[rubicon]

Originally Posted by Chi-Town

There is no doubt that we are "cash cows" to the surrounding populace. And there is a mentality that we f*rts on carts as we are called are looked upon as interlopers for whatever reason be it a few rotten apples or darn yankee rooted feelings. But we do a lot of good for the surrounding communities. Not just business opportunities and employment but charity for the underpriveleged. So I look past the negative and realize that little will change. We know that we are good people from all over the U.S. and that we are doing our best to be good citizens and enjoy ourselves at the same time. As far as the police are concerned they should realize how good it is to have us as the population that they watch over. This should be imparted from the Chief on down. Or maybe the developer should remind them where their loyalties lie. Hey, if it's minor give a warning, if they don't like a drink at the square tell them to dump it. Second time and you're in trouble.

Well said, well balanced......................

[hrp01]

I have personally seen the current speed signs(monitored by Sumter's finest) in place on the path on 466 between Morse and Buena Vista...Today Sumter's finest was out in an unmarked car, busting Grannies on Buena Vista in yet another speed trap with unmarked cars...Again I witnessed it first hand..So much for rules and assumptions..I'd like to say,"c;mon
Barn, put the bullet back in your pocket and try some real police work for a change".

[Pturner]

Originally Posted by hrp01

I have personally seen the current speed signs(monitored by Sumter's finest) in place on the path on 466 between Morse and Buena Vista...Today Sumter's finest was out in an unmarked car, busting Grannies on Buena Vista in yet another speed trap with unmarked cars...Again I witnessed it first hand..So much for rules and assumptions..I'd like to say,"c;mon
Barn, put the bullet back in your pocket and try some real police work for a change".

Sorry, I don't understand. Are you saying you saw cart drivers on the cart path ticketed for speeding?

[hrp01]

No...I did see it monitored though...Today i witnessed barn writing up granny on Buena Vista .. In an unmarked car....The poor lady was scared out of her wits..I drove by three times and she was held there for over a half hour...very nice huh..I have also witnessed speed traps set up on Churchill Downs and they were checking carts too...seems we are a little "over protected" but really just here for their milking at will...

[Pturner]

Originally Posted by Barefoot

The Villages, and the Town Squares, seem to have some very unique "rules". You can shop on vendor night with a drink in your hand. You can wait for a restaurant reservation, and sit outside enjoying a drink from the inside bar. You can walk on the boardwalk with a drink in your hand. If you order a bottle of wine in a restaurant and drink half of it, the wait staff will tell you to take the bottle home with you. You can watch the sun set at Sunset Point on the Bridge, and have cocktails.

I'm very surprised that they would ticket someone at SS sitting in their golfcart enjoying a beverage. Perhaps some of these things aren't legal, but it sure seems that they are, based on four years of observation. Clarification is definitely required on this subject.

Excellent points. Outdoor vendors sell alcoholic drinks on the square. So it must be legal to possess a drink on the square that was purchased from the vendor. Right? Maybe technically it becomes illegal to have said drink in your hand only if you step off the curb from the interior of the square.

Are the sidewalks outside the shops and restaurants on the square private property? If so, maybe you can carry a drink onto the sidewalk and if you walk across the street to the interior of the square the drink only remains illegal until you get to the other side.

That would answer a riddle that has remained unsolved for thousands of years!

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Seriously, this issue is confusing.

[r_foye]

Originally Posted by hrp01

No...I did see it monitored though...Today i witnessed barn writing up granny on Buena Vista .. In an unmarked car....The poor lady was scared out of her wits..I drove by three times and she was held there for over a half hour...very nice huh..I have also witnessed speed traps set up on Churchill Downs and they were checking carts too...seems we are a little "over protected" but really just here for their milking at will...

Having lived here a few months now, I love the sense of entitlement so many Villagers seem to have. The old, "Im a taxpayer, I pay their salaries, they should be out busting the real criminals and leave us alone" mentality. Its never that they were speeding, or drinking and driving, or a myriad of other violations, they were targeted because they have money, or the police have a quota, or they are generating revenue, blah, blah, blah...The old lady probably deserved the ticket so give it a rest...The police are supposed to just look the other way because shes old? How do you know Granny Clampett doesnt already have a dozen violations on her driving record? Do you even know what she did? Oh sorry, my bad, we are entitled, I just havent lived here long enough get into the spirit yet...

[hrp01]

One of sumter's finest speaks out...that's what i have been saying about disdain for the residents...thank you as you have proved the point very well...

[skip0358]

Regarding the original post as I asked earlier and it becomes confussing. When we have parades, chili cookoffs,St Pats Parties,tree lightings people are allowed to do what ever. So it's alright then but not to just sit and listen to music. An open container is an open container. If the line at the booth is to long and you go to Red Sauce or Urban and get a drink in a to go cup once you step off the curb and go to listen to music your guilty if there's a function it's OK. People can be very confused and an explanation of the rule is required. I'm not talking about drinking and driving only about the square area as what the original post was about.

[golf2140]

bump

[Russ_Boston]

Anyone who can't see the hypocrisy in this is just not thinking.

