Damn...I was polygraphed for my drug related question.
The room itself made me all nervous.  Poly guy told I failed including my name and my highschool.  That was riducious.  Anyway, they kept asking all these bs and I sticked with my same answer.  I guess it's dq, eh?
I told everything to my BI before POLY.

What I don't get, if you fail your name and highschool (All provable facts), shouldn't that tell the stupid polygrapher that your a little to nervous and he either needs to help you calm down a little or the stupid test is inconclusive. Crap like this is what really pisses me off. I applaud you for not standing up and punching the jerk in his face then asking him to read the spikes on that or asking him to ask you if you would like to beat the crap out of him, I bet you would pass on that question.

Koban4Max,

Until you get the official rejection letter you are still in the game. And besides if you know the polygraph is truly a load of garbage, find another department and try again. As I am sure there are more than one PD in your area. Much success to you.

Regards ....

If you are a qualified applicant and you keep getting disqualified for nothing more than a "failed" polygraph, just keep trying.

I failed three before passing my fourth and getting my current job in law enforcement.  

Oddly enough, even though I gave the same answers on all four tests (because it is easy to keep telling the truth no matter how many times you are asked) I failed for a different subject on each test.

I would have thought that if I "showed deception" on my drug-related questions on my first test that I would have also shown some deception on drug-related questions on the following three tests.  Nope.  Same answers on test one, two, three, and four, and only on test one did I "indicate deception."

On test two I did fine on the drug questions but "showed deception" with regards to fighting and assaulting people.

On test three I did fine on the drug questions and on the assault questions, but "showed deception" on qeustions about stealing.  Hmmm...  Maybe they think I stole something between test #2 and test #3.  And then I must have returned whatever I stole before test #4, because I didn't show any deception on that one.

It is experiences like this that make me feel qualified to share my opinion regarding the accuracy (or lack thereof) of the polygraph, despite not having been an examiner or conducted a set number of polygraph examinations in the field.

This episode smells. Every time I hear this kind of story--my idle curiosity wants to see the facts. People hate taking polygraph tests---period. I have had countless examinees state to others that I have said things to them that the video proves otherwise. When we humans undergo a sort of bitch-slapping process of being scrutinized for veracity, it feels aweful. Repeat Aweful. The consequences of that after-test feeling of being subjected often manifests itself in hurt-driven retribution by the Examinee. This is somewhat similar to the ex-girlfriend, after you broke up with her, her telling her friends that you were a neglectful or hateful partner in order to garner a degree of sympathy. I have often thought that such martyrdom is justified by virtue of the amount of good people who have engaged in such behavior. Incidentally, I have never seen an individual who disclosed ALL issues in the BI. Depending on age, there are usually memories which unfold throughout the process of the interview. Are you sure that you didn't have a stoner friend who you hung out with in the 80's and transported, protected, and accomodated illegal drug trafficing (bags of weed) for which you believe is none of law enforcements goddamn business (which could be morally true). That hapens to be a common nebulous issue on the drug question on poly tests. If you helped and abaded a bank holdup--you woud certainly fail a poly test. Drugs (and this is frustrating to cautious Examiners) is an issue which we civilians have accomodated in our lives. Doesn't nearly every one have a stoner cousin, or a pill-popping step sister---someone who we would not ever report to authorities due to the generally held belief that drug laws are rather draconian and outdated and we love our friends and families? Law enforcement sees drugs in a completely different light than the vast majority of Americans. Justa ramble.

removed post

palerider wrote on Feb 20^th, 2007 at 6:38pm:

This episode smells. Every time I hear this kind of story--my idle curiosity wants to see the facts. People hate taking polygraph tests---period. I have had countless examinees state to others that I have said things to them that the video proves otherwise. When we humans undergo a sort of bitch-slapping process of being scrutinized for veracity, it feels aweful. Repeat Aweful. The consequences of that after-test feeling of being subjected often manifests itself in hurt-driven retribution by the Examinee. This is somewhat similar to the ex-girlfriend, after you broke up with her, her telling her friends that you were a neglectful or hateful partner in order to garner a degree of sympathy. I have often thought that such martyrdom is justified by virtue of the amount of good people who have engaged in such behavior. Incidentally, I have never seen an individual who disclosed ALL issues in the BI. Depending on age, there are usually memories which unfold throughout the process of the interview. Are you sure that you didn't have a stoner friend who you hung out with in the 80's and transported, protected, and accomodated illegal drug trafficing (bags of weed) for which you believe is none of law enforcements goddamn business (which could be morally true). That hapens to be a common nebulous issue on the drug question on poly tests. If you helped and abaded a bank holdup--you woud certainly fail a poly test. Drugs (and this is frustrating to cautious Examiners) is an issue which we civilians have accomodated in our lives. Doesn't nearly every one have a stoner cousin, or a pill-popping step sister---someone who we would not ever report to authorities due to the generally held belief that drug laws are rather draconian and outdated and we love our friends and families? Law enforcement sees drugs in a completely different light than the vast majority of Americans. Justa ramble.

It sounds like you are saying that anyone who claims to have told the truth on a polygraph and failed because of drug-related issues was actually lying or withholding information.  Is that correct?

In my case there were no revelations, drug-related or otherwise, following my first failed polygraph.  And yet on my three subsequent polygraphs there were no issues or "deception indicated" on any of my answers related to drugs.  I answered everything the same way on all four of my polygraphs.

It is impossible to believe in the accuracy of the polygraph when you are answering all the questions truthfully but the examiner looks you straight in the eye and tells you solemnly that he is the "real" lie detector and it is crystal clear to him that you are lying now about this or that.  If it wasn't so frustrating it might be funny in its irony.