Texas arresting "drunks" in bars

Darzog · Post by **Darzog** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 2:22 pm

http://www.news8austin.com/content/top_ ... rID=158047

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission may be watching the next time someone has one too many drinks in a bar.

For the last few weeks the TABC has been increasing the number of undercover agents inside bars looking for people who may be intoxicated.

"Texas has the highest DWI fatality rate in the nation and what we are trying to do is slow that down and save some lives. We are trying to get people to consume alcohol responsibly," Carolyn Beck of the TABC said.

If an agent thinks you are intoxicated they will ask you to step outside where another agent will perform a field sobriety test.

If they determine you are intoxicated, they can issue you a citation or take you to jail.

I appreciate the effort to reduce the number of DUI/DWI (which there are A LOT of here) but you shouldn't be arrested just for being drunk in a bar. Now once you go back to your own car, sure no problem. But you can't arrest someone for something that they MIGHT do later (since this is being justified as an attempt to reduce DWI). *insert joke about crappy Tom Cruise movies here*

TonyMontana1638 · Post by **TonyMontana1638** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 2:28 pm

*Insert joke about Rob Schneider movies here*

Magrus · Post by **Magrus** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 2:28 pm

Anyone who decided to attempt to arrest me for being intoxicated would most definately have a hard time of it. I'm not agreeable to be told what to do when I'm drunk unless I happen to find it amusing, fun or pleasurable. Being cuffed may be fun in certain situations, but pigs don't count as "fun" for me. Ridiculous.

OH! People in Dallas can't drive anyways. They should re-test anyone who got their license there in the first place.

Darzog · Post by **Darzog** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 2:32 pm

Houston is worse.

And I wouldn't advise getting grumpy with Texas officers, especially in Austin. Most of them are nice when the sun is out, but once the light goes out they get pretty nasty. You usually don't even have a chance to say "Hey, I pay your salary buddy..." before they smack you upside the head with a night stick.

And if you happen to be on 6th Street in Austin the bouncers are even worse.

Magrus · Post by **Magrus** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 2:36 pm

Bah, I'm really not sure what I would do if a cop hit me. If there were witnesses, I'd just take it and then sue. If not, I think I'd beat the snot of him until backup came. I do not like cops, especially the ones around here. Coward drug dealers is all they are.

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 4:07 pm

I hope they are at least accompanying all of this with a massive public education programme, encouragement to have designated drivers, as well as looking at the root causes of excessive drunkenness...

Beyond issues like individual liberties..
IMHO, on its own, this is nothing more than a band aid solution, and given how much it will piss people off, a highly ineffective one at that.

Chimaera182 · Post by **Chimaera182** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:14 pm

What an age we live in. The solution to all our problems is more and more police control. Gee, look at the time, 1938 already.

They could've done anything else instead of this. Why not make it easier to get public transportation for the inebriated? That leaves the question of getting their cars in the morning, but at least they'd have cars. I know Ft. Lauderdale is chock full of cabs on the weekend. Heck, you have to take a cab to get anywhere in Ft. Lauderdale on a Friday night; parking's tough, and all the clubs and bars aren't exactly parking-friendly.

Magelord648 · Post by **Magelord648** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 7:14 am

I agree with Tony. I haven't drunk before and never will, but being arrested for being drunk in a bar is stupid. Drunk and disorderly maybe. What if the person is walking home or there sobre mate is giving them a lift.

Aramant · Post by **Aramant** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 12:16 pm

I agree with Magelord. Something that seems to have been overlooked is whether the drunk person drove there in the first place. When I go out to a bar, I walk or take public transportation. Being hauled out of a bar drunk because I might drive drunk, when I don't drive in the first place, seems rather nonsensical.

Demortis · Post by **Demortis** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 2:20 pm

Well, here in Las Vegas, we have a company called Designated Driver. They get called up and they take you and your car home for ya. One radio station here promotes them alot, and from what I hear they do a good job.

But yea, their (TABC) is going abit overboard on that one.

