Originally Posted by CastIron

So very true. Hence the term "totality of the circumstances". Yeah, and it shouldn't. Cops are only too human as well. In any case it isn't material in this case. Which only makes the reasonableness of a chat with the police greater. After all, sitting in the parking lot of a closed business before daylight could clearly be both for good and bad purposes. It would be foolish to ingore either possibility. True, and to a great extent it's been terribly detrimental to our freedoms as of late. Believe me, I mourn that loss greatly. That said, we're not discussing a suicide bomber, rather a citizen fearing for something a bit more pedestrian (and real)--street crime.