Officials Make Public Intoxication Arrests Inside Bars

nbc5i.com ^ | March 15, 2006

[billorites]

IRVING, Texas -- The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has taken its fight against drunken driving to a new level. TABC agents, along with Irving police, targeted 36 bars and clubs Friday, arresting some allegedly intoxicated patrons before they departed the businesses.

The officers and agents also kept watch on bartenders who might have over-served patrons.

Agents arrested 30 people Friday night. Most of the suspects now face charges of public intoxication.

The agents and Irving police officers traveled from bar to bar and worked undercover, according to an NBC 5 report.

The report also said that some agents shared tables with suspected drunken patrons. Some patrons were subjected to field sobriety tests inside bars.

Agents and officers said the operation represented an effort to reduce drunken driving.

Sgt. Chris Hamilton, of the TABC, said some inebriated bar patrons "end up killing themselves or someone else" after departing the businesses.

[The Foolkiller]

Sorry, but as a smoker I get a big chuckle out of this.

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Me too. 8^D

[The Foolkiller]

"Sorry, but as a smoker I get a big chuckle out of this."
Chance are good that a large proportion of the drinkers are also smokers, so laugh away.

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I don't drink.

[Sam Cree]

Good for you, but I can imagine lots of the folks in Texas bars are smokers.

I guess you guys are an illustration of the old adage that misery loves company.

[festus]

Drunk folks in bars.

Next they'll be arresting folks for exhibition at the urinals.

[ovrtaxt]

Extra points if you know his dog's name!

Why, that would be Sluggo, the English Bulldog!

Have you heard the routine about Sluggo pooping all over the living room, and his wife covering it up with napkins? He's got this one version where he goes after Garth Brooks and his silly fans all througout the dog poop story- hilarious!

[CowboyJay]

I'd go so far as to call this back-door prohibition. No doubt just paving the way for the closing of all PRIVATE clubs that serve alcohol.

Where's the dad-gomn ACLU when someone's civil liberties are actually being violated?

[Old Professer]

Better be careful who you invite to your next New Year's Eve party.

[Old Professer]

People don't go to bars to buy groceries, they are there to drink alcohol; now, if we are to charge them with public intoxication we might need to rewrite the standards to clarify what constitutes being drunk so that we may all agree on why we shouldn't close bars.

[Old Professer]

After the first one, the rest come easy.

[Old Professer]

Only for third degree exposure.

[Conservative4Ever]

IMHO...this is waaaaaay uncool

[Old Professer]

I used to walk just under a mile to play pool and drink a few beers and then walk home; one night, the cops slowed down and asked if I needed help and I told them I was just walking home over the next rise, they said take it easy and went on their way.

I don't go there any more, too many drunks.

[Old Professer]

From the police station it would seem.

[Old Professer]

And who is going to take the word of somebody in a bar?

[Old Professer]

From your attitude it sounds as though you might find yourself on their target list as you never know who lurks here.

[The Foolkiller]

Where's the dad-gomn ACLU when someone's civil liberties are actually being violated?

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Too busy off defending pedophiles.

[The Foolkiller]

Good for you, but I can imagine lots of the folks in Texas bars are smokers.

I guess you guys are an illustration of the old adage that misery loves company.

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You just don't get our point, Sam-everybody/every group in this slowly-being-destroyed country needs to be screwed over-and then,maybe (a BIG maybe, since no one has any balls any more), just MAYBE, the rabble will wake up and rebel. It's beginning to look as if we'll have to have all-out communism before that happens, though, sadly.

[Sam Cree]

"You just don't get our point, Sam-everybody/every group in this slowly-being-destroyed country needs to be screwed over-and then,maybe (a BIG maybe, since no one has any balls any more), just MAYBE, the rabble will wake up and rebel. It's beginning to look as if we'll have to have all-out communism before that happens, though, sadly."

That point I do agree with completely. Sorry for not picking up on it before.

I agree with your last sentence too. I mostly have the feeling, as I guess you do too, that an awful lot of people like the direction we are going - politicians are able to buy them off with all the revenue we generate for them.

[The Foolkiller]

"What's next. Police arresting people for getting drunk in the privacy of their own home."


Yes

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Sorry to be the one to break this to you, but it's happened already-last year, as a matter of fact. I want to say New Jersey, but it could've been Maine, or another of the New England states. She, do you rember that story? The cops got called on a noisy party, and they busted people for being intoxicated INSIDE THE PRIVATE RESIDENCE. One guy had come from out of state just to be there, he was one who was arrested, last I heard, he said he was taking it all the way to the SCOTUS, but I don't know how it turned out.

[19th LA Inf]

It's nothing new in the Dallas area. A friend and I were in a bar on Lovers Lane (yes, that's a street) about 1960. We saw a couple of uniforms come in, seemed to be socializing, then grabbed a guy and hauled him outside. We sort of decided we might be next, paid up and left. The manager was out in the lot arguing with the cops about the bust.

Back in those days the only places that could serve mixed drinks were private clubs. It was said that to qualify for membership, all you needed was "a clean shirt and a thirsty look". A visitor from Los Angeles once told me he thought it was easier to buy a gun in Dallas than a drink.

In 1958 I lived around the corner from Jack Ruby's Vegas Club. Wandered in there one Saturday night. A hairy arm reached out of the dark and said "Fella, we got a cover charge here". Turned out that for a dollar, you got the back of your hand stamped so you could come and go. I've always figured it was the Man himself who stamped me.