What are your thoughts about arresting someone for riding a bicycle drunk?

I don't know if they have a law against riding a bicycle drunk where you live, but it's likely that there is a law against public drunkenness. If so, they could definitely arrest him for that and he does pose a danger both to himself and others. He could ride into traffic, get himself or others killed. Bicycles have to follow the rules of the road, if he wasn't doing so, that's another reason to take him off the streets. It may be a stretch but a threat to the public safety has to be taken seriously. Maybe they should have just taken him into protective custody until he sobered up and given him a warning. I suppose that is up to their discretion.

I think it was right to arrest him. He could cause an accident just as easily on a bike as he could driving a car. He could cross the road and cause someone to hit him, or if a person swerved to miss him, they could hit another car in the other lane. I think he definitely should be arrested. Yes! He is a danger to the public.

Well, that is a very interesting thing. I don't think I have heard of anything like this before. I could see how the danger comes to play. If those people could drink and make it on the road without getting hit, then more power to them but I think it is better if they just walk and not operate any machinery at all.

I'm first going to tell you what I think of the law that arrests people for public intoxication: It's ridiculous! While I don't drink and believe that getting drunk is also ridiculous, I'm tired of these nanny laws that try to tell people what they can do when it affects nobody else. If somebody wants to go to a bar and get drunk, I have no problem with their walking home afterwards. I have a problem with their walking out in traffic--but I also have a problem with sober people walking out in traffic in such a way that they not only endanger themselves but can, also, endanger others due to people getting into wrecks while swerving to miss them. If a person is walking home from the corner bar who is on the sidewalk where he/she belongs but just happens to be obviously drunk as shown in his/her walking pattern, I'm just thankful that this person has the common sense and courtesy to stay out from under the wheel of a vehicle (car, truck, van, motorcycle, bicycle, skateboard, skates, etc.). A designated driver isn't always available if you've gone alone to drink. If a drunk pedestrian is causing other problems, that is what the person should be arrested for--not just for getting from Point A to Point B while drunk. That is, if he/she's making too much noise, he/she should be arrested for disturbing the peace--but only if a sober person who is making the same amount of the same noise would also be. If he/she's showing parts of his/her body that shouldn't be shown, thanks to being drunk, there are laws on the book dealing with indecent exposure--and those laws should apply to sober people as well. Of course, there are very obvious things such as hurting other people (e.g. drunken brawls)--but they shouldn't be placed under the umbrella of public intoxication so that this is the "crime" for which said person gets arrested. Try something like assault instead. As for arresting somebody who is riding a bicycle drunk...I'm all for it. I'm also for arresting anybody who uses any kind of vehicle--including a wheelchair--in a reckless manner that puts others in danger, and I don't care if these people are as stone sober as Carrie Nation. People, for instance, have no business whizzing by on bikes, skateboards, and inline skates as if they own the sidewalks. I can tell you from personal experience that I've had to quickly get out of the path of people on both bikes and skateboards--and I've heard of other people having to quickly get out of the path of inline skaters. One person who IS an inline skater actually told me one time that he enjoys running into people--and I don't care that this person is a friend when it comes to my opinion that he should be arrested, charged with a heavy fine, and made to spend a few weekends in jail.

I would think a drunk on a bike would be likely to cause an accident. They probably can not ride in a straight line and would be difficult to judge what they are going to do. An hour south of where I live they arrested someone DUI while they were mowing their lawn on a riding mower. You are not allowed to drink while on a riding lawn mower. LOL

Actually I don't think this has taken the law to far. The police that areessted him could have very well saved his life. Being drunk, he could have gone out in the tsreet and gotten hit by a car! He was on a bike, so he could get hurt a lot more! You can't buckle up on a bike. And he could have hurt the driver that hurt him or caused a multiple car accident. Anything can happen when people are drunk in public!

