Cops, Proms, Checkpoints..

[toocrazy2yoo]

The MA State Police will conduct a sobriety checkpoint on a secondary state highway in Essex County, Fri. 6/11, into Sat., 6/12. The purpose is to strengthen the public’s awareness of the need of detecting & removing drivers who operate under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs from our roadways.
The police will conduct the checkpoint during varied hours the selection of vehicles will not be arbitrary.

[obsolete]

114

[drewbrese]

Probably somewhere in Danvers, that town is overflowing with drunks.

[schleppy]

Any details on where this is going to happen? 114 seems likely, maybe parts of 97 too.

[obsolete]

Probably somewhere in Danvers, that town is overflowing with drunks.

[OreoGaborio]

Wirelessly posted (Samsung Lube.... Er, Glyde: BlackBerry8520/4.6.1.314 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

Drew Brees is mediocre

[WordTooYoMamma]

Wirelessly posted (Tilt: HTC-ST7377/1.59.502.3 (67150) Opera/9.50 (Windows NT 5.1; U; en))

114 is a mess already, if they stopped everyone who looked like they were under the influence, it would be a parking lot.

[obsolete]

Wirelessly posted (Tilt: HTC-ST7377/1.59.502.3 (67150) Opera/9.50 (Windows NT 5.1; U; en))

114 is a mess already, if they stopped everyone who looked like they were under the influence, it would be a parking lot.

Yup, so it looks like I'll be up in the Merrimac Valley Friday night lol.

[obsolete]

Wirelessly posted (Tilt: HTC-ST7377/1.59.502.3 (67150) Opera/9.50 (Windows NT 5.1; U; en))

114 is a mess already, if they stopped everyone who looked like they were under the influence, it would be a parking lot.

Oh, and they stop everyone not just people who look drunk. It's a check point and BS in my opinion, but that's how it goes.

Also, I think all the proms are over.

The article in the Salem Evening News says they won't say where. I'm pretty sure in NM they ended up having to publish where the check points would be due to some sort of legal precident.

[toocrazy2yoo]

Yup, so it looks like I'll be up in the Merrimac Valley Friday night lol.

Yeah, looks like I'll have to do my drunk driving and riding elsewhere..

[e30addict]

It's usually on 114 around the eagle tribune area in north andover.

[obsolete]

Yeah, looks like I'll have to do my drunk driving and riding elsewhere..

I just don't want to get caught in the nightmare traffic that it'll cause.

It's usually on 114 around the eagle tribune area in north andover.

I've seen them there too. Don't reall understand the tactic. Seems like all you would get is people who live in Lawrence that hang out on the North Shore.

[e30addict]

no one said it was rational. if you really wanted to catch people you shouldn't need a checkpoint. just need to know the right places.... waste of resources if you ask me

[Nikon]

Any details on where this is going to happen? 114 seems likely, maybe parts of 97 too.

don't drive drunk and you have nothing to worry about

[6 Fingered Man]

They used to do this all the time in Savannah. The issue with them is they cause so much traffic they you see it WAY before they see you. Anyone drunk will just turn, or pull over, park and go away till later.

[toocrazy2yoo]

no one said it was rational. if you really wanted to catch people you shouldn't need a checkpoint. just need to know the right places.... waste of resources if you ask me

There ya go. THEY need to be in the right place, too. Cops that is. Fairfax County cops (and the towns and cities that group around Washington DC in Va. and Md.) have a neat trick. They sit in unmarked cars in the shopping centers that also have bars and restaurants, especially the types that stay open until 3. They set up 50 yards out, with binoculars, they're waiting for someone to come out, drop their keys, stumble or weave on foot a little, act confused, take a little too long opening the car, that kinda shit. Meanwhile, their little cop buddies are sitting on the side of the road a block out from every exit from the parking lot two and three at each place. When a live one comes out of the lot, the cops on the street take turns following them down the road and pulling them over. The pulling over, it happens down the street, not in front of the joint, so peeps don't get suspicious.

Sneaky, but pretty effective.

