Road Blocks have been going on forever, this is nothing new.

If the Police weren't doing these road checks people would be complaining about all the drunks on the road and getting rear ended by someone who didn't carry insurance!

If you think these are unreasonable searches, then try and argue the numbers of arrests made on outstanding warrants, driving while unlicensed and uninsured, drunk drivers, open containers, child restraint seat violations, speeders and drug dealers (you'd be surprised how many arrests are made because some drug user felt "relaxed" enough to leave his stash on his seat out in the open or was too stoned to conceal it!) made by these Road Blocks.

Sure, perhaps an unlicensed/uninsured driver isn't as big a threat to the general public, but if I have to go out of my way to stand in line to get my drivers license and pay the 15.00 fee, I expect everyone else to do the same. If I have to pay for insurance on my vehicle, I expect the other drivers to do the same.

People be-yotch about a civilized society and having their rights compromised. If the results showed the Road Blocks were ineffective yeilding few or no results (ie: arrests), they wouldn't need to do them.

Kinda sounds like the 'Eastern Block' of old.

Them: "Vhere are Yoor Papers?"

Us: "What do you mean Papers? I'm American. We don't need no Stinking Papers you Nazi Bastard! Now move your little gate and let me get on my way."

Them: "Is that Vhat you think is going to happen? I have news for you, AMERICAN. You vill not be arriving at your destination any time soon, I can assure you ov that! You have no Papers. You have no Privileges to travel outside your own district. This is a Policy you vill soon understand, as you vill spend the next Tirty Years thinking about it from vithin' Stone Valls and Iron Bars!!!

Take him AVAY Now!! And Burn his Vehicle!!"

They are all over here, and how many drunks are on the road from 8 am-3pm? I'm not talking at night, but during the day. They will ticket you for anything they can around here it seems. Got a $100 ticket for expired inspection sticker that was few months old. They not always a bad thing, but sometimes it is a little excessive.

I am actually releived to hear that they ar eusing more road blocks. That will help keep people off the roads that shouldn't be there. I will feel much safer driving our highways knowing that the drunks and junkies aren't going to get a free pass.

Down here where I live, they have had Border patrol check points for ever. It used to be that sometimes they were manned, and sometimes not. I will be happy to slow down and say "Good Day officer" to the guy who is helping to keep my country safe.

Originally posted by mOjOm
Kinda sounds like the 'Eastern Block' of old.

Them: "Vhere are Yoor Papers?"

Us: "What do you mean Papers? I'm American. We don't need no Stinking Papers you Nazi Bastard! Now move your little gate and let me get on my way."

Them: "Is that Vhat you think is going to happen? I have news for you, AMERICAN. You vill not be arriving at your destination any time soon, I can assure you ov that! You have no Papers. You have no Privileges to travel outside your own district. This is a Policy you vill soon understand, as you vill spend the next Tirty Years thinking about it from vithin' Stone Valls and Iron Bars!!!

Take him AVAY Now!! And Burn his Vehicle!!"

Thanks for the laughs man!
Good to know there are others around that can find some humor here within the horror.
Yeah, this is scary news and only gonna get worse.
Have you watched that video at papersplease.org?
Crazy stuff there, cops show up to 'protect and serve' and end up arresting an old man and throwing his 17 year old daughter face-first into the ditch.
"BIG MEN! BIG MEN!" Mr Hiible yells as the two cops pin his daughter to the ground.

In California they have sobriety roadblocks all the time. Its not a big deal unless you are tanked. They manage to get alot of drunks off the road. The other type I saw last year when we did our once every few years conspiracy trip through the SW (Canyon De Chelly for the Anasazi, ET highway, Nellis for the airshow, If we go in october we visit the trinity site, but I digress) were stops and vehicle inspections looking for illegals. Esp if you were in a truck or van. Quite a few people have died locked in the back of trucks etc. Its not even minor dent in our rights (They still can't search you without probable cause), but It makes me feel safer

Anyone who gives up his freedom for safety deserves neither.

Originally posted by Montana
Anyone who gives up his freedom for safety deserves neither.

Thought that was Ben Franklin.??

Originally posted by Montana
Anyone who gives up his freedom for safety deserves neither.

How is it giving up my freedom to stop for a few seconds and be waved on? No more so than taking off my shoes before I go through a screening checkpoint?????

True... I can still go from New Mexico to Arizona to California, I just need to stop and say hello.

And I will be the first to admit it, if I am p!ss drunk, driving down the highway, I DESERVE to be stopped.

If I'm breaking the law, and I get caught in one of these roadblocks, I won't start screaming about my constitutional rights. Because ya know what? The cops will be protecting YOUR rights and YOUR constitutional freedoms by taking ME off the road.

I am sooooooooooo embarrassed!

Have no fear, the sentiment was in the right place and well taken.

