Height of stupidity/ no common sense

[Just Plain Ruff]

Ok, a friend of mine was driving down the road early today and she called me saying she saw the stupidist thing ever.

A electronic sign that said "DWI Checkpoint June 28 10p-2a"

A blatant warning to all those out there who would be drinking to avoid the area.

I asked for a picture and she's gonna send me one later tonight.

So I asked her why they advertise it and she said Missouri has a law that you have to put a notification out before you put a checkpoint up.

Some stupid senator got stopped and arrested and he said that since he didn't have adequate warning of the checkpoint that he wanted a law that required the notice.

Anyone else see a flaw in the logic in all this?

[spenac]

LOL. But I bet what will even be funnier is how many people they still catch. But I agree should just set up and bust people with no warning as in reality all the laws, the commercials about the laws, and even warnings on the bottle should be enough warnings. If stupid enough to still drive drunk go to jail, no excuses.

[Richard B the EMT]

Speaking of prior notices, much as I dislike firearms, I think I like the alleged security sign that states:

Private Property

Protected by Shotgun Armed Personnel

3 Nights a Week.

You Guess Which Nights!

[cosgrojo]

Actually... I happen to see a kind of sneaky logic to the whole thing. I would rather have the fear of getting busted stop someone from climbing behind the wheel and possibly maiming or killing someone else, than to take the chance that they miraculously don't kill someone, just so I can ticket them. (that may be the worst sentence I have ever written in my life... Mrs. Lammers... if you are there... I apologize, it is of no reflection on your 3rd grade sentence structure instruction.)

At least on that night, you know that you have probably influenced a couple of people to stay off the road... and in mine eyes, that is a victory.

[WolfmanHarris]

I think we're beyond deterrence for driving while impaired. We can increase public education as much as we want, but I think we might already be at the diminishing returns stage. Short of shock value I'm not sure what else could be done to shake people from a way of thinking that doesn't include planning ahead, predicting consequences or taking personal responsibility. Drunk driving in many cases is a symptom of this greater ill. Instead let's start treating driving like the privilege it is, and start pulling licenses for multiple years, first offense and tossing jail time at repeat offenders. I think we've done carrot well, now let's convince our society to get a better stick.

[FireMedic65]

By law they have to give notice to when and where a check point will be here in PA. It's always posted in the newspaper, in a small box some where that usually gets ignored. Most of the time, people will call each other to say there is one and to avoid it. They post cops before and after them, in case someone turns around or drives through. Is this entrapment? They don't give anyone a way to "avoid" going through. I also heard some place, that if they stop one person and do a sobriety test, they have to test everyone that comes through. Not sure on how truthful all that is. Personally, I never drink and drive, or drink then drive. I have many reasons why aside from common sense.

[Just Plain Ruff]

My question is this which is what was posed to me earlier today after I told some people about this

What happens if the person goes out drinking, goes a different way home but not the most direct route which would of course be directly thru where the checkpoint is and they cream some unsuspecting family?

Is there any recourse that the family who was hit has against either the lawmaker who got stopped and thought that they needed to make a law or does that family have recourse against the person or entity who put the sign up advertising the checkpoint?

[emtannie]

My question is this which is what was posed to me earlier today after I told some people about this

What happens if the person goes out drinking, goes a different way home but not the most direct route which would of course be directly thru where the checkpoint is and they cream some unsuspecting family?

Is there any recourse that the family who was hit has against either the lawmaker who got stopped and thought that they needed to make a law or does that family have recourse against the person or entity who put the sign up advertising the checkpoint?

Some lawyer will probably win that battle someday, unfortunately.

Something similar was tried here a couple years ago. We were called to a single vehicle MVC. The unrestrained driver was ejected and had multiple injuries, including the usual head, spine, and chest trauma. The unrestrained driver was also under the legal drinking age, and had a blood alcohol limit above the legal limit and had recreational drugs on board.

The events prior to the accident were that a group of teens, ranging in age from 14 - 19, and a few 20-somethings, decided to have a party in a relatively remote area. They trespassed onto private property and started a bonfire where they were having their party. They damaged buildings and equipment on this property. Of course there was alcohol and recreational drugs in great abundance. The property owner called the police, who arrived on scene, and they removed the ringleaders from the property. The rest of the people were instructed to leave the property, but if they were too drunk to drive, arrangements would be made for them.

This particular person chose to get behind the wheel of his car anyway, and drive anyway, and rolled his vehicle.

His parents tried to sue the police officer who made the initial contact with the group at the party, with the reasoning "It is all the cop's fault - if he had not broken up the party, my kid wouldn't have driven drunk." Go figure. Thank the higher power that you believe in, that this did not get very far in the legal system.

[LeclairEMSI]

People who are under the influence (DWI) have lost their sense of logic. They will drive up to a checkpoint and wonder why they were caught. As a retired Trooper, I had a guy drive to the checkpoint and tell me that I could not arrest him fro Drinking while driving because he had just smoked crack therefore he could not be drunk.

[Jeepluv77]

Advertising a DUI checkpoint!? Why don't they just post a sign that says "Wait till next weekend to go out so we can twice as many on the roads"? Or "Take the road less traveled but three times as long"? That's just stupid. I've always hated the fact that entrapment is perfectly legal here(or I've seen some cops breaking the law), but now I'm really glad. Yeah, it's bs to park on a sidewalk with no lights to clock me going 5 over, but at least you'll get the drunks!