[MysteriousR1]

Check points, ecpecially if there made public before hand, are just a waste of resources. But god damn does something need to be done about the stupid amount of people who drive not just drunk, hammered. I just dont get why people dont see the HUGE consequences behind it.

[CBR929RE]

It's usually on 114 around the eagle tribune area in north andover.

when I used to go that way for work it would always be right there. They always just waved me through in the truck but I saw plenty of cars get told to go into the parking lot of that restaurant where they did the thorough check. Saw a few people doing sobriety tests. It never took long to go through.

[toocrazy2yoo]

Check points, ecpecially if there made public before hand, are just a waste of resources. But god damn does something need to be done about the stupid amount of people who drive not just drunk, hammered. I just dont get why people dont see the HUGE consequences behind it.

Because, they think THEY'LL never be the ones caught. Hey, if I ever wad up my bike and suffer the physical consequences of THAT, I'll wish I'd never HEARD of motorcycles. But until I've experienced it, of course, I'll simply assume the crash will never happen! That's motorcyclists, pilots, firefighters, and frankly, that's drunks. Hell, that's everyone that ever does anything risky. Ya never see it happening to YOU, cause if you could, ya might consider another course of action.

[e30addict]

When a live one comes out of the lot, the cops on the street take turns following them down the road and pulling them over. The pulling over, it happens down the street, not in front of the joint, so peeps don't get suspicious.

Sneaky, but pretty effective.

Works for me. Take the problems off the road and don't hold up the peeps doing nothing wrong.

[DBB]

Checkpoints = Unconstitutional

[obsolete]

don't drive drunk and you have nothing to worry about

How bout not wanting to sit in the traffic nightmare they cause drunk or not?

I have never understood why they do this crap, TooCrazy's example seems like a much better tactic. Just seems like they don't actually want to stop the problem.

We had them in Albuquerque every weekend. The bars would annouce over the PA system where they were.

[toocrazy2yoo]

How bout not wanting to sit in the traffic nightmare they cause drunk or not?

I have never understood why they do this crap, TooCrazy's example seems like a much better tactic. Just seems like they don't actually want to stop the problem.

We had them in Albuquerque every weekend. The bars would annouce over the PA system where they were.

Well, I didn't say it wasn't trouble. Peeps got pissed about it when they heard how the original probable cause was set up. Binoculars from a distance isn't exactly a field sobriety test, but since the only ones that fought it were those who were in fact drunk, their objections to the method were squashed. Fairfax County, Va. is pretty stiff. They even got caught sending undercover types into bars and calling out to their cop buddies about drunks coming OUTTA the joint. The restaurant owners raised hell about that one, but who knows if they still do it? Nothing stopping them, if ya don't drive drunk, there's no crime, no bust, no foul by the cops, right? If you're drunk, get ratted out by a cop inside and busted by the cops outside, you're fucked.

Ah shit, one more reason to move outta Northern Va. Too many cops, too many different kinds of cops and they're too damned busy hassling, busting and convicting. Motorcyclists don't live a peaceful life down there either..

[obsolete]

I have a problem with the cops using illegal tactics but a cop seeing you act visibly drunk is more than enough probable cause for a stop in my opinion. At that point the officer can administer a field test and if they fail take them in for suspicion. I’m not a fan of the current state of drunk driving laws and I do think far to many liberties have been taken in the name of emotion as opposed to fact but I do think that there are better, more effective and less shady ways to get it done if there was a true care to stop the problem.

[kbroderick]

don't drive drunk and you have nothing to worry about

Yeah, how about having one of the three underage girls in your Suburban think it would be funny to write "HELP" on the frosted window as you pull up, on the way back to the boarding school where you work after being at the mall?

(Bonus points for the driver's window being frozen shut and needing to open the door to talk to the deputy.)

Thankfully, the girl sitting next to the devious one reached over and erased it before we actually stopped, but that could've been a much longer stop had common sense not made a sudden appearance.

(although, in hindsight, it probably could have made a more exciting story.)