These guys get off the reservation from time to time ... and wander into Austin ... and ...
Posted on 01/12/2011 8:21:14 AM PST by SwinneySwitch
Two men were arrested for driving while intoxicated on 6th Street Friday night. One was riding a horse, while the other was riding a mule.
Austin police say the ment were both intoxicated. They were apparently trying to lure people out of bars and into the street to take pictures with them and their farm animals.
Bartender Brian Matthews thought he'd seen everything, that is until he walked outside to have a cigarette Friday night.
"There were these two guys on horses, or mules, or something, outside of Shakespeare's," he said. "(It) looked like they were being pulled over for a DUI."
Jose Rios, 33, and sidekick, Samuel Olivo, Jr., 48, parked their horse trailer near I-35 and 12th Street. They rode their mule and horse down to 6th Street, inviting peole to take pictures with them and their four-legged beasts.
Police video shows the two being stopped by officers. In the video, Rios appeared to be so intoxicated that he couldn't even finish his sobriety test.
Austin police arrested the pair for DWI.
"The law has recently changed and the motor vehicle definition is a little ambiguous, but they felt that it would fit that criteria," said Commander Jason Dusterhoft, of the Austin Police Department.
The DWI charges may be lowered to public intoxication.
"In the city of Austin it is legal to ride a horse on a public street," said Commander Dusterhoft. "What we were obviously concerned about is them being intoxicated, inviting people out into the street causing a danger, causing a danger ... to themselves, the public, the horses."
"Well, it was unusual. You certainly don't get these types of arrests. This is the first time I've ever encountered this," said Tony Plohetski, a writer for the Austin American Statesman who first reported the story. "I think one of the big questions that I think a lot of people are going to have is, was this really against the law? Is it against the law to be intoxicated going down a city street on a farm animal? And there are, from the best I can tell, different opinions about that."
One of the cowboys was so intoxicated that police say he had to be hospitalized. The animals were taken to animal control and it isn't clear if they're back with their owner.
At least my horses know the way home.
This is just another nail in the “safety” coffin. There is no way a horse or mule will walk over pedestrians or crash into cars because his rider is drunk. Instead, the city wants its cashola.
Public intox I could see for them hassling people, but that wasn’t the arrest.
I won’t give her a break even though I loved that movie.
Ya gotta love Texas...
You cant arrest me...Im a personal friend of the Mare!!”
DING DING DING - we have a winner!
Me too:)
Can never forget that image of Marvin as Kid Shaleen on his horse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koAA9MvqSpI&NR=1
But how is riding drunk on a mule ‘driving’?
Hopefully they weren’t doing the ‘Enumclaw’ thing with these animals back at the barn ?
Hey! They were helping to prevent I don't know how many people from driving home DUI! Luring them out of bars! And they got arrested for being DUI? Typical Austen police logic!
Which would you rather be run over by? A guy on a mule, or maybe 20 drunks driving home in their cars?
It doesn’t matter as they were definitely road hazards. The article did say that there is some leeway in the law.
When was the last time you were in Texas?
These guys get off the reservation from time to time ... and wander into Austin ... and ...
Nice.
This is why I drink in my barn.
I was in TX probably 3 or 4 times in 2010. I will not be going back for a while as I refused to get grouped by TSA.
I should have edited. The drunks were probably illegals. “I like horses and mules more than drunken illegals from Mexico.”
No Texan rides a burro. Open-border LBJ “Republicans” like Rick Perry, Kay Bailey or Cornyn just might.
O, Cisco!
I laughed myself hoarse when I read that, thanks...
Keeping Austin weird ping.
Are you saying that these men, who may be illegals, were possibly homosexuals? The “man” riding the burro was possibly the “wife?”
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