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Man Smoking Pot in McDonald's Drive Thru Busted by Cop Behind Him

By Cynthia Hsu, Esq. on June 24, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Jose Barrera was arrested for smoking pot in a McDonald's drive-thru lane in Illinois.

Maybe Barrera had a case of the munchies, or maybe he just wanted to preemptively buy some snacks when he did have some cravings, but whatever the case - he really should have looked in the rear-view mirror.

As it turns out, he had lit up at the McDonald's drive-thru without noticing that the car right behind him was a police car, reports CBS News.

In Barrera's defense, maybe he couldn't tell the car behind him was a cop car. It was about 12.30 a.m., so it was likely dark out, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

The police officer smelled the burning marijuana. Barrera's window was rolled down - and he even blew out some smoke out of the passenger-side window, reports the Sun-Times.

Slightly suspicious? Very suspicious.

The officer then pulled him over and found an entire Tupperware container filled with marijuana, the Sun-Times reports.

Barrera probably had the whole night planned too. Smoke a joint, eat some Big Macs... But now, he's facing a court date instead.

Barrera was charged with possession and was released on a $120 bond. His court hearing is scheduled for July 22, reports CBS News.

It's important to remember that police can stop and search your vehicle if they have probable cause that something illegal is inside or that there has been criminal activity. Seeing as the policeman behind Barrera saw him blow smoke out the window, it's probably safe to say that he had probable cause to pull Barrera over.

And, it's probably a sure bet that Jose Barrera has learned his lesson. No more smoking pot at the McDonald's drive-thru.

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