# DWI's and "casing" bars **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 6, 2004, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dwis-and-casing-bars/223076 "2004-01-06T20:32:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dwis-and-casing-bars/223076/41 "2004-01-09T15:58:34Z")
Given that there is clearly a law against being drunk in public, even if the bars themselves were off limits… how would you leave the bar? I suppose you could contmeplate being there long enough to get drunk and then sober up… While I agree that a purpose of bars is to drink, I don’t agree that a purpose of bars is to get drunk - a distinction that you seem to not be making. - Rick ---
**Author:** ![SAustinTx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/57b2e6/32.png) [@SAustinTx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SAustinTx)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dwis-and-casing-bars/223076/42 "2004-01-09T16:48:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by alice\_in\_wonderland \* > \*\*Not to be snippy, but that was a heck of a long post to defend breaking the law. > > An easy solution to your problem, of course, is simply to drink less. \*\* Perhaps I’ve helped to steer this conversation toward Great Debates territory, but my purpose in going into such detail was to illustrate that, while technically most all people busted for DWI or PI are in fact breaking the law, that doesn’t mean they are necessarily acting irresponsibly by any reasonable terms. Of course there are those who will say that breaking the law is breaking the law and nothing I can say will convince those people, but I’ll assume that most people reading this have a healthy sense of civil disobedience and questioning authority. As for **Bricker** ’s comments that bars are for getting drunk at, I’ll give him/her the benefit of the doubt and assume he/she is talking about drunk as per the legal limit. If this is the case I agree insofar as (per my previous post) it’s very difficult to have more than one or two drinks in a bar without being over the legal limit. On the other hand, not everyone goes to the bar to get completely sloshed, especially not all the time. If this was the case few bars would have enough customers during the week to justify keeping their doors open except for Fri-Sat. ---
**Author:** ![SAustinTx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/57b2e6/32.png) [@SAustinTx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SAustinTx)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dwis-and-casing-bars/223076/43 "2004-01-09T16:50:26Z")
Whoops! I meant T.Mehr’s comments. Sorry Bricker ---
**Author:** ![Balle\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/13edae/32.png) [@Balle\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balle_M)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dwis-and-casing-bars/223076/44 "2004-01-09T19:08:54Z")
Unfortunately, to me this is just another example of a community trying to use their police department to create revenue instead of keeping the peace. I’ve noticed in my town that whenever there’s a funding shortage, we all of a sudden get “zero tolerence” seatbelt checkpoints and the like. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dwis-and-casing-bars/223076/45 "2004-01-09T20:07:36Z")
I think that here in Washington state, police are required to stay at least 500 feet away from a bar’s property line if they’re waiting for drunks to emerge. I heard this from the owner of the bar where band played on New Year’s Eve. It seems that a few days earlier, the county sheriff’s department was looking for a specific local man who had warrants out for his arrest. They couldn’t find him, but they knew he liked to drink, so a deputy was parked outside this bar in the hopes that the fellow would show up. The bar owner wandered out to the deputy’s car and politely said, “Hey, I’ve got a pot of coffee on - why don’t you come in and have a cup? It’s cold out here.” The deputy declined the invitation and explained why he was there. So the bar owner said, “Then could you move? You’re within 500 feet of my property line, and you’re scaring off my other customers.” And the deputy moved. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dwis-and-casing-bars/223076/46 "2004-01-09T20:33:40Z")
I’ve seen and read about _many_ tests where people have had their driving skill evaluated before and after drinking. Sometimes with a BAC below the legal limit. They always drive better before. I’ve been a passenger many times with drivers who claimed to be perfectly capable of driving after drinking. They weren’t. I drove while drunk when I was a youngster. After ending up in a strangers front yard @ 3am, I didn’t do that anymore. It’s easy to avoid DUI arrest. Don’t drink if you’re going to drive. And always wear your seatbelt. 😉 Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dwis-and-casing-bars/223076/47 "2004-01-09T20:59:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SAustinTx \* > **Is it legal for the police to sit outside a bar at closing time and wait for the drunks to come out, or does this fall under the umbrella of entrapment? I ask because someone was telling me a story the other day, whereas one night in a Philly bar** No way this story is true. I mean, a crooked cop … in Philly? Yeah, right! ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dwis-and-casing-bars/223076/48 "2004-01-09T22:54:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SAustinTx \* > \*\*while technically most all people busted for DWI or PI are in fact breaking the law, that doesn’t mean they are necessarily acting irresponsibly by any reasonable terms. \*\* Dude, I would say breaking the law is a fairly irresponsable thing to do. Even if you think the law is stupid. Or doesn’t apply to you. Or is for people with lower tolerances to alcohol. Or those with less driving experience. It’s very, very easy not to drive over the legal limit. If you can’t temper your drinking to acomplish that, it’s irresponsable. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dwis-and-casing-bars/223076.md?page=2)