Caymen,
I did read your welding scenario and reread your reply, and I understood what you are trying to say the first time. However I stand by my original statement, "You cannot compare welding inspections to arresting PI and drunk drivers.
Yiour welding inspection would be much different if there were defective welds coming from Texas. You don't know everyone who does welding in Texas but you know for some companies where a lot of welding is done. You go to companies where you know people are welding and conduct inspections. You will then compare the results of your inspections and discrepancies, and see if the welding in Texas improved, got worse, or stayed the same.
Why your welding scenario does not fit.
You know were all the welding is done at a plant, and you have access to all areas to find the exact source of the flaw. You know where the welding is being done and go there to find the source of the problem.
The problem: A high number of drunk driving incident in Texas.
The cause" Too many people drinking excessively.
Possible solution: Reduce the intoxicated population by using the existing Public Intoxication laws to arrest them in places where a large number of people gather to drink. If a large number of these public places are monitored over a period of time, there should be a corrosponding reduction in the number of DUI incidents during that same period. If there is not reduction in DUI incidents, then that approach was not sucessful.
The police know of many places were people may be drinking and getting intoxicated. but they cannot possibly monitor or inspect all the locations. Some of them are private, some are public. So the most logical solution is go to public places such as bars, where people drink, and you will likely find a large number of people who are intoxicated.
If you don't care to respond, I don't care. I do find it childish to debate a subject, poorly and then when nobody agrees with you, you want to quit the discussion.
When ever I have been wrong about something I will openly admit it, however when there is a difference of opinion on some subject, you will have to convince me you are right, and you and kefguy have not even come close to doin that.
You and kefguy keep bringing up issues related to convictions or proving the person was a danger to themselves or others, or what evidence is there that these people where going to get behind a wheel of car.
I repeat. There is no evidence that they were intending to drive, but they were not arrested or charged with DWI, conspiracy or intent to DWI. Will the judge require the police to prove the person arrested presented a danger? If the judge feels the endangement issue is part of the charges, then he will require the police to prove it, if not he won't. Dispite his great legal mind, kefguy will not be called to make a ruling and the judge will not ask kefguy for his legal interpretation of the law.
All I am saying and many others are saying is that the ticketing or arresting for PI is perfectly legal. In the eyes of the police, the people were obviously intoxicated and the reason they were ticketed or arrested.
My guess is If the statistics show a noticable reduction in DWI incidents in the areas where the police made the PI arrests, we will see a lot more of these crackdowns, Even if there are no convictions. Typically, as in most situations like this in Texas, there will probably be some adjustments, wording or clarifications made in the law, just so there is no confusion that PI in a bar is ilegal and will be enforced. If there were no noticable difference in the DWI incidents, the police and the TABC will probably look at other solutions.
...Rich
