Sobriety checkpoint....and shakedown....

[Crippled Caddis]

fishingwrench wrote:

<what's the big deal with a 19y/o sneakin' a few beers ? Or even---smokin' a joint---don't go out hunting them down, and then slapping felonys on his record that will screw up his future for many-many years.>

Er---ever heard of responsibility for your own actions?

<Don't act so self-rightous.>

I doubt that there are many of us here who don't thank their luck for having survived the ignorant arrogance of heedless youth without scars---legal or actual. But our own survived stupidity doesn't imply in any fashion that we must condone in others illegal or immoral acts that we regret in retrospect in our own past.

<I am totally out of my league here.>

At last! A point on which the majority can agree!

[Terry Beeson]

...we have bars and stuff where you can go get drunk and take your clothes off...

Hey Scheetz... As a couple of "front men"... We'll have to compare notes someday...

[fishinwrench]

My point was totally and completely missed here. But by all means have your way with it.

[fishinwrench]

fishingwrench wrote:

<what's the big deal with a 19y/o sneakin' a few beers ? Or even---smokin' a joint---don't go out hunting them down, and then slapping felonys on his record that will screw up his future for many-many years.>

Er---ever heard of responsibility for your own actions?

<Don't act so self-rightous.>

I doubt that there are many of us here who don't thank their luck for having survived the ignorant arrogance of heedless youth without scars---legal or actual. But our own survived stupidity doesn't imply in any fashion that we must condone in others illegal or immoral acts that we regret in retrospect in our own past.

<I am totally out of my league here.>

At last! A point on which the majority can agree!

CC, I love the way you took that out of context....and edited it to suit you, for a nice setup at a cute little shot at me. Actually I don't love it, I take offense to it. I don't think I was unclear about my original point, but that's ok.

wrote:

there are many of us here with stupidity that we condone

Yes CC, I agree LOL (see how that works?)

[Kicknbass]

where you can go get drunk and take your clothes off

This should be against the law.....unless your "smoke'n hot. Then it would be encouraged........... unless I'm floating the river with my kids.

fishingwrench wrote:

<what's the big deal with a 19y/o sneakin' a few beers ? Or even---smokin' a joint---don't go out hunting them down, and then slapping felonys on his record that will screw up his future for many-many years.>

Dude. Don't break the law and you won't have any problems. Do so and get caught then face the consequences. Don't cry about it because you were just having fun w/ your buds. It sucks to have to be responsible and acountable for your actions.

Law enforcement officers are spread so thin, that when they catch a perp in action, they need to make it miserable for the law breakers. If not, whats the penalty?

[jscheetz]

OMG...you inflame me with that remark...seriously ! A guy in possession of a joint is not NECESSARILY a "pothead"

Wrench - sorry dude - didn't mean to inflame you, and while you may be technically right, a guy in possession of a joint is a lot closer to potheadville than one who is not. Now calm down - don't get all inflamed.

I think it's just that your comments if you will re-read them seem to be kind of making light of people doing things that are illegal and getting arrested for them. I mean that is what the laws are for - otherwise where do we stop?

I don't think anyone is being self righteous - flysmallie said it best -

It's against the law, period. Just the same as running a red light, speeding or murder. I'm not afraid to say that I have done both. But if I would have got caught I wouldn't have been crying about it not being a big deal

Now hopefully the "both" he did was not the speeding and the murder......

I did plenty of crazy stuff as a youth and was caught at some - but like he said I didn't whine about it not being right - I just knew that I had broken the law, and now had to pay the penalty. And eventually - that helped me become the mostly law abiding citizen that I am today. So I am glad for it! And being a long haired guy my whole life, believe me I have had plenty of run ins with cops who had already been my judge and jury - that is partly why I don't drink or do drugs and try to abide by the law now - because vindication is the best tonic!

Others here are more into the law than I, but I found some stuff saying "The minimum blood-alcohol content to be legally drunk while operating a boat is still .10" So I guess "operating a boat" would be with a paddle or a motor.

But either way, being drunk and disorderly in public is against the law - it was when I was 15 and it is now - so keeping that off of our streams seems like just as good of an idea to me as keeping it off the street in front of my house.

Anyway, we're all just throwing opinions out there - that's what makes for interesting dialog, so thanks for bringing it up, just don't get to upset if we don't all see eye to eye.

Terry, please understand that these are just stories I have "heard about" over the years.

JS

[hornyheadchub]

And being a long haired guy my whole life, believe me I have had plenty of run ins with cops who had already been my judge and jury

Here, here. I had hair down to my butt for 17 years, drove a '76 VW Microbus, and boy do I relate. Still, never been in any real trouble with the law.

Anyway, we're all just throwing opinions out there - that's what makes for interesting dialog, so thanks for bringing it up, just don't get to upset if we don't all see eye to eye.

EXACTLY. It is very easy to lose sight of this. Thanks for keeping it in focus.

[mcp633]

I'm a little outnumbered here being the pig, but I'm not scared of a bunch of fishing bums !

It's true that just about every floatable stream on this board has a post about enforcement on the rivers, but when it happens, someone gets outraged. Lord forbid! As for over-zealous cops, yep they're out there. There's usually some in every department with a mile long blue flame shooting out of their butt! Most however, most are honest hard working folks (like me ) who want to do their jobs and go home after their shift alive. Don't let a bad apple that you've dealt with ruin the whole bunch. Yes, we should probably do a better job of "policing" our own personnel. We try! I will apologize for my misbehaving brothers and sisters in blue, or whatever color uni they happen to be wearing. They are just out there doing what they're told to do.

I applaud the effort on the Niangua. Good job! By the number of violations, I'd say that it was the right thing to do. It would be different if they ran this detail and found nothing. Sounds like they're in the right place! Maybe next weekend, they'll be in the "next" right place!

[Crippled Caddis]

<I'm a little outnumbered here being the pig>

I don't think so mpc---just a cursory reading of the thread indicates a general approval by the majority. In point of fact many have been pleading for enforcement for years and are puzzled by why it took so long to address the problem.

<As for over-zealous cops, yep they're out there. There's usually some in every department with a mile long blue flame shooting out of their butt! Most however, most are honest hard working folks (like me laugh.gif ) who want to do their jobs and go home after their shift alive. Don't let a bad apple that you've dealt with ruin the whole bunch. Yes, we should probably do a better job of "policing" our own personnel. We try!

In my experience the 'problem children' in your ranks are those who desperatey WANT to be cops. They seem to be the ones who allow the power to go to their heads. Seems like the psych profile test could weed them out up front doesn't it? Most, like yourself, are just trying to do a concientious good job and I'm never offended by them. It's darn sure a job I never wanted!

I noted on another thread that even fishingwrench isn't as far from majority opinion as his posts on this thread seemed to indicate:

<Be kind to the river, polite to others, and remember that it is YOUR river too.>

I suspect he was smarting from recent burns incurred in the presence of a 'blue-flamer' when he started this thread. If so I can certainly sympathize with him if he was innocent of wrong-doing. Frankly I see no reason we can't ALL share and enjoy our rivers if we abide by his thoughts in the quote above. I'm definitely guilty of the curmudgeon classification but I really enjoy seeing everyone having a good time enjoying the outdoors so long as their good time doen't adversely impinge upon my own. I might even offer them a cold one at the end of the day.;o) CC

[Phil Lilley]

There's alot of us who read and aren't posting that would back the law enforcement community... if we didn't have them where would we be??? And like any profession, there's the bad apples AND even the good ones have bad days and make mistakes. Gosh- we all do.