as far as i know, and have experienced, a cop can ask you for your id, but it's a voluntary exchange unless there's probable cause that you've committed a crime. if you don't want to show it and haven't committed a crime or violation, you can tell the cop that that's a voluntary request, you haven't been involved in a crime and that you don't need to show id. if you do as was suggested earlier and ask, "am i under arrest? am i being detained?" and they say, "no." you don't have to show them anything. nor do you have to let them search your bag or yr person. nor do you have to give them your name or address--NOTHING. if they answer, "no," just be on yr way.

it's the same when cops tell you you can't take a picture of something. there's no such rule. it's another issue of voluntary compliance. you can tell them, "you can suggest that i not take a picture of that, but can you cite the ordinance that gives you the authority to demand it? there's no such law. it's an issue of voluntary compliance and i'm not going to comply."

cops abuse voluntary compliance all the time. don't give them that power.


an example of the ID thing is this. at the bike bloc at the RNC, my girlfriend and i were separated when the cops swooped in. she got arrested and i didn't. she had no id. the cops asked. she didn't have it. they didn't care. she received 6 charges (all dropped) and none was anything having to do with not having id. when she asked her lawyer about the id thing (the cops had said they had to hold her longer since she didn't have any). the lawyer said that that's the only reason cops ask for it. it makes things quicker for them. otherwise you have to be fingerprinted and yr prints and SS number have to be sent to albany where they verify that you have or don't have a record and that the SS number you gave belongs to the person you claim to be.

but, as stated above, carrying an id does make it easier to identify you in a fatal accident. but just cos you carry an id doesn't mean you need to show it.