Random breathalyzer tests considered for Canada

[Veovis]

You may "own" you home, but I "own" my car, if one property is allowed why to you somehow think the other won't be? Breathalizer will graduate to car searches, personal searches then finally to unwarrented home serches if allowed to progress, and yes, all in the name of safety.

After all your house is residing in the municipality/Province/Country and as so will be governed by whatever they feel like.

It's not that the random breathalizer is such a horrid idea, but it opens the door wide for many many worse things, plus I don't wish to be treated as a criminal when I am not.

[WhatThe]

I wonder those that think being searched is minor inconvenience have ever had the distinct pleasure of being humiliated by over zealous cops.

Nope. Closest was a rather rough (female) security guard at a sporting event. She found a half empty bottle of coke in my purse and chucked it in the trash. I guess she didn't like the look on my face because she said "rules are rules, they are posted clearly". I felt a little injured by her brusqueness (I'm used to people liking me, I like being liked) but it took me about 5 minutes to get over it.

Although from the way you are speaking, it makes me
wonder if perhaps you had a rather bad experience that is colouring your reaction to all this?

Have been searched tho done nothing wrong, and not specifically coloured. However I truly resent being
treated like a criminal whether it's by cops or the staff at walmart. It's become as if everyone is expected to be criminally active. Since the govt has proved their ineptitude in curtailing criminal activity they are placing the onus on us, and to me this is another example.

[dieseluphammerdown]

You may "own" you home, but I "own" my car, if one property is allowed why to you somehow think the other won't be? Breathalizer will graduate to car searches, personal searches then finally to unwarrented home serches if allowed to progress, and yes, all in the name of safety.

After all your house is residing in the municipality/Province/Country and as so will be governed by whatever they feel like.

It's not that the random breathalizer is such a horrid idea, but it opens the door wide for many many worse things, plus I don't wish to be treated as a criminal when I am not.

Where to start.?

Lets start here your "CAR" is operated on a "PUBLIC" road.
My home is on "PRIVATE" property.

What are these "MANY" "MANY" worse things you speak of.?

[dieseluphammerdown]

I wonder those that think being searched is minor inconvenience have ever had the distinct pleasure of being humiliated by over zealous cops.

Nope. Closest was a rather rough (female) security guard at a sporting event. She found a half empty bottle of coke in my purse and chucked it in the trash. I guess she didn't like the look on my face because she said "rules are rules, they are posted clearly". I felt a little injured by her brusqueness (I'm used to people liking me, I like being liked) but it took me about 5 minutes to get over it.

Although from the way you are speaking, it makes me
wonder if perhaps you had a rather bad experience that is colouring your reaction to all this?

Have been searched tho done nothing wrong, and not specifically coloured. However I truly resent being
treated like a criminal whether it's by cops or the staff at walmart. It's become as if everyone is expected to be criminally active. Since the govt has proved their ineptitude in curtailing criminal activity they are placing the onus on us, and to me this is another example.

I have no problem with this as i look at it as doing my part.
If it gets one drunk off the roads or one criminal off the streets then it's a small price to pay for "OUR" safety.

[WhatThe]

You may "own" you home, but I "own" my car, if one property is allowed why to you somehow think the other won't be? Breathalizer will graduate to car searches, personal searches then finally to unwarrented home serches if allowed to progress, and yes, all in the name of safety.

After all your house is residing in the municipality/Province/Country and as so will be governed by whatever they feel like.

It's not that the random breathalizer is such a horrid idea, but it opens the door wide for many many worse things, plus I don't wish to be treated as a criminal when I am not.

Where to start.?

Lets start here your "CAR" is operated on a "PUBLIC" road.
My home is on "PRIVATE" prope
What are these "MANY" "MANY" worse things you speak of.?

Your car is private property too

[dieseluphammerdown]

You may "own" you home, but I "own" my car, if one property is allowed why to you somehow think the other won't be? Breathalizer will graduate to car searches, personal searches then finally to unwarrented home serches if allowed to progress, and yes, all in the name of safety.

After all your house is residing in the municipality/Province/Country and as so will be governed by whatever they feel like.

It's not that the random breathalizer is such a horrid idea, but it opens the door wide for many many worse things, plus I don't wish to be treated as a criminal when I am not.

Where to start.?

Lets start here your "CAR" is operated on a "PUBLIC" road.
My home is on "PRIVATE" prope
What are these "MANY" "MANY" worse things you speak of.?

Your car is private property too

On a public road.That being the difference.

A "HOME" is on private property.

[zzontar]

I wonder how many more man hours will have to be spent pulling over people who are driving well when they could be spent better elsewhere?

[Urbane]

If MADD is correct the random breathalyzer tests may save many lives:

http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/canada/ ... 6-sun.html

[mtnman1]

How about a "motor home"? Not trying to throw a wrench into the works here but, this is along the same level of questions that have been posted so far. If you never drink and drive, you have nothing to fear. It is only the criminals that fear the police, after all.

