Posted on 03/17/2006 10:33:37 AM PST by 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.
We have almost as many people in prison in this country as do China and Russia combined; and not near the population.
So much for "the land of the free and home of the brave".
Which is like arresting women wholesale because they have the potential to be prostitutes, or anyone with any sort of weapon (or object which can be construed as one) because they might hurt someone.
Catch 'em in the car, even just sliding behind the wheel, but not in the bar, where they can slow down or switch drinks and sober up.
The cops in Fairfax Virginia pulled this stunt a few years ago.
The public went nuts and the cops shut it down. The same is likely to happen here...
I would like to think so. The problem is, it's probably happening in more places than it's reported.
This one just happened to make the news.
People should still have the right to call somebody for a ride..It makes me sick sometimes to think that our children are out there fighting for our freedom when we have politicians and public officials back here fighting to take those freedoms away..For the most part we can blame our liberals
Sluggo!!!!
The Government should just take over all the bars and honky tonks in Texas. Then if you want a cold beer you go down to the Post Office and ask them to issue you one. :^) (Smiling Here)
I quit drinking many years ago but I don't like this idea of busting folks inside a private business. Btw, what about 'designated drivers' - (that puts a huge kink in that plan for folks who rely on it)
Ayn Rand, 'Atlas Shrugged'
That happened here, too. My hubby and I used to love to go to the VFW for dinner, drinks and dancing. It was a blast and we enjoyed ourselves so much. Then the cops started this practice. I usually was the designated driver, but how fun is it to not have even one drink and drive 7 very happy drunks home? We finally gave up and quit going.
Picture this...Mommy and Daddy having a Christmas party. No one is rip roaring drunk, but all would be legally drunk. Cops show up with Social Services. Kids go to foster care while Mommy and Daddy are charged with neglect.
Oh yeah, forget to say some were smoking. Drinking and smoking in the presences of minors....Mommy and Daddy may now consider themselves childless.
<p<This happened last New Years Eve in our town. A couple were having a party at their home, they had hired a sitter to care for the kiddies in a room away from the party. The cops were called and the party was broken up, the parents arrested and the kids taken to DHS. Sick!
Excellent post! And so true!
I know this is a little off topic but speaking of buying groceries, I wonder when they will start arresting people for criminal intention to buy junk food as soon as they walk into the local grocery.
That isn't right there. What was the probable cause? The open beer I presume? Seems like the doctors requirement to not drive and decent lawyer would beat that charge.
no offense there korn but you and I apparently evolved from different planets. I wish you the best though. Perhaps in a short light year or two your future relatives might get up to speed.
Anything's possible right?
"The Government should just take over all the bars and honky tonks in Texas. Then if you want a cold beer you go down to the Post Office and ask them to issue you one. :^) (Smiling Here)"
yea thats the ticket, all these stupid american bar hopping drunks get a ration card for 2 pints a month...that'll show'em...no card no beer.
Think I am joking. Think again.
"I bet you the owners of these bars clearly got the message."
So they were mad at the owners of the bar and it seemed like the best way to to send a message to these guys was to bust people who happened to go into these offending establishments? The bar owners are messing up so Joe Public who happens to be there takes the heat for whatever it was the bar owners were doing wrong? I don't like that. Whoever came up with this idea needs to be working parking meters. If law enforcement wants more people to hate them, all they need to do is keep doing this kind of nonsense. If they want respect and cooperation, they have to earn that, and this kind of crap isn't the way to go about earning respect and building relationships that foster cooperation. This kind of nonsense just gives the cops a bad name.
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