...and the land of the freeeeeeeeee." - Not.

[GroobySteven]

Personally mate, I'd prefer to see someone passed out in a British pub - asleep on a bench in a park or puking up on his way back from the pub after a kebab than the police arresting people for this....oh wait, I would have been in jail now if I'd lived in Texas.
It's bollocks - pure and simple bollocks.
Of course there are good laws - but this is just crazy.
seanchai

[InHouston]

Yes the law states they are committing an offense if they pose a danger to others or themselves … or … or … “having an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more”. If you’re .081 and in public, you’re breaking the law in Texas. In all my years, I’ve only seen people get arrested for Public Intoxication (other than these stings) for getting mouthy with the police, or causing a disturbance.
Exceeding the legal limit of .08 is the grounds for the arrests they are doing. Now, for the most part, you can’t really tell if someone has been drinking when they’re hovering around .08. The police for the most part are targeting people who are visibly intoxicated beyond the .08 limit. However, if someone is say .10, and starts yapping to the police about how their rights are being violated, then the police will graciously take them to jail as well. Do I think this is a bad idea? No. Do I think it’s a good idea? Sure, as it’s not hurting anyone and helps to keep the community safer. Do I think it’s a great idea? Not really, because it will have no long-term benefit, and the police cannot commit the resources to keep these stings up.
As far as my politics, I am neither Republican nor Democrat. I agree and disagree with various issues stemming from both parties.

Inhouston, either you misread or misunderstood the statute
here is what it says: "Public Intoxication" means:
A person commits an offense if the person appears in a public place while intoxicated to the degree that the person may endanger the person or another.
"Intoxicated" is defined as:
not having the normal use of mental or physical faculties by reason of the introduction of alcohol, controlled substance, a drug, a dangerous drug, a combination of two or more of those substances, or any other substance into the body; or having an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more.
They have to be a danger to themselves or others while intoxicated. The statute defines intoxication two ways: not having normal use of their facilities due to a substance or substances, or a .08 alcohol concentration. Just being intoxicated is not enough. Whatever your political stripe may be, its hard for me to beleive you really would think that no one is hurt if they are hauled off to jail just for expressing a well lubricated opinion to the police.

FK

Sweety I've live here all my life. Having an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more, coupled with a "well-lubricated opinion" to the police, will land you in the drunk tank every single time in Texas, and you will stand tall before the 'man' in the morning. Now on the flipside, I was pulled over one night after having several rum and cokes. I’m sure he could smell it, but I was as courteous and cooperative as I could be. I even turned on my dome lights and put my hands on the steering wheel when he approached my vehicle. I got a ticket, and just before he turned to return to his patrol car he said, “By the way, I really appreciate your courtesy and cooperation, but drinking and driving don’t mix. Now don’t let me see you on the road again tonight.” I replied “Fair enough and thank you too.” Whew.

Another example of tolerance by the police: One night my girlfriend and I were pretty drunk and two cops were standing right outside the door of the bar we were leaving. Now we’re both guilty of public intoxication and we knew it. I decided to have a little fun and we approached these two cops. I asked, “Excuse me officers but is this illegal?”, and I yanked her shirt up and showed them her tits. One redneck deputy belted out “Gosh dang look er there!” The other said “That’s not illegal in my book.” I asked “Wanna touch em?” He laughed and said, “I’d love to, but that is highly illegal for me.” Pretty funny.

There are bad cops out there, but for the most part they’re just people like you and I. You show them respect and treat them as people, and they’ll generally be tolerant unless you’ve committed a serious offense. Now, if you approach them with your feathers ruffled, in their head they’ll think “Okay what can I charge this bastard with.” Anyone who is willing to take a bullet on their job has my respect.

And we’re not sheep here in Texas as Seanchai would have it. One day an asshole (major asshole!) patrolman tailgated me for a mile because I wouldn’t get out of the fast lane on the freeway. I thought, “Fuck him” and I stayed put. He pulled me over pissed off to high heaven. He yelled and ranted and I stood my ground insisting very austerely “On what charge? On what charge? On what charge? ” I wasn’t speeding or anything. He said “Keep it up and you’re gonna go to jail.” I said “Keep what up? You lay one hand on me without probable cause and I’ll have a lawsuit on your ass Ajax won’t scrub off.” He got one inch in my face and yelled “Fuck you!!!!”, stormed to his patrol car, burned rubber, and I flipped him the bird as he screeched by. He knew he had one foot in the door at the Houston Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division, and decided to terminate his little traffic stop for his own good.

The police may have 0.08 as leverage, but we citizens also have that key phrase “probable cause” on our side. A civil rights violation goes all the way up to the mayor and sometimes ends up in the national media, and he wanted no part of that.

I’m all for the public intoxication laws here in Texas. I worry more about the citizens in this state than I do the police. Many citizens in this state are bigger assholes than the 99% of the police out there just trying to do their job, and that is a fact.

Just my two cents.

[GroobySteven]

Why were you driving in the fast lane and wouldn't get out of the way? I'll never understand that about driving in US how clearly the inside lane is the fast one but if someone is doing the speed limit "it's their goddam right to cruise along a that speed" - would never happen in Europe.
Texas on the whole is pretty good for that though, was most impressed by drivers on smaller roads in SE Texas who pull onto shoulder if a car is coming behind them faster to let past.

You think being drunk and your girlfriend acting like a slut in front of an officer is funny? I just don't get it, where is the humour in that?