So let me get this straight. If I bring a chair to the square, place it on the sidewalk next to my cart and consume 4 beers over the course of 2 hours (I will not be over the legal .08 limit in my experience) I can get back into my cart and drive happily home without incurring any violation.

BUT...

If i instead drink 1 beer in my cart that is not moving and maybe I'm even in the passenger seat and maybe with the keys in the ignition I can be cited.

Anyone who thinks this is right just because the 'letter' of the law is followed is just not the type of person I want to hang with.

And police wonder why they get bashed in forums like this. PLEASE!

Enforcing that 'law' makes no sense whatsoever except raising the town coffers.

[rubicon]

What this thread and two other similar threads have shown me is that the police departments in these parts need to work on their public relations

[superbat]

I was a foreman of a grand jury in NY a few years ago. We were given the history of our legal system which included DUI by the District Attorney.

He told us the reason the police will give a ticket to a driver that is sleeping in a car that has been drinking (booze on this or her breath, as well as seen drinking in the car) is to protect the police agency and others.

It seems that an officer did not give a ticket or arrest a guy who had been drinking and was “sleeping it off“ in his car, the officer just told him to sleep it off before driving home. The fellow, a few minutes later started driving and caused an accident that killed another person. He was over the limit and was then charged with DUI. When the family of the person that was killed found out that the first officer did not take him in they sued the police agency and won a large settlement. That is how our legal system works like it or not.

As a result of that case, at least in NY, officers are instructed to give a ticket when the officer sees someone breaking the drinking law or arrest the person who over the limit to protect the police agency as well as others.

The law in Florida includes golf carts.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by superbat

I was a foreman of a grand jury in NY a few years ago. We were given the history of our legal system which included DUI by the District Attorney.

He told us the reason the police will give a ticket to a driver that is sleeping in a car that has been drinking (booze on this or her breath, as well as seen drinking in the car) is to protect the police agency and others.

It seems that an officer did not give a ticket or arrest a guy who had been drinking and was “sleeping it off“ in his car, the officer just told him to sleep it off before driving home. The fellow, a few minutes later started driving and caused an accident that killed another person. He was over the limit and was then charged with DUI. When the family of the person that was killed found out that the first officer did not take him in they sued the police agency and won a large settlement. That is how our legal system works like it or not.

As a result of that case, at least in NY, officers are instructed to give a ticket when the officer sees someone breaking the drinking law or arrest the person who over the limit to protect the police agency as well as others.

The law in Florida includes golf carts.

..........and recumbent bicycles.

[Russ_Boston]

Originally Posted by superbat

I was a foreman of a grand jury in NY a few years ago. We were given the history of our legal system which included DUI by the District Attorney.

He told us the reason the police will give a ticket to a driver that is sleeping in a car that has been drinking (booze on this or her breath, as well as seen drinking in the car) is to protect the police agency and others.

It seems that an officer did not give a ticket or arrest a guy who had been drinking and was “sleeping it off“ in his car, the officer just told him to sleep it off before driving home. The fellow, a few minutes later started driving and caused an accident that killed another person. He was over the limit and was then charged with DUI. When the family of the person that was killed found out that the first officer did not take him in they sued the police agency and won a large settlement. That is how our legal system works like it or not.

As a result of that case, at least in NY, officers are instructed to give a ticket when the officer sees someone breaking the drinking law or arrest the person who over the limit to protect the police agency as well as others.

The law in Florida includes golf carts.

Please don't confuse the topic of this thread with driving under the influence or even potential DUI. No one will question that.

This topic talks about having one or two drinks in your stationary golf cart while listening to music at the square and getting a citation while at the same time you could legally do this just by standing outside your cart on the sidewalk. I would think that even the patrolman giving the ticket must feel guilty doing this. If not they should have their conscience evaluated!

This citation doesn't stop anyone from drinking at the square and then driving home drunk. To me handing out these citations is indefensible. Common sense needs to prevail at some point. This is another one of our semi-annual debates on 'letter of the law' vs. 'spirit of the law'.

PS> please cite the Florida law that includes non-registered golf carts. I'd like to read it but could not find it. I assume you found it since you stated it as fact. Thanks.

[ajbrown]

Originally Posted by Russ_Boston

Please don't confuse the topic of this thread with driving under the influence or even potential DUI. No one will question that.

This topic talks about having one or two drinks in your stationary golf cart while listening to music at the square and getting a citation while at the same time you could legally do this just by standing outside your cart on the sidewalk. I would think that even the patrolman giving the ticket must feel guilty doing this. If not they should have their conscience evaluated!

This citation doesn't stop anyone from drinking at the square and then driving home drunk. To me handing out these citations is indefensible. Common sense needs to prevail at some point. This is another one of our semi-annual debates on 'letter of the law' vs. 'spirit of the law'.

PS> please cite the Florida law that includes non-registered golf carts. I'd like to read it but could not find it. I assume you found it since you stated it as fact. Thanks.

I tried to say what Russ said in my earlier posts, but did so much less elegantly. To be clear I strongly agree with the guy who hails from Norton, MA and The Villages .