nice guess, but no. We were fishing the back because it's one of our favorite spots and it usually produces. Like I said, we had 2 beers that were unopened and inside the backpack, so the sheriff and lifeguards had no probable cause whatsoever to run up on us like that. The sheriff jumped off the boat and immediately searched through our stuff as if someone called and said "there's 2 guys in the back doing drugs and other illegal activities." We were JUST fishing, plain and simple.

Thanks everyone for your concern for the cookies, they definitely got the short end of the stick.

[cutbait]

You all realize its only in LA county where the lakes have sheriffs and patrols and lifeguards and lakes closed to night time activities for a reason right?

[DotA]

It's everywhere not just the pudd, have u been to silverwood? Well at least woods don't have those punk *** lifeguard..

[cutbait]

Go north of LA county and lakes are open 24 hrs and no patrols