Texas arresting people in bars for being drunk

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060322/us_nm/bars_dc

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - Texas has begun sending undercover agents into bars to arrest drinkers for being drunk, a spokeswoman for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said on Wednesday.


The first sting operation was conducted recently in a Dallas suburb where agents infiltrated 36 bars and arrested 30 people for public intoxication, said the commission's Carolyn Beck.

Being in a bar does not exempt one from the state laws against public drunkenness, Beck said.

The goal, she said, was to detain drunks before they leave a bar and go do something dangerous like drive a car.

"We feel that the only way we're going to get at the drunk driving problem and the problem of people hurting each other while drunk is by crackdowns like this," she said.

"There are a lot of dangerous and stupid things people do when they're intoxicated, other than get behind the wheel of a car," Beck said. "People walk out into traffic and get run over, people jump off of balconies trying to reach a swimming pool and miss."

She said the sting operations would continue throughout the state.

This is for real?

Arresting drunk people. In a bar. Where they are drinking. Where alcohol is sold.

Someone connect the dots for me.

Oh, wait. We live in a red state. Is that the dot I'm missing?

This is incredibly stupid. Raid a bar, where people are celebrating, having more than usual because someone else is the DD & arrest them for being drunk in public. I can't believe the bar owners haven't started screaming about this.

dg

is that they can go into the bars, because they are open to the public. A private club would be different, but a regular bar is open to anyone.

I believe that's how I heard that it was explaines.

Lets see what The Editorialists say tomorrow, because this quite simply is the most amazing (even for Texas) over reach ever.

Burpppppp

do stupid stuff too. Is that next? I suppose in a bar your bac is not supposed to exceed .08?
These guys have way too much time on their hands.

It is only illegal to be drunk in a public place. This will likely fall down to the determination if a bar is public or private.

L-

since when when is a bar that is private property become "public."

Did they arrest everyone that used the bar's restroom for public urination. :eyes:

the TABC spokesperson in the article. She and I used to work together.

nt

Jeez.

pick up a DWI. At 2:00 AM the patrons all leave and begin driving away. One fellow stumbles from the bar and holds onto the wall as he walks to his car. Once there he drops his keys and has difficulty finding them. Then he has to try several times to get the door unlocked before almost falling into the driver's seat. By the time he gets the engine started the parking lot is empty. The police immediately stop him from driving away and administer a Breathalyzer test.

He passes the test with 0.0 % alcohol and performs the field sobriety tests to perfection.

Puzzled, the police ask him what is going on.

"I'm the designated driver," he says.

its "I'm the DD", "AH, Designated Driver", "No. Designated Decoy"

Let's put a tail on Stinky Kinky. When he shows up in a public bar, and gets drunk, then we can tip off the TABC that he's drunk. Our 4 way race problem would be solved.
:evilgrin:

Sonia

Get people before they have the chance to do something bad OR to be be completely responsible. If I were taxi driver, I'd be pissed that the pohlice were taking my fares.