I've only been stopped a few times in roadblocks checking for drunks or my favorite checking to see if you have insurance..I saw a sign on the highway a few weeks ago(sorry dont have a picture of the sign)there was a flashing construction sign reading drug checkpoint 2 miles??both amused and frightened..not because i was carrying drugs because i wasnt...but fearful because i didnt feel like having my car searched...now this is a really busy interstate(hwy 70 for anyone in the Saint Charles Mo. area)After going the 2 miles i found only one county police car sitting on the side of the road with lights flashing..and no civilian cars pulled over...my roomate tells me they do this to watch for cars getting off the highway after the sign and before the checkpoint...does this mean that if an elderly couple exits the highway at this area will be pulled over and searched?can anyone tell me if this is legal or is it entrapment?I would like to know.

If you are drunk you DO deserve to get pulled off the road. No problem with that!

But why do I deserve to get pulled over because YOU are driving drunk?

(I'm generalizing here, I'm certainly not trying to accuse you of anything!!!



If the police want to sit beside the road and stop someone they are concerned about, no problem! Good job! If I'm not doing anything to cause concern, don't bother me.

To me, this is another aspect of the age-old innocent until proven guilty arguement. And yes it IS a big deal. Rights of any type have a way of being slowly eroded away. It is our duty as citizens to closely watch the actions of those placed in positions of authority over us, and the powers we give to them.

This power, while certainly comforting, is to me not really absolutely neccesary. Once a citizen gives up power of any kind it will always lead to more and more loss. Eventually, someone ends up giving his or her life (or many people give their lives) to get it back.

The ability to stop anyone for any reason may seem to be a small thing. Even a good thing to some. But it's still one more piece of power the citizens no longer have. Is it really THAT important? I guess I'm saying thanks, but no thanks.

I remember occasions when there seems to be checkpoints around every corner here in the carolinas. I personally do not feel any safer because of them. I start wondering if the police are going to find something wrong with something expired or no up to date insurance card on me or something. For that matter, I could be perfectly sober but the cop could say that he smells alcohol and just because he says so, he could arrest me.

Some people must honestly think that if they aren't doing anything wrong, then the police won't cause them any trouble. I guess if they ever get arrested or fined for doing nothing wrong, they may change their mind. I would rather that the police patrol the streets looking for suspicious activity like weaving cars etc. rather than sitting at a checkpoint looking for expired maintenance tags or out of date insurance cards when you have a new one but just forgot to put it in your wallet.

In my opinion, some of the police are not really concerned about public safety but only looking for some reason to fine or arrest people. Ever hear of police having to get certain quotas of speeders per month? It's mainly for the money or police revenue in my opinion. I once drove throught a small town at night and got followed by a car directly behind me for several miles. His headlight beams were constantly in my eyes. Anyway about 2 miles out of town I just got tired of those lights in my eyes and accelerated slightly. I got pulled over for speeding after this cop followed me for about 7 or 8 miles and I sped up for just 2 seconds. He did give me a break though which was really unusual after I told the truth that I couldn't take his headlight beams in my eyes anymore. It probably wouldn't have mattered to the police that I was also slightly concerned why someone was following me when they could have easily passed. Just remember if you ever drive in a southern city at night, the car following you is probably a police car. It's either that or roadblocks where you must show your papers.

Edited note: I forgot to mention road blocks/check points are nothing new around here. In fact sometimes the news will even announce them. Now with a lower alcohol limit, someone can go to jail when they are not showing virtually any impairment because of the roadblocks. That really makes me feel safer (sarcasm).

It would be nice if the police could catch all those driving around as uninsured drivers or the people who are really dangerous drivers or bad drivers. However I feel more threatened by the numerous road blocks than an extra 20 something extra charge on my car insurance for uninsured drivers.

[edit on 17-7-2004 by orionthehunter]

They’ve had them for at least a year on the Hoover Dam. When I went to school in Arizona, every time we would go to Vegas they would have a checkpoint going both ways over the dam. I think it was more of a homeland defense thing than checking the legality of the drivers, because they usually just looked in the car and waved us through.

For that matter, I could be perfectly sober but the cop could say that he smells alcohol and just because he says so, he could arrest me.

I would rather that the police patrol the streets looking for suspicious activity like weaving cars etc. rather than sitting at a checkpoint looking for expired maintenance tags or out of date insurance cards when you have a new one but just forgot to put it in your wallet.


It would be nice if the police could catch all those driving around as uninsured drivers or the people who are really dangerous drivers or bad drivers.

[edit on 17-7-2004 by orionthehunter]

No, he has to show proof you are DUI. In Georgia, with a breathilizer test, blood/urine test or some other test to show the blood/alcohol concentration.

Carrying your registration and insurance is required in most states. If you "forgot", then not for nothing, you aren't following what's required. In most states, if you show proof of active insurance, the proof you "forgot", the case is dismissed at court.

They do attempt to catch "those driving around as uninsured drivers or the people who are really dangerous drivers or bad drivers".

sounds like the u.s.a goverment wants a easier way to make money
finding any little excuse to nail you and fine you tickets

sounds like england if you ask me expect they nail you for having tea (drinking and driving)

I guess it would be based on if that tea was spiked!