Illegal to be drunk in a taxi cab?

[Jacobtm]

At my university, late at night, there is only one way to drive into campus. Recently, a police officer spoke to a group of students (I was there), and told us that occasionally, the police department will do the following:

Wait at this checkpoint.

Stop every car, including taxi-cabs, coming into the University.

Check everyone's ID to make sure none are fake.

Tell anyone who may appear to be drunk to step out of the taxi, and take a field sobriety test.

Charge those who are underage and drunk. He didn't specify with what.


So, my question is, is that really legal? Is it a crime to be drunk sitting in a taxi cab if you're underage? It doesn't seem right to me, but the law isn't always what seems right...

[Bacon King]

I'm guessing that in your state, it's illegal to be underage and drunk, regardless of where you are.

[bhouston79]

It's always illegal to consume alcohol if your under 21.  With that said, it's extremely poor public policy for law enforcement officers to arrest drunk persons in taxi cabs.  They should thank the drunk individual for being wise enough not to drink and drive!

[© tweed]

uni police/police on university property can do whatever they want



actually, cops do whatever they want

[Bono]

Since you're not driving I think you can refuse to obey their order unless they detain you, though o/c I'm not a lawyer.

[Franzl]

It's always illegal to consume alcohol if your under 21. 

That's incorrect, the 21 limit is the age to purchase.

State laws on consumption vary.

[??????????]

You can get charged with DUI if you're drunk, asleep in your car with the key in the ignition of your car in a parking lot.

[Hatman 🍁]

You can get charged with DUI if you're drunk, asleep in your car with the key in the ignition of your car in a parking lot.

I'm not sure if it's the same there, but here it doesn't matter if the keys are in the ignition or not.

[Ebowed]

They should thank the drunk individual for being wise enough not to drink and drive!

Being drunk and underage clearly poses just as much of a threat to society as drunk driving.

Either way, more seriously, I'm not sure that it's illegal to be drunk and underage in every state.  Missouri probably allows under-21s to consume alcohol with parental supervision, for example.

[© tweed]

They should thank the drunk individual for being wise enough not to drink and drive!

Being drunk and underage clearly poses just as much of a threat to society as drunk driving.

Either way, more seriously, I'm not sure that it's illegal to be drunk and underage in every state.  Missouri probably allows under-21s to consume alcohol with parental supervision, for example.

I believe in NY an under-21 can legally consume alcohol if a parent/guardian purchases the drink, pours the drink, and it is consumed with parental supervision

[Ebowed]

I believe in NY an under-21 can legally consume alcohol if a parent/guardian purchases the drink, pours the drink, and it is consumed with parental supervision

The police should wait outside the house during family dinner for when the parent goes to the bathroom.

Gotta nip these problems in the bud, you know?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Under 21s can drink in Minnesota under parental supervision. One of my professors told a story about how his son got drunk at a wedding with them, but he called his friend to drive him home. His friend got pulled over anyway despite being totally sober, but then his son was determined to be drunk and got cited. The professor was able to hassle the city into dropping the cite because his son legally consumed alcohol.

[Lief 🗽]

In Texas, as far as I know (and this is largely according to what the MADD-subsidized fascist anti-alcohol people taught us in Middle School), you can drink at any age with parental (and church, I think) supervision, but if you're drunk and you go outside, you're breaking the law, regardless of whether or not your drank the alcohol legally.

[RosettaStoned]

I'm always in cabs drunk!

[Lunar]

I believe in most states it's not illegal to be simply intoxicated -- on anything, supposing it's gone.  If you're visibly intoxicated in public, that's another dealio.  But if you're an underage drunk in your house or apartment and there's no alcohol, I can't imagine that being any more of a crime than in the back of a taxi, supposing you're not breaking any other crimes.

That cop is a dick to try and discourage students from calling taxis though, I don't know if he is for real (depends on state law).

You can get charged with DUI if you're drunk, asleep in your car with the key in the ignition of your car in a parking lot.

Some states it's enough if the key is accessible (such as in your pocket) even if you're in the passenger seat.

[12th Doctor]

You can get charged with DUI if you're drunk, asleep in your car with the key in the ignition of your car in a parking lot.

Where I originally come from, the cops would arrest you if they saw you leaving a bar and putting your keys in your car door to unlock the car.  Seriously, they arrested 10 people a month like that.  Best part is, that's illegal, and no one ever made a complaint.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Well too bad because there's a great potential lawsuit and way to make some good cash.

[pbrower2a]

Obviously a taxi driver has the right in most places to

(1) refuse a drunk as a fare (potential damage to the vehicle form vomiting) , and

(2) refuse to allow an open container or drinking in the vehicle.

There is nothing illegal about having an intoxicated passenger in a vehicle; that's why there are designated drivers.  One sober driver and three drunk passengers is far better than four drunks, one driving.

Could someone be convicted of drunk driving if... seated in the passenger side or either reclining or seated in the back seat? I fully understand why the police would arrest someone for trying to open the driver's door with a car key, as that suggests some intention to drive. But if the drunk approaches the passenger's side? Besides, some vehicles now have remote entries that would open all doors. 

 

[Lunar]

I don't think in normal states you can arrest a passenger for a DUI.  As I said, it's not really illegal to be intoxicated as long as you are capable of acting normally -- intoxication crimes are usually associated with other acts.  If you present a danger to either yourself or other people around you, officials have to call to act.  As a part-time security booth monitor in the freshman dorms for too man years, I've had to, and been required to from my job obligations, to call 911 in a number of situations where I wasn't sured if the fools in front of me would live through the night... which would probably apply somehow to a police officer observing a dangerously drunk passenger.  It'd probably apply a lot more liberally depending on the personality of the cop and how ridiculously drunk the passenger is (throwing up, passed out, yelling, etc)                                                                                                                                         

[Stonebui17]

Well, it is important for a taxi driver to be sober in order to safely drop passengers. Otherwise, he/she will needs to have a good DUI attorney Los Angeles in their contact. It is good to come across this post. I am going to spread this information to all my friends.

[SteveRogers]

They probably can arrest you for public intoxication or minor in consumption, but you’d certainly be within your rights to refuse to perform field sobriety tests or give a breath sample.