"So, how about they start stopping your car on the street and searching it for sommat to pass the time?"

They used to do that to me and my long-haired musician friends regularly back in the 70s on the streets of Toronto. No bad behaviour was required on our part. No violations of civil law. We just had to be there and have long hair. Period.

A police state is always just the blink of an eye away in modern society. All that is required is that you be considered "undesirable" for some reason in the minds of those who have the power....and they WILL take away your rights and freedoms. All it takes is the political and the police will to do it.