My friend has just gotten his 2nd offense for Public Intoxication because he was riding his bike drunk. Now yes this is an improvement over driving drunk, but non the less just as dangerous to themselves and others. He was riding down the middle of the street, crossed over into on coming traffic and darn near got ran over. Except the driver swerved, took out a mailbox and clipped his bike or the bike clipped the car rather and flipped my friend off of it. He now has a broken leg and the very reason he was caught. If someone wants to have a drink, buy it and go home to drink it. That is my advice cause the rest of us don't appreciate the damage it causes us when they decide to get drunk in public regardless if they are in a car, on a bike or on foot.

Has the bicycle rider violated any law or ordinance? If so then he should be arrested. But if he has not done any harm against persons or damage to property and just being drunk is not unlawful as well as riding on a bike, then the arrest is unlawful. Driving while intoxicated is prohibited by law but I don't know if a bicycle is included there.

No I don't think it is taking the law too far as they could cause an accident if a car was trying to avoid them weaving in and out of the traffic. They could also run onto someone and injured them as well as themselves.

as i thought, dont only arrest that person who driving with drink, also cancle his licence, because some accident makes life waste to some one. so who is driving with drink he has not allowed to live in this beautiful world. so not only arrest that person but also cancle his licence. and band him to get out from his state.

A drunk on a 10 speed bike hitting a person especially a small child can cause a lot of injuries. That person should be arrested.

Ha ha ha ha!!! This brings back memories! My husband, back when we first started dating, was actually stopped by the police and told to "Walk the bike home". I thought it was unbelieveable and I never thought I would hear about it happening to anyone else!

Hi there. I think for the drunks own safety and the safety of others, the arrest was a wise choice... Arresting that person in my mind is definetly not taking the law too far, Those actions have saved his life and or an accident waiting to happen... Good on the law for a change...

We know a person that was arrested for DUI in a golf cart in a 55+ neighborhood. I believe that anyone who is intoxicated enough should be arrested whether it is in a car, bike, motorcycle, walking, wheelchair, etc. If they are out and about and interacting with the public they are a danger to themselves and to others.

I guess I have mixed feelings on this one lol. On one hand, the person's trying to be responsible and NOT drive a vehicle, and on the other (depending on how intoxicated they are) they may be a peril to those on the sidewalk, or others on the roadway. (Especially if they're 'weaving.') Not sure, but it may fall into the public intoxication category, which I'm assuming if they were walking they'd probably get arrested too. Maybe it IS taking the law too far, after all, they are not behind the wheel endangering others.

It all depends on the circumstances surronding this arrest. If the individual was in traffic then thats a hazard if drunk. There are laws about DWI that includes any non motorized vehicle like a bike etc. So I say if he/she was a hazard to the safety of themselves and or others then an arrest was warranted. HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~

I think it is not taking the law too far. It is public intoxication. That is a crime. Driving a bike can be dangerous to do when you are drunk. Can you imagine someone wrecking in the road right in a curve. So drunk that they cant get up. They could be hit and killed.

Yes, I think it was the proper thing to do, arrest the drunkard! He/she must have been acting in such a way as to draw the attention of the Police that arrested him/her. Being drunk on a bicycle can lead to a dangerous situation. Just today I was driving down a local 4 lane street. I was on the inside lane and there was a man on a bicycle that was swerving back and forth into my lane. Even though I slowed down, it was hard to get by him because there were cars in the outer lane that I would have hit if I swerved to avoid him. I don't know if he was drunk, but he sure didn't control that bicycle the way he should have on such a busy street. He was a good 3 feet from the curb, where there was plenty of room for him to ride his bike safely. I can imagine how bad a drunk bicyclist could be in traffic. PEACE

If you look at it in the sense that he was not in a car and couldn't have done much harm to anyone on a bike, then yes that would be ridiculous. but that is the same as public intoxication. It is harder in a car for police to catch you unless you are driving crazy, but if you are out on the street and he had to have been riding the bike like he was drunk or I don't think they would've stopped him.