RkyMtnHigh 0 #1 November 17, 2005 State senator wants pink license plates on cars belonging to DUI offenders Associated Press Posted November 15 2005, 6:06 AM EST CLEARWATER --A Republican senator wants a law to require bright pink license plates on vehicles driven by people with restricted driving privileges due to convictions for driving under the influence. Sen. Mike Fasano, of New Port Richey, filed a bill earlier this month that requires the first three characters on the plate to read "DUI." "Maybe it will embarrass people and keep them from drinking and driving," Fasano said. "Maybe they'll think twice." The bill also says police "may stop any vehicle that bears a DUI plate without probable cause to check the driver." Ohio and Michigan have similar laws in place. Other states have debated the issue, but failed to pass it due to privacy reasons. "Pink plates would hold out individuals for punishment as well as ridicule. We are very opposed to it," said Larry Spalding, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union in Florida. About 840,000 of Florida's 15 million licensed drivers have an active DUI sanction on their driving records, said Frank Penela, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles spokesman. A small percentage of those have limited driving privileges, such as permission to drive only to and from work, Penela said. "It could take two years to get the support, but I think it's worth the effort," Fasano said. "If I can't get a House sponsor, then maybe I can get it passed in the Senate and attached to a larger transportation bill." __________________- On a talk show yesterday, both sides actually had good points as far as it being invasion of privacy and how for a first offense it probably wouldn't be appropriate but for repeat offenders, it would. Thoughts? _________________________________________ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beowulf 1 #2 November 17, 2005 Sounds good to me. Don't drink and drive if you don't want to look like a fool. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr2mk1g 10 #3 November 17, 2005 Don't have a problem with it other than: QuoteThe bill also says police "may stop any vehicle that bears a DUI plate without probable cause to check the driver." While it has obvious benefits - previous convictions are not reasonable suspicion (our equivalent of probable cause) over here and I do not think they should be. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,991 #4 November 17, 2005 >Other states have debated the issue, but failed to pass it due to >privacy reasons. The privacy argument is a good one. However, once you commit a crime (and are convicted of it) you lose certain rights for some time. A common punishment is imprisonment, which removes a very basic freedom. Indeed, for someone who lives in a rural area, a pink plate could be a much more lenient punishment than temporary loss of a driver's license (or even restriction of driving to and from work.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #5 November 17, 2005 It works great here. We have yellow plates with red letters and you can tell from a mile away who has had multiple DUI convections. It cracks me up to see those plates sitting in a bar parking lot some nights. Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #6 November 17, 2005 QuoteIt works great here. We have yellow plates with red letters and you can tell from a mile away who has had multiple DUI convections. It cracks me up to see those plates sitting in a bar parking lot some nights. You can really tell who the die-hard idiots are there... "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sinker 0 #7 November 17, 2005 QuoteIt works great here. We have yellow plates with red letters and you can tell from a mile away who has had multiple DUI convections. It cracks me up to see those plates sitting in a bar parking lot some nights. funny, in a very sad, tragic, and potentially lethal kind of way... -the artist formerly known as sinker Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightingale 0 #8 November 17, 2005 That would suck if more than one person drove that car. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #9 November 17, 2005 Just thinking the same thing... What about family cars? (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rebecca 0 #10 November 17, 2005 QuoteJust thinking the same thing... What about family cars? Even more incentive not to fuck up if your family's dignity is on the line too... I disagree with being able to pull them over without reason though. you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #11 November 17, 2005 I think a more effective method is to slap on ankle-locks that emit a signal that can be detected by radar, so authorities will know where that person goes. The guilty party will be limited in where he or she can go (can't go a certain distance from home or can't go near a bar). If the computer program is set up accordingly, it'll have alarm zones set up around every establishment that sells and serves alcohol and the alarm sounds when the individual has entered the zone. It won't prevent all offenders from repeating their mistakes, but it would help cut down the numbers significantly... Some states already do this for sex offenders in some way."Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #12 November 17, 2005 Also... if convicted of any crime and a sentence is served doesn't someone then have the right to put it behind them and get on with their life? (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dropoutdave 0 #13 November 17, 2005 Yeah but it could be done for say 2 years after they were convicted just to make sure it's hammered home. ------------------------------------------------------ May Contain Nut traces...... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrewGPM 0 #14 November 17, 2005 Good point. If you're convicted once and serve your time, hopefully you've learned your lesson. If you've been convicted more than once, then you apparently did not learn your lesson. We need to do something to stop repeat offenders. I know three different people who have been charged with DUI more than 5 times. I can't beleive they are even allowed to drive any more! I'm not sure a pink plate is the way to go, but at least it's something. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justinb138 0 #15 November 17, 2005 QuoteI'm not sure a pink plate is the way to go, but at least it's something. Why not a sticker that says "I'm an irresponsible asshole" ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #16 November 17, 2005 Why not a Yellow Star...... whoops gone too far (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BIGUN 1,314 #17 November 17, 2005 Sen. Mike Fasano has stated that the Pink Plate would only be upon conviction and for the duration of the penalty. Upon completion of the term, the offender would return it to the tag agency. This was implemented in Sarasota some years ago. It worked for awhile, but like graffitti, eventually just became part of the landscape.Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
christelsabine 1 #18 November 17, 2005 QuoteWhy not a Yellow Star...... whoops gone too far Ah no. Yellow is a signal colour and quite OK. It only would disturb me to see a yellow plate with 4 black points on it .... dudeist skydiver # 3105 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pirana 0 #19 November 17, 2005 Must be my lucky day. Another topic I'm passionate about. When you screw up, you lose certain rights. End of story. The ACLU has got this one all wrong. You simply make it known that if you get a DUI you will lose all privacy rights when it comes to operating a vehicle. You should be visibly identifiable, you will be subject to search at all times, and you will be watched like a hawk Consider yourself lucky to be allowed to drive at all. On this one I am fairly Draconian. If you have had 5 DUI's, you should never be allowed behind the wheel again for the rest of your life, because to get that many you must be driving drunk on a very regular basis. If caught violating - straight to jail. I don't care if they rot there until they die. Too fucking bad. Should have thought about it more, and/or gotten help sometime before the 5th DUI." . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,027 #20 November 17, 2005 Quote"About 840,000 of Florida's 15 million licensed drivers have an active DUI sanction on their driving records," Wow, that's close to 6% of FL drivers who are a$$holes. If they don't like it, they can always opt not to drive.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #21 November 17, 2005 QuoteQuote"About 840,000 of Florida's 15 million licensed drivers have an active DUI sanction on their driving records," Wow, that's close to 6% of FL drivers who are a$$holes. If they don't like it, they can always opt not to drive. but they probably will anyway... "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jakee 1,489 #22 November 17, 2005 Quote We have yellow plates with red letters and you can tell from a mile away who has had multiple DUI convections. It cracks me up to see those plates sitting in a bar parking lot some nights. It'd make me want to slash their tyres... Do you want to have an ideagasm? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
livendive 8 #23 November 17, 2005 I'm opposed to it unless the person convicted of the DUI actually did some physical or financial harm to another person. We shouldn't be in the business of punishing people just because "they could have hurt someone!" Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justinb138 0 #24 November 17, 2005 Quote I'm opposed to it unless the person convicted of the DUI actually did some physical or financial harm to another person. We shouldn't be in the business of punishing people just because "they could have hurt someone!" Blues, Dave I disagree completely. Someone with a continuous pattern of driving while drunk has a good chance of eventually hurting or killing someone. Why wait until they do to do something about it? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
livendive 8 #25 November 17, 2005 Quote I disagree completely. Someone with a continuous pattern of driving while drunk has a good chance of eventually hurting or killing someone. Why wait until they do to do something about it? I didn't say anything about a continuous pattern. In any case, a high school football player has a good chance of eventually hurting someone. Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
