zadoc
One could, but those don't interfere with free travel (that's one of those rights that we theoretically have but IRL have, um, some of the time) or qualify as an unreasonable search (which is something else that is supposed to be a right) the way checkpoints do. Inspection aned license renewal are activities that can be scheduled and planned for with a window of several months, not something that happens at 2 AM while you're just trying to get home so you can get a couple hours' sleep before work in the morning.
That's utter and complete crap. I can see requiring a wiring *inspection* but having to have a licensed electrician do the whole job? What a crock of poo, I hope that never happens here (otherwise I'll just have to be a scofflaw.)
But what if that becomes the *purpose* of the checkpoints, if drunk driving really isn't the problem that they make it out to be? Or what if BAC standards are lowered so much that ordinary citizens fear that they'll have an illegal reading if they've used mouthwash recently or eaten some old bread? That's where we seem to be going with this...
An expired driver's license will usually get you arrested... even if you are driving 100% safely and you just forgot.
The point is, an officer usually has to have probable cause to even look inside a vehicle. At these checkpoints they usually to make a point of sweeping a flashlight around the inside of the car...
We're not talking about drunk driving, we're talking about drunk driving being used as an excuse for papers-check stops which is unacceptable.
nate
-- replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