Magrus · Post by **Magrus** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 2:54 pm

[QUOTE=Aramant]I agree with Magelord. Something that seems to have been overlooked is whether the drunk person drove there in the first place. When I go out to a bar, I walk or take public transportation. Being hauled out of a bar drunk because I might drive drunk, when I don't drive in the first place, seems rather nonsensical.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I walk everywhere or take the bus. Granted, it's illegal to be intoxicated in public...however, if I'm simply going to be drunk and walk home, I do not see the problem. If I attack someone, rob someone, or start breaking things, that would be a problem. A police officer pulling me out of a bar and cuffing me for being drunk and thinking I may get a DWI would get a piece of his mind if he ignored the fact I don't even have a driver's license when he ID'd me.

Yarr · Post by **Yarr** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 3:16 pm

Which reminds me, Last summer I was thrown out of a concert, and after that I half-spat, half-'flicked my tongue' right in (front of) a police officer's face. He grabbed my arm but didn't get a real hold on it so he just let it go. Didn't even come after me. Oh, and I was only wearing one shoe. I awoke in the middle of the forest that I have to pass through to get home.
I forgot my point, but beeing drunk rules.

Yarr · Post by **Yarr** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 3:26 pm

[QUOTE=Magrus]Yeah, I walk everywhere or take the bus. Granted, it's illegal to be intoxicated in public...however, if I'm simply going to be drunk and walk home, I do not see the problem. If I attack someone, rob someone, or start breaking things, that would be a problem. A police officer pulling me out of a bar and cuffing me for being drunk and thinking I may get a DWI would get a piece of his mind if he ignored the fact I don't even have a driver's license when he ID'd me.[/QUOTE]
Just beeing drunk is illegal there?

We just had a 'case' where a bunch of politicians wanted to make it legal to drink in public here

Sadly, it didn't pass through, but only with a small margin.

Magrus · Post by **Magrus** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 3:29 pm

[QUOTE=Yarr]Just beeing drunk is illegal there?

[/QUOTE]

Yep yep...that it is.

Yarr · Post by **Yarr** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 3:30 pm

[QUOTE=Magrus]Yep yep...that it is.

[/QUOTE]

*pats back* there, there.

blake · Post by **blake** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 11:02 pm

But you can't arrest someone for something that they MIGHT do later

Yes we can, and we can also invade a country for something they MIGHT do later.

Go Texas! :laugh:

I'm done. Back to lurking.

Napoleon · Post by **Napoleon** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 12:20 pm

Did it occur to anyone that the article could have been worded poorly, perhaps even on purpose to get this reaction, and this isn't the situation at all.
The "d.w.i." part of this arghument may be a very small part of this issue, as far as I can tell this is about getting people to drink responsibly, in a bar or at home it doesn't matter you still shouldn't be drinking to a certain point (obviously being decided by undercover agents)

[QUOTE=Carolyn Beck of the TABC]We are trying to get people to consume alcohol responsibly [/QUOTE]

Siberys · Post by **Siberys** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 12:30 pm

That's what the 'bar' is for man, Drinking. There shouldn't be a limit to how much you can drink if you're at least responsible enough to hand over your keys before you start. You drink in a bar, and now they're telling you NOT to drink in a bar. Where else are you going to drink with you're friends, home is nice, but a bar is convinient for the types of drinks they may have.

It's a simple soloution, require them to hand over their keys as soon as they enter the bar as well as ask there address in case of a taxi needed. It takes maybe 30 seconds to call a taxi and say "I'm going from Here to here," and costs them nothing. The drunk person can still pay for it, no problem, but for gods sake, don't limit what people can do. That's like saying "Here's your copy of Elder Scrolls 4, but you can't play it for more than 15 minutes a day or you'll be arrested."

Stupid.

Napoleon · Post by **Napoleon** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 12:35 pm

You are absolutely wrong, the purpose of a bar is to socialize, the drinking is just something to help that. And the problem is that people AREN'T responsible enough, the purpose of our laws is to protect society and in case you hadn't noticed, if that means restricting certain people then we'll still do it. You cans till drink in bars, you just need to be in control, which I think is a perfectly acceptable stipulation. And your Elder Scrolls analogy is way off the mark, it would be more like "Here's your gun, now don't shoot anyone" which I'm sure you'll agree (especially if you're american) is acceptable. Drunks are dangerous, and anything that puts society in danger needs to be restricted or controlled.

Fiona · Post by **Fiona** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 12:40 pm

Am not!