TexasCHLforum.com

rbwhatever1 wrote:Really? The lady was forced into a checkpoint on her lunch break under the guise of drunken or impaired drivers? At noon?
Maybe if this survey was at 9PM after happy hour. But it wasn't. As long as it's a good reason to keep us all safe it will fly on face value alone.

I think the real survey results garnered here would be how well the American Citizens respond to being randomly stopped by the State and asked for "things". That information might come in handy if the Federal Government was ever wondering...

How come we don't have a tinfoil hat icon?

goose wrote:

texanjoker wrote: Me - no and it is a waste of tax payer money. I am very careful to what I do and anybody that knows me in the 'real world' knows I do not violate peoples rights. In fact I will speak out if I see an issue at work. Having many years in the business it is my job as a senior officer to teach the next generation. After all we take an oath and that oath is very imporant.

I am happy to hear this. This post reads, to me, much different than claiming over and over that we don't know anything was done wrong. Even if it isn't letter of the law wrong it was spirit of the law wrong. If you are saying that you would not take this job and that you do not violate peoples rights, I'll take that.

I truly and honestly salute your 'real world' persona. Thank you.

It looks like some believe that wasting tax payer money is no reason to fire anyone. I do not know if anyone deserves to be fired or not – but saying, “all they did was waste tax payer's money, no need to fire anyone” seems a little disingenuous to me.

If I waste my employer's money I would be canned.

But, but, but - have you seen how much money they waste in D.C.? Well, I have and those guys should be fired. It has becomes commonplace for many in public occupations to waste tax payer's money, my money, and no one is ever held accountable. I agree to pay it because the guys with guns who take it say they will use it for greater good than I would (I only using it to feed my family, pay my mortgage and such) when in fact it is often wasted with no consequences to those who actively flush my money down a toilet.

Were those who work for the public held as accountable as those who work for private industry we wouldn't be in this hand basket headed God know where.

[/rant]

Maybe privacy concerns are just more important to some people than $50.

I wouldn't give my DNA to someone in a parking lot for $50 unless I was really hungry.

And yes, I too view it as coercion when forced to stop by flashing lights and badges only to be asked to participate in a survey, not to mention you are participating even if you say "no" close enough to their passive sensor

gigag04 wrote:

Jaguar wrote:Are random DUI checkpoints legal in Texas? I have never been through one and I thought they were only used during "no refusal weekends" such as July 4th or St. Patrick's Day. I could be wrong here - that is why I'm asking.

This is as close as you can get to a DUI checkpoint without calling it that. Since they used passive sensors on motorist without their concent and who knows what would happen if they detected alcohol, it makes me curious if this is a backdoor DUI checkpoint or just a harmless "you have to pull over, but you don't have to roll down your window" type of event.

I don't see anything saying folks were being investigated for DWI...just that an organization was conducting research. It would be a very different situation if arrests came of it.

Since there was no investigation by LEOs...it is neither a DWI checkpoint, nor a detention, nor a search, or any other violations.

I would say it was probably inconvenient, ill advised, and poorly executed, if you have to label it something to sleep through the night.

Thank you for the answer CB1000.

The other question would be, what would have happened had they detected alcohol with their passive sensor, or convinced someone who had been drinking to blow?

All in all, I have other things that keep me up at night, this isn't one.

Are random DUI checkpoints legal in Texas? I have never been through one and I thought they were only used during "no refusal weekends" such as July 4th or St. Patrick's Day. I could be wrong here - that is why I'm asking.

This is as close as you can get to a DUI checkpoint without calling it that. Since they used passive sensors on motorist without their concent and who knows what would happen if they detected alcohol, it makes me curious if this is a backdoor DUI checkpoint or just a harmless "you have to pull over, but you don't have to roll down your window" type of event.

The FWPD cannot say no to the feds, that's where they get all their cool toys.

Something I didn’t know about – the “passive alcohol sensor.” So now instead of relying on the officer’s nose to smell alcohol, the police have a device that looks and operates like a flashlight but also detects trace amounts of alcohol on breath without a subject’s direct participation. A positive reading would be probable cause upon which to detain, question, and perform further tests on a subject.

Learn something new every day. No wonder cops on some YouTube videos get really angry when someone refuses to roll down the window more than just a few inches – not enough “indirect participation” going on.