I've been pulled up a dozen times - never for DUI as I don't do that but for speeding which I do way too much - I act courteous and 9/10 have had courteous cops, I don't have an issue with police or authority, I have an issue with a law that takes your freedoms away but hey, if you're happy demeaning your girlfriend in public and cruising in the fast lane needlessly, your liberties and your value of what those liberties mean to you are obviously different to mine and seem to work in your favour!


seanchai

[InHouston]

Personally mate, I'd prefer to see someone passed out in a British pub - asleep on a bench in a park or puking up on his way back from the pub after a kebab than the police arresting people for this....oh wait, I would have been in jail now if I'd lived in Texas.
It's bollocks - pure and simple bollocks.
Of course there are good laws - but this is just crazy.
seanchai

Well ... not crazy. While the stings are legal, they are 'over the top', but for the following reasons. This is America, and there are a lot of jerks that become bigger jerks when they start drinking. While I’ve never been there, I’m sure the bars in Europe avail a more jolly and gregarious environment, but you have to be cautious in American bars. People get drunk here and they like to start talking shit. Now … one night I was in a Bennigan's restaurant, and there were two gang-bangers at the bar loud, mouthy, and saying things like “Man I’ll shoot a mutha fucka any time any day. I don’t give a fuck. Yeah nigga!!!” and all this hoopla ghetto bullshit. This went on for some time and while waiting for my meal I kept thinking “Great … just fucking great.” Now they were talking to themselves and not directly to anyone else. So they weren’t a threat according to the law, but were obviously above 0.08 given the number of empty glasses at their table. The rest of the patrons (including me) were getting nervous by their demeanor. It was all pretentious bravado, but very unsettling at the same time in their presence. Twenty minutes later myself and other patrons laughed as two uniformed officers approached them at the bar. One of them decided to educate the officers and said, “We ain’t breakin da law” and beat his chest saying “You aint got nuthin on me.” BAM! They slammed them both against the bar, jacked them up, and booked them both for Public Intoxication RIGHT AT THE BAR. The cops didn’t even look twice at the other drunken patrons at the bar who were just there to have a good time. Everyone had a look of relief on their faces and I turned to one patron and said “Thank fucking God.” He said “I know … get them the fuck out of here.” Everything was nice and comfy after that.

You can either look at this as a violation of their civil rights, which is not the case. Or you can look at it for what it really is. The police intelligently utilized the legal limit of 0.08 where the public intoxication law is concerned to diffuse a potentially volatile situation. I for one, was very appreciative of that law that evening. I was actually getting so unsettled by their behavior that I was rushing through my meal to get out of there. No one should be in that position as a paying customer, and this is why the bars are not considered to be private establishments, so the police can step in and keep things safe. That is fine for me.

In Europe, probably the most eventful thing would be everyone raising their mugs and chanting “Ziggy Zoggy Ziggy Zoggy oy oy oy!!!” You don’t need a public intoxication law in that kind of an environment. What you need in there are naked mud wrestlers.

Cheerio!

[InHouston]

DEATH TO THE SMOKERS!!
DEATH TO THE DRINKERS!!!!
DEATH TO THE DRUG USERS!!!!
DEATH TO THE SEX ABUSERS!!
DEATH TO THE RELIGOUS!!!!!
DEATH TO THE ATHEISTS!!!!
DEATH TO YOUR MOTHER,
YOUR FATHER, YOUR FAMILY,
YOUR TOWN, YOUR STATE,
AND YOUR NATION!!!!!!
BURNING METORS OF DEATH
FROM THE SKY TO EVERYONE!!!
KILL THEM ALL AND LET GOD
SORT THEM OUT!!!!
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
!

And your point is?

[InHouston]

I wonder how many of these raids occur at the country clubs frequented by lawyers and politicians.

Good point! Probably none.

[InHouston]

Why were you driving in the fast lane and wouldn't get out of the way?

It was early in the morning, no traffic, and just happened to be in the fast lane about 10 mph above the speed limit. With four other empty lanes, he comes flying up behind me and gets right on my ass. I thought he was about to pull me over so I slowed down to 55. Then he started nodding his head and yelling at me over the P.A. to get out of the way. I thought “Fuck him.” Now that is wrong and very unprofessional.

You think being drunk and your girlfriend acting like a slut in front of an officer is funny? I just don't get it, where is the humour in that?

Actually it was an altruistic gesture on my part. They were kind of old, fat, and struck me as ‘lacking’ where women are concerned. So, thought I would treat them to a little eye candy. They understood and were appreciative.

I've been pulled up a dozen times - never for DUI as I don't do that but for speeding which I do way too much - I act courteous and 9/10 have had courteous cops, I don't have an issue with police or authority, I have an issue with a law that takes your freedoms away but hey, if you're happy demeaning your girlfriend in public and cruising in the fast lane needlessly, your liberties and your value of what those liberties mean to you are obviously different to mine and seem to work in your favour!

Well, that girlfriend at the time was a good sport about things like that and loved every minute of it. She had a nice boob job and was very proud of them. As we walked away she said “Oh my god that was s-o-o fun.” She was cool, but not marriage material by any stretch of the imagination.

[bigd321]

Texas is gonna lose a lot of fucking money from this. Very dumb. Obvious a half thinking retard approcved that. The sad part is everyone else must eiother be stupid or too much of a coward to speak up. What should have happened? Before going to that extreme they should have atleast watched those drunks and see oif they attempted tp get behind the wheel. Then move in for the arrest. That's common sense. Arresting people in bars is just idiotic.

Smoking kills people, second hand smoke is deadly if an establishment wants to ban smoking mor epower to them. If the city wants to ban smoking in public places, good. If an establishment wants to allow smoking though it should be up to the individual to decide if he wants to frequent that place.

[GroobySteven]

Nice retorts, InHouston!
Now get out of the fast lane!!
seanchai

[InHouston]

Nice retorts, InHouston!
Now get out of the fast lane!!
seanchai

Now I drive an S.U.V., and am rarely in the fast lane and mostly on cruise control.

Ziggy Zoggy