If the Court had recognized that traffic stops must be limited in what police are searching for as well as how long they take to conduct the search, the sui generis nature of dog sniffs would not have been dispositive of the case. "Under today's decision, every traffic stop could become an occasion to call in the dogs, to the distress and embarrassment of the law-abiding population....  Today's decision clears the way for suspicionless, dog-accompanied drug sweeps of parked cars along sidewalks and in parking lots....
If the Court had accepted that traffic stops should be limited to what police search for and how long they take, the special nature of dog sniffs wouldn't have been a deciding factor. "Under today's ruling, every traffic stop could become an occasion to bring in dogs, causing inconvenience and embarrassment to law-abiding people.... Today's decision makes it possible for suspicionless, dog-assisted drug sweeps of parked cars along sidewalks and in parking lots.