Big Brother Might Be Watching You Booze

Big Brother Might Be Watching You Booze

abcnews.go.com

The governor of Utah has two problems with a State Senate proposal to scan the IDs of everyone who visits a bar in the state and make that database available to law enforcement officials.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This is crazy! They claim it's to stop underage drinking, but that makes no sense to me. It's just more tracking of everything people do. Luckily the governor is against it, so maybe common sense will win in the end.

Something that suprised me from the article was how ridiculous Utah is already, they say:

Utah already has the strictest alcohol laws in the country, requiring tipplers to become members of any bar they patronize by paying a small fee and filling out a brief application

abcnews.go.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I feel for the people of Utah. I also live in a state with draconian liquor laws (Washington). I grew up in a state (New Mexico) that, at the time, had the loosest laws next to Oklahoma. My parents could legally buy and serve me booze on their property and after turning 16, they could do so at restaurants and bars so long as the bars served food. We had drive thru liquor stores until I was in college and to this day you can buy a bottle of hard alcohol (including everclear) at any grocery store or quick-mart that has a liquor license. Washington, however, has state stores and major regulations on which places can serve what.

It's ridiculous, but it's all about control. The Right want to control you in the name of morality while the Left wants to control you to "protect you from yourself." Neither side has any business telling any of us what to do on issues of vice. At least the average American allows their vices to be open and public for the most part, whereas those in high places hide their vices, may far worse than anything the average American has ever done, from prying eyes.

I wouldn't mind it at all, nothing to see here unless I get a hold of some hard liquor, then possibly interesting or funny things transpire

They just passed this out from our legislature.

It currently entails that anyone "looking under 35" must be scanned with a barcode reader. They state that it will not collect or transmit the data but store it for up to 7 days (Why? I have no idea) The request for the ID scanning was directly from MADD.

I dont drink and never ever go to bars but I am extremely upset by this. I dont see how this is going to prevent any type of underage drinking more than currently nor do I understand how it could prevent drunk driving. This seems 100% like a tracking measure to keep tabs on us.

I believe they hope to decrease drunk driving by collecting the data from individual establishments. Whenever a drunk driver is caught it will be known where they came from. This puts more stringent obligations upon the vendors. Businesses could be shut down for being a public nuisance, or sued into the ground.
I think its a violation of privacy.
I have considered using ID scanners before. They have some useful features. I can track weather an ID has already been used that date, or store the ID of someone I don't want into the bar, or catch a fake ID. The down side is what would my clientele think I was doing with the info? Selling it?
If this were to pass, I wonder who would be privy to this info.

Oh watch out - they're going to know I've gone into a bar. Hopefully my secret doesn't get out - that I only drink imported beer! Guess that makes me un-American for thinking that Budweiser tastes like a bottle of pi$$.

This is just insane. How about instead of a scanner, how about bouncers who do their jobs. That would solve the under age problem right there. Then the too much to drink club, well the bartender should know when someone is plowed. This is just big brother run amuck. I can't believe you just can't go to a bar and get a beer, you have to be a member. What kind of mixed up state is Utah. I am glad I am in Ohio.

Originally posted by bigvig316
how about bouncers who do their jobs. That would solve the under age problem right there.

I wish it were that easy. Many people have access to very good fake ID's. Some ID's come from the dmv so they seem completely legit even to a police officer.

As far as bartenders knowing who's too drunk to drive, maybe the bartender is serving a round of drinks to a person who is sober, that sober person then over serves their friend. Perhaps the bartender is under the impression that an intoxicated person is taking a cab home.

You cannot expect any, let alone every bar/pub/nightclub/restaurant to police all their patrons. Its a free country they say. Interrogation is illegal as well I understand. So how do we answer the questions of which one of you is driving? Are you going to ditch that cab around the corner? Is someone coming to pick you up down the street?

Too many variables. The only real solution that doesn't invade privacy is education.

[edit on 11-3-2009 by The Jewrk]

Originally posted by The Jewrk
I believe they hope to decrease drunk driving by collecting the data from individual establishments. Whenever a drunk driver is caught it will be known where they came from.

That will be their excuse, anyway.

In short, I think nobody cares where they actually come from. The decision to drink and drive is an individual one, and has nothing to do with the pub that served them.
How could the pub know they are even going to drive home? Even if they asked, you could always lie to them.

Just another control measure.