file photo by Boyd Loving
How Facebook and Twitter mess with DUI checkpoints
One of the more human aspects of social media is that people use Facebook and Twitter to warn their fellow men and women of DUI checkpoints. Now police are attempting to spring more surprises.
by Chris Matyszczyk
April 14, 2013 12:00 PM PDT
The police are sometimes accused of linear thinking, especially when it comes to DUI checkpoints.
They set them up on Friday and Saturday nights. They redouble their efforts on New Year’s Eve.
Perhaps the finest example would was one police force in the wine country of Northern California that decided to put a DUI checkpoint at the bottom of a winery’s driveway. Yes, on barrel-tasting day.
The police now have a stronger enemy in the people — the people who are using social media to warn others that this particular Friday or Saturday night has been selected for special drunk-driving checking.
At first, it seems that police were a little bemused by the very idea that people wouldn’t want other people to be caught be the police.
Now, however, some police forces have decided to use more sprightly tactics to ensnare those who are unwise enough to imbibe and drive.
As the Associated Press reports, big checkpoints may be on the way out.
They’re too obvious, take too long to set up and word travels too quickly, as they’re so often located on busy roads — on the shooting-fish-in-barrel principle.
https://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57579508-93/how-facebook-and-twitter-mess-with-dui-checkpoints/
“Now, some police forces say they are using roads less traveled and even setting up in the middle of the week in order to catch their quota.”
There is a word in the above sentance that leads me to believe this is less about safer streets and more about $.
Absolutely#1
screw the d w i as of now. we all need to wake up and open your eyes to see what the hell is going on around us.times like this is no joke. people need to start to know how to defend your self. this is it we are being looked like we are week.
get your shit in order now.
DWI checkpoints rarely do more than piss off the public and grab an occassional social drinker.
I’d venture that if a cop stuffed his face in almost any vehicle leaving a dinner party they could make an arrest, based on the ridiculously low .08 ‘standard’. If the police actually wanted to make a difference, the roving patrols get the drunks off the road who are the dangerous drivers. I’d like to see the news media participate up close at these DWI roadblocks so that those who ‘show the tin’ don’t get special treatment.
A friend of mine was coming home from his friend’s house 2 miles away and was stopped for doing 2 MPH under the 25MPH speed limit. He blew .08 and was arrested. License pulled for 6 months, 5k in legal fees and 9k insurance surcharges plus 3 months of weekly re-education classes. He was a 1st time offender but the law is the law. I was a pretty expensive pizza & beer dinner.
Compare that with drivers in the CBD rolling down Franklin or Rwd Ave with a cellphone screwed into their ear driving a 3-ton SUV. And this happens every five minutes all. day. long.