Height of stupidity/ no common sense

[Richard B the EMT]

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.

Riiiight!

Anyone else notice that there is no mention of these parents not supervising the injured person, that he or she did not get drunk in the first place?

I had the luck, if you can call it that, to be at the scene, on my own time, when a drunk driver was cuffed, "Maradized", and placed into the back of the cop car. The exchange truly went

Drunk

Why aren't you out there, arresting criminals?

Cop

Sir, I just did!

Edited June 18, 2009 by Richard B the EMT

[Kevin EMT]

I assume everyone or almost everyone here is EMS in some way, if you drive drunk you are breaking the law BOTTOM LINE. You knew the risk when you got behind the wheel, and drove anyway. Police don't have enough tools to work with as it is, without worrying about getting sued by everybody. I say give them any tool they need to protect and serve. That law is stupid. What else is stupid is that most states have laws that say that state police or any police must be able to be seen in plain site to be able to pull someone over who is driving over the speed limit! Hwo can you see them anyway flying by at 120mph. How can these people do their jobs when the law prevents them from doing so.

We as EMS have many rules that make our jobs harder. Look at it through their eyes. I know I have had calls to a few MVAs where children were killed because of drunk drivers. Its not fair to people who abide by the law. I am surpised at some of the responses here, some must not be EMS. Just my opinion

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!

[Chief1C]

Pa. State Police advertised for a month before the 4th, big article, front page ad.. Safety Checks, Cop-In-Shop, sitting at bars, etc.. on the 4th & 5th of July..

They never did them, bar traffic was way down, for the first time in years, no MVA's (related to ETOH).. Didn't cut down on patrols; and had more officers out on speeder watch, but no check points. Next weekend, however, they'll probably do it.

[Jeepluv77]

Kevin EMT, you may want to re-read my post before you go off on a tangent. I was not saying I was against DUI checkpoints. I'm, in fact, very much for them. I'm against telling drunken morons where they are going to be. Just like it's one thing to advertise that there will be checkpoints it may be a deterrence, but again you don't go so far as to say where so idiots can get drunk and avoid the checkpoints. Keep in mind, you don't have to be plastered to be above the limit and drunk enough to have impaired judgement and reflexes. As for entrapment, I don't go more than 5 over. Not 120mph. I don't know if you live in an area where there is a 115mph speed limit, but we don't have any here. I also said I'm all for "entrapment" if they are catching the people actually posing a threat, unlike the jerkoff that wrote me a ticket for going 52 in a 50 while two people swerved on by. One of which actually wrecked and seriously injured a family of four a few blocks past us. He could have been stopped if he hadn't been trying to meet that quota cops claim they don't have. Oh, and if you're wondering why I was "flying by" at 52, my son was in the back seat in the middle of an asthma attack. He had a silent chest by the time we got to the ER. So again, re-read the posts(all of them) because it seems to me that you have very little clue as to the points that have been raised in this discussion.

[Richard B the EMT]

During the heyday of the CB Radio craze, I first heard about "Dummy Cops". Police would park a broken down cruiser somewhere near a high speed roadway. Drivers would see the cruiser, and slow down. That "calms" the traffic, without paying a cop salary.

Then, there is the always popular story of the cop in a town that needed a radar gun, but the law only allowed state troopers the devices. He took a hair dryer, a circular Quaker Oats box, duct tape, and some paint, and created what appeared to be a radar speed gun. He'd stand near the cruiser, parked near a speeding problem roadway, drape the dryer wire back into the car, and stand, posed, pointing the "gun" at oncoming and overtaking traffic. People would see the "gun" and slow down.

All the cop wanted, was to slow down the traffic, and with the cost of supplies, did so at low cost.

Back in the 1960s, MAD magazine had a picture of a cop and driver discussing a $10 solution to speeding, while standing next to a "Speed Checked By RADAR" sign. The low tech solution was the sign, itself, costing $10.

Therefore, advertising can sometimes pay off.