[westsidebud]

How about a "motor home"? Not trying to throw a wrench into the works here but, this is along the same level of questions that have been posted so far. If you never drink and drive, you have nothing to fear. It is only the criminals that fear the police, after all.

well the guy that monty robinson hit while driving drunk ,was a local hero,so he had no reason to fear the police,but along comes drunk monty and wham,no more hero

[WhatThe]

[quote="mtnman1you have nothing to fear. It is only the criminals that fear the police, after all.[/quote]
On that one, there is a list as long as your arm of cops that have severly broken the law to the detriment of the average citizen. Beatings, false arrests, killings, bribery deportations,long long lists. This is why this type of legislation is so frightening. Try fighing the system , at least with criminals one can fight back. These things are all documented. I'm not paranoid

[mtnman1]

[quote="mtnman1you have nothing to fear. It is only the criminals that fear the police, after all.

On that one, there is a list as long as your arm of cops that have severly broken the law to the detriment of the average citizen. Beatings, false arrests, killings, bribery deportations,long long lists. This is why this type of legislation is so frightening. Try fighing the system , at least with criminals one can fight back. These things are all documented. I'm not paranoid[/quote]
If you chose to fight with criminals, you also chose to fight on thier terms. Those terms are not written and are made up according to the situation. You chose to fight with criminals and they will always win. I can only defend myself according to the laws of the land, if I only have a knife and they have a gun, guess who wins? I will always have much more faith in the police to fight fair than I will ever have for the criminals.

[grumpydigger]

[quote="mtnman1you have nothing to fear. It is only the criminals that fear the police, after all.

On that one, there is a list as long as your arm of cops that have severly broken the law to the detriment of the average citizen. Beatings, false arrests, killings, bribery deportations,long long lists. This is why this type of legislation is so frightening. Try fighing the system , at least with criminals one can fight back. These things are all documented. I'm not paranoid[/quote] Dont tell that to mtnman1 he thinks the police can do no wrong..... and any who does not think so is a cop hater

[steven lloyd]

Man, this is a tough issue to definitively choose one side or the other. I know I initially came out supporting the idea, and still believe I had good reasons for doing so:

It’s truly sad we now live in a world where it takes you an hour to go through security clearance to get on to a plane but there’s obviously a good reason for that. Likewise, there is a good reason to randomly screen drivers to see if they are placing the lives of innocent victims at risk.

A couple of posters have echoed this same idea in different words:

I believe in personal freedom, it is what the people who settled Canada came looking for. The difference here is that they had personal responsibility. The reason these personal "freedoms" are being eroded is that society is collectively becoming about the individual, and not the greater good. The person who wants to drink, does so. The person who wants to drive while drunk, does so. And does not think about the devastation they could cause. "I'm good" is the refrain of impaired judgment. I would rather that everyone was responsible, but they aren't. Less and less people are choosing to be responsible. That is why these things (which should be simple common sense) are being legislated, or considered for legislation.

I do understand the threat people are feeling towards their personal privacy and liberties. A couple of things stand out for me though. Driving a car is a privilege for which one has to be tested and approved. People need not be tested and approved for residing in their own home because right to shelter and sustenance is an unquestionable thing, and privacy in that home is a reasonable expectation. However, the second we step out of our home (or even reach beyond our home electronically over voice or web), we are accountable to everyone around us, and everyone we impact with our actions/statements.

Still, other posters here have made some very good points against:

I do not agree at all with random breathalyzers. I do believe it is a slippery slope and not one to be taken lightly. ... it is about people's fundamental right to quiet enjoyment of their life without interference from authorities who have no reason whatsoever to subject individuals to random testing in case they are doing something wrong.

It's wanting to live without unreasonable interference from the govt and not be treated like a criminal.

Count me out of a society where we investigate our law abiding citizens "just in case". I lost my father at 6 years old to a drunk driver too, it was him. I do not accept drunk driving but I also do not accept removing freedoms and liberties from innocent people because of it. This is simply not an acceptable solution.

It is indeed a slippery slope. However, while I believe in freedom, I also believe that with freedom comes a sense of responsibility to society (ie. “the collective”) and that attitude is obviously not shared by all members of our society. Unfortunately, not only do we need to protect ourselves from individuals that would cause harm, but also from governments that would take our freedoms away (I wonder how many posters here who are opposing this idea also oppose the Campbell government’s proposition of making it illegal to protest against the Olympics). The question I think is how do we make people be more responsible and accountable to the collective they belong to without taking their freedoms away?

[Urbane]

Great summary Steven. I know I don't feel comfortable being in favour of the random testing but I feel less comfortable being opposed. Tough call though.