The message the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission is trying to get across with its latest campaign likely comes as news to many people. Simply put, it's that bars are not a place where people are supposed to be drunk.
Agents are now entering bars to arrest intoxicated patrons in what they call a pre-emptive strike, but others say the campaign is borderline harassment.
The program has proved controversial and state lawmakers are planning to review the program after criticism following recent arrests at 30 Dallas-area bars this month.
Full Article @ wacotrib.com
Ok, here's the thing. If you *choose* to go to a bar you *choose* how much you want to drink. You have every right to choose if you want to drink a little or a lot. You *should* even make a choice as to how you can safely get home *before* you even leave to go to the bar.
Now, I could understand if there were cops in the parking lots arresting people if they chose to drive home intoxicated (I actually think that's a good idea for everywhere in the country.) But, I think this is going just a bit too far. -Ed
Posted by Mrs Muddy at March 27, 2006 12:00 PMA bit to far? Borderline harrassment?! It's arresting people who haven't yet committed a crime.
Since when is a bar not a place to be drunk? I thought that was the purpose of a bar?
Posted by: skywalker at March 28, 2006 09:06 AMWell, I said it was a "bit too far" as my way of stating the obvious while being underly dramatic. That's the only thing I hate about *writing*. No one can hear your tone of voice.
"I thought that was the purpose of a bar?"
That's what I always thought too (which is the main reason I've been to very FEW bars myself). As I read the article, they did state that suposedly the reason they suposedly started inforcing this was because a lot of their officers were sent to hurricane stricken areas and it sounds like they were trying to stop this stuff before it started. They're also using the excuse of "public drunkeness" (I believe anyway) to do what they're doing. Like I stated - I think it's a good idea if they want to arrest people in the parking lot as they're sitting behind their wheels about to pull out. THAT'S understandable but what they're doing now is like cops walking into strip clubs and arresting the women there for indecent exposure.
Posted by: mrs. muddy at March 28, 2006 10:20 AMExcept for one problem: a bar isn't public property, it is private property.
Posted by: Skywalkerg at March 28, 2006 10:27 PM"a bar isn't public property, it is private property."
That was my understanding as well. One thing that crackes me up (and I forgot about this one until I re-read it) was the excuse they came up with:
"But Texas defines a public place as anywhere accessible to the public, which includes bars and restaurants,"
They're stretching this thing so far and thin you can see daylight through it. I mean, even a church is accessible to the public but it's private property.
Posted by: mrs. muddy at March 28, 2006 10:46 PMBTW....your new name is very unique but I think I like your old one better, Skywalkerg.:-P
Posted by: mrs. muddy at March 28, 2006 10:48 PM