Thank God I do not live in Texas, otherwise I suspect I would not be enjoying my nights out quite as much from now on, thanks to their new preventative measure to avoid drunks committing crimes.
Now I don’t drink that much usually, although I have been known on occasion to over imbibe – something which has led to the occasional bit of embarrassment on my part and a lot of shame on one occasion when I danced on a bar naked to MC Hammer’s ‘Can’t Touch This’ Although for the record I have done a lot of stupid/silly thinks sober, in fact I have done a lot more things like that sober.
Now on that occasion the Texan’s might have saved me a lot of embarrassment, as well as the sensibilities of the other patrons – the measure they are talking is arresting drunks for being drunk and they are doing this by going into bars undercover. Now people go out and get drunk and a few will do things they shouldn’t do and whilst as the powers that be comment, “Being in a bar does not exempt one from the state laws against public drunkenness” – How does one quantify drunkenness?
I remember when I worked as a till tart for Scummerfield and I was informed that it is illegal to sell alcohol to someone who has been drinking (meaning that surely it is illegal to sell anyone a second drink!?!) and I can see the sense in this to an extent, if the person is overly intoxicated, but where do you draw the line - after all some people can drink like demons and not show it, but all some need is a sniff and they are gone.
Now apparently the goal is to, “detain drunks before they leave a bar and go do something dangerous like drive a car.” Now if I go out and get drunk I am not going to be driving anywhere, I can’t drive and I use taxis, so arresting me for being drunk to avoid me drink driving wouldn’t work.
But the powers that be counter that with the argument that drunk people do lots of other silly things; “People walk out into traffic and get run over, people jump off of balconies trying to reach a swimming pool and miss” (or like dancing naked on bars.) Now I won’t deny people do silly things whilst drunk, but plenty of people do silly things when sober so when will being sober be made a crime? Now lots of people do silly things whilst drunk; but it’s a minority of people that do stupid things like they mention whilst drunk so arresting people isn’t really going to make much of a difference, after all people that jump form balconies probably drink at home for starters – I base that statement on the basis that someone pissed enough to think that is a good idea is probably too pissed to get themselves home!
So how drunk is drunk and I suppose it means if I ever go to Texas I am going to have to get pissed now and get myself arrested and it’ll be a little hassle for me and a lot of hassle for them after all I won’t be the one that has to clean out the car after they have given me a ride! That and it means I won’t have to book a place to stay overnight – I wonder what Texas jail breakfasts are like?