Public intoxication stings catch 2,200 in Texas bars

chron.com ^ | 3/23/06 | Anne Marie Kilday

[takenoprisoner]

More than 2,200 people have been arrested in Texas bars in the six months since the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission announced a crackdown on public intoxication, primarily targeting bars.

The arrests included people who were drunk in bars, who sold alcohol to a drunk person, or a drunk employee on the premises of a bar or restaurant with a license to sell alcohol, said Carolyn Beck, a spokeswoman for the TABC.

The commission has been responsible for enforcing the state's alcoholic beverage code for the past 70 years. In August, 2005, the agency announced it was beginning a crackdown on public intoxication, using both undercover and open operations.

The agency has used undercover agents before, Beck said. In a recent operation, agents infiltrated 36 bars in a Dallas suburb and arrested 30 people for public intoxication.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Hey, one more thing since Old Professor pulled me back here. Most drunk drivers don't end up in jail. They pay fines and manipulate their way out of it for at least the first two offenses. So I hardly think this would be an issue of jail time. Smack 'em with a fine just like you would a speeder. You don't think it's oppressive of gov't to put a limit on highway speed do you?

[bigdcaldavis]

Hotel bars can forbid people under 21 from being in the area. If this was the case, then it is a private place.

[Dashing Dasher]

Personally, I believe we should outlaw smoking.

If families can sue tobacco companies because their loved ones died while using tobacco products - and WIN - then why is it still a legal product?

[Old Professer]

Then explain to me why you think that the government of this small community in Texas should do this sort of thing undercover while still announcing sobriety checkpoints prior to setting them up on the highway?

The constitutionality of checkpoints was tested and found reasonable within the determined limits.

[coolbreeze]

Aren't you a sweetheart.

[Junior_G]

Most drunk drivers don't end up in jail. They pay fines and manipulate their way out of it for at least the first two offenses.

When did this become about drunk drivers? You advocate the arrest of people for merely being drunk in a bar.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Everyone knows where to catch a ton of technically drunk drivers: Right outside just about any bar at night.

A local police officer was driving past a local bar at around closing time so he decided to park on the side of the road across the street from the establishment and observe for a while.

He saw a group of people exit the bar and head for their vehicles.
He noticed one man in particular who was walking with a distinct weave in his step.
While other people got into their cars and drove off, the officer focused on this one, obviously inebriated man while he tried to negotiate the task of finding his car, find his keys and try to unlock the driver side door.
This obviously inebriated man found his car, found the keys in his pocket, dropped them 3 times before finding the keyhole and unlocking the door.
He then proceeded to start the car, place the car in reverse, backed up 10 feet, then placed the car in drive and moved it forward 10 feet.
After 3 attempts to position the car for exit from the parking lot, he was able to guide the vehicle onto the street and proceeded up the road, perfectly straight and within the speed limit.

This was all observed by the police officer so he pulled onto the road, followed the vehicle and turned on his blue lights to signal the car to pull over.

The obviously drunken man pulled his car over to the side of the road and the officer approached the vehicle.
When he got to the driver's window he asked the driver for his license and resgitration.
The driver complied promplty at which point the officer asked, "Have you consumed any alcoholic beverages tonight sir?"
The driver replied, "No sir. Not a drop. You see, I'm the designated decoy for tonight."

[RHINO369]

All you pussies disgust me. Just wait in 50 years when you public safety fascists finally hit the last straw and crazy libertarians purge you all out of society. It'll be real safe when a death squad wipes you out for controlling our lives. </Crazy Right Wing Conspiracy Rant>

[glasseye]

Bubba must need a new set of 'jack-boots'.

Think 'capital extraction'.

[eastforker]

Well, here in Texas do not get caught drinking a beer in your front yard before noon on sunday, that will cost you a trip to jail.

[takenoprisoner]

"...they can throw up, pass out, pee their pants, and otherwise not be in control of themselves which can be a big problem for communities"

I've seen those. Had this Marine come back from the e club one night sorta like your above. I got him to his bunk and figured all was well. Next thing I knew I heard screaming and yelling like all hell broke loose. He had opened the door to the NCO's room and began peeing all over them. He thought he was in the head. Woke up the entire barracks. We all grabbed him before he got the yonkers knocked outta him and got him to his bunk for good that time. Next day he had major cleanup detail and some still po'd NCOs thinking of ways to get back at him.

[Proud_texan]

"I guess next is "one sip, legally drunk" laws"

Actually as we move closer and closer to thought crimes I'm guessing that it's going to be "I thought about having a drink/committing adultery/eating fried food" crimes.

Sadly most people wouldn't know freedom if it bit them on the butt and if something hits their ewwww button they want goobermint to take another rough edge off of life.

[surely_you_jest]

Seems we are going from pro-active to pre-emptive in our zest to ward off evil spirits; about the only thing left is to take an oath of purity.

This demonstrates the problem with allowing the neo-Calvinists to assume policy or decision-making positions in the body politic.

These people are at risk of making the Taliban look mainstream.

They are trying to make a world in which relatively few people would care to live.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Or swinging fists at somebody else drunk.

[RHINO369]

"You're right.

I, in particular have started to hate and resent so many so called "school zone" speed limits which are basically revenue enhancement zones for the local governments and cops.

Of course I'm not going to go speeding through "school zones" trying to run over "the children", I don't want to hit anyone, but there's too many of them and children should obey the lights and crossings like everyone else.

I don't particularily like children or students. They're mostly spoiled brats and PC brainwashed clones now.

The cops are there waiting for fresh meat."

I got busted for going 27 in a 20 mph school zone, even though the school was about a 1/4 mile off the road, and the road is usually 40. And it was in the middle of the day when kids can't be out of the school. I have to drive that road everyday and the next day I drove 20 mph on the nose, and got honked at and flipped off at least 5 times. The likely hood of someone getting rear ended by someone cruising at 45 not paying attention is 100X more likely than me losing control at 27 MPH and hitting a kid that isn't there!

I ended up being eligible for traffic school because I showed up in a suit (I looked serious, everyone else was there in sweats or jeans) and pled not guilty so the prosecutor said he'd cut me a deal. Still cost me 250 dollars and 6 hours including traffic school and court. Would have been over 500 and a huge increase in insurance rates.

[The Foolkiller]

How do you know they were going to drive? And how could the cops? Ever hear of 'designated driver'? That's what's horribly wrong with this.

[TheLion]

Somehow I feel more than one public official will pay for this when the backlash comes.

[The Foolkiller]

"Free to drink alcohol, but only if you don't become drunk." That isn't exactly freedom.

---

Similar to: "You are free to buy tobacco products anywhere, but only if you don't smoke them."

[Petronski]

We aren't talking about a few drinks and getting a little buzzed we are talking about staggering, falling down slurring drunks.

Says who?

Do you have any reason to believe the 2200 victims in this case fit your hysterical description?

[dread78645]

"What is ominous is the ease with which some people go from saying that they don't like something to saying that the government should forbid it. When you go down that road, don't expect freedom to survive very long."

-- Thomas Sowell