This is a weird reaction from law enforcement:
In a ritual nearly as familiar as Santa Claus and crowded stores, police agencies again have stepped up enforcement of drunken-driving laws this holiday season, setting up sobriety checkpoints that studies show reduce alcohol-related crashes because drivers who’ve been drinking stay off the road, fearing arrest.
But some public-safety officials say those efforts are now being thwarted by technology, with drivers now using text messaging, Twitter and other tools to keep each other informed about the location of sobriety checkpoints.
donovong
They do sometimes, but there is somewhat of a paradox involved. Do people who are stupid enough to drive drunk have the brains to pay attention to where the checkpoints might be, or to even operate Twitter?
Well, now, wait a minute. McCain twitters, doesn’t he…..
asiangrrlMN
Here, they have electronic messages on the roads over the stretches they are going to monitor more heavily during the holidays warning people of the fact. Weird.
DonBelacquaDelPurgatorio
and the law won?
Dannie22
I’ve seen those checkpoints here in Cleveland. You can see them a mile away. When I see them I just go another route. The few times I have gone through, the police were very polite
Martin
They don’t bother with checkpoints here. They just pull everyone over as a matter of
city financesoverabundance of caution.M. Bouffant
The LAPD announce some of the checkpoints, believing that this serves as a reminder to the public, but they also flood areas w/ un-announced motorcycle officers & patrol cars that wait in ambush in driveways & side sts. off major thoroughfares.
If someone is too drunk, stupid (or both, even) to avoid a checkpoint we’re probably all better off w/ them off the sts.
Comrade Dread
IIRC, I thought it was a constitutional requirement by the Courts that the LEOs had to announce the checkpoints.
That way driving down the road while knowing it’s there implies consent to the basic search.
Course I’m not a lawyer, so take it with a grain of salt.
Aunt Moe
Pre Tweet technology: we used to turn our headlights on in the daylight to warn oncoming traffic if there was a speed trap ahead on their side (high beam at night). Worked real well till some Detroit vp thought up headlights that always look like they’re lit up.
Don K
Ummm, Aunt, I believe that was a Swedish politician (or bureaucrat) who dreamed up the daytime running lamps, then a Canadian politician who copied him, and then GM decided they would put them on all their vehicles.
Ian
As much as I am ashamed to admit this, I have texted the law, in regards to DUI checkpoints. And I won. However, I havn’t had a drivers liscence in over a year, so take that as what you will.
Ian + 14
jefft452
If the goal is to replenish the towns coffers with fines by catching drunk drivers after they have already put other peoples lives at risk then announcing checkpoints and stepped up enforcement is counterproductive
If the goal is to have fewer people driving drunk, announcing checkpoints and stepped up enforcement makes sense
I prefer the latter