"Dude, I'm Going To Be So Diabetic in the Morning"

Police in Wisconsin broke up a kegger last week. A root beer kegger. Wisconsin high school senior Dustin Zebro was irked that some of his friends were kicked off varsity sports teams after school officials spotted Facebook photos of them drinking from red cups. So to show that red plastic ups don't always mean beer (he's right, I remember putting mixed drinks in them, too), he threw a root beer kegger in the hopes of triggering more suspensions, then making school officials look silly. Turns out, the cops were called in on the gag, too.

Story here.

Dazed and Confused-esque "documentary" here:

Comments

[Episiarch]

Wow, a non-heavy-handed and very reasonable reaction fro the police. Nice to see. Good for these smartass kids, too--they're not all sheep.

[Warren]

Heh, that's pretty funny. It would have been better if they would have insisted on warrants before allowing the cops inside and blowing breathalysers.

But what's the meaning of it all? I'll tell you. Government schools are incompatible with a free people. If a private school kicks you off the team for drinking out of a red cup, that's they're business. They have to answer to the market (which very well might reward them for doing so). But if a government school kicks you off the team, they are destroying the hope and dreams of an entire generation.

Won't somebody PLEASE think of the children and put an end to government schools now?

[R C Dean]

I like this Dustin Zebro kid.

[Jack]

Call it Civil Obedience. I love it

[Warren]

Wow, a non-heavy-handed and very reasonable reaction fro the police.

The only way you can believe that is if you first accept the premise that we are all wards of the state and the only rights you have are the ones they grant you.

[Gabe Harris]

"they wasted the time of the police"....absurd the policeman was wasting his time. Did they request that he come out there? How ridiculous, every kid should have said their own version of this after blowing a zero. "Now get the fuck out of our party and go eat a doughnut pig!"

I may sponsor one of these parties around here.

[Art]

"Reasonable reaction by police"

The administering of 89 drug tests by police to children without their parents knowledge when there was zero evidence of drugs or alcohol at the house is not reasonable, but another 4th amendment exception in the name of "saving the children."

[Hugh Akston]

But Warren, if we put an end to public education, then education will become a luxury good. Like automobiles, personal computers and cellular telephones before it, only the richest 1% will be able to afford education, widening the divide between haves and have-nots. Soon the change will take an evolutionary track and we'll be left with a world of educated, indolent Eloi and ignorant Morlock laborers.

[Gabe Harris]

that cop was actually separating the tested and non-tested...making them all blow...that is about as heavy handed as you can get. They should have treated him like the worst substitute teacher they ever had, taunting him with doughnuts, making fun of his low paying job and mindless etc

[Michael Pack]

So a group of kids at a house or in a backyard is probable cause?They must be drinking or drugging since their in a group? Red cups = illegal behavior? Maybe in the 'drug war' mindset this is ok.I find it a gross over use of power.I guess wrer sheep being tended to by our masters.

[Episiarch]

The only way you can believe that is if you first accept the premise that we are all wards of the state and the only rights you have are the ones they grant you.

Don't be a douchebag. I'm not saying it's good, I'm saying that we've seen far worse reactions by police to situations where they even suspect that their authoritah isn't being respected, and that at least they weren't arresting kids on spurious charges.

On top of it all, the kids wanted publicity and this helped. I'm sure he was happy to have the police breathalyse 89 kids who all came up 0.0, as it completely and utterly proved his point.

Calm the fuck down.

[David]

So a group of kids at a house or in a backyard is probable cause?

Everything is probable cause.

[tarran]

They should have treated him like the worst substitute teacher they ever had, taunting him with doughnuts, making fun of his low paying job and mindless etc

No they should not have done that!

Rather than making enemies of the police, we should be making the police our friends. When a policeman says, "This is a fucked up law and I refuse to enforce it." we win.

The vast majority of people give great weight to the opinion of the police. When the police say that a law is silly and overarching, generally people listen. Calling them names, while satisfying (and I am certainly guilty of this) is not going to make individual policemen rethink their instinctive support of tyrannical government.

[creech]

Meanwhile, across town, a convenience store was being held up and there were no cops to respond.

[P Brooks]

"You kids are disgusting! Standing around here all day, reeking of popcorn and lollipops."

[Michael Pack]

tarran,many LEO's use the silly laws to arrest or search those they think are guilty of something they cannot prove other wise.This was a PRIVATE gathering on private property.Any cop who uses the sighting of a red cup for a excuse should not be on the force.I see a time when smoking near your children in your backyard will be probable cause.

[Reinmoose]

Dude, I'm Going To Be So Diabetic in the Morning

That's not funny young man! What if there was a diabetic child present and went into a coma! Everyone else would be too busy consuming an excess of sugar to notice!

[David]

After reading the full article, do you get the impression that wish they had something to charge the kids and the host's mother with? I'm sure that will be the next step, to enact some law that considers any gathering of more that 5 people under the age of 21 to be considered "underage drinking" regardless of what's going on there. I'm only surprised that the school didn't try to punish the kids for breaking a "no soda" policy.

I also find it troubling that school administrators are browsing the internet looking for excuses to to suspend students. Between this, and the Avery Doninger case, there seems to be a trend. Worse than that, there are members of the public who cheer for such nonsense. It must be like some form of authoritarian punishment porn for them.

[Matt J]

They should have treated him like the worst substitute teacher they ever had, taunting him with doughnuts, making fun of his low paying job and mindless etc

The fact they didn't do that is what makes the prank work. By not acting like your typical teenage cockbags (thanks to the kid in the video for my new word of the day) they made the cops look like even bigger cockbags.

This should earn Dustin Zebro an instant Reason scholarship/internship. We must nurture this young Balko.

(Why do kids with weird last names excel at tormenting the po pos?)

[Matt J]

I also find it troubling that school administrators are browsing the internet looking for excuses to to suspend students pictures of students to beat off to.

[CFisher]

But Warren, if we put an end to public education, then education will become a luxury good.

Given that barely half of high school students graduate out of many urban public schools now, we already seem to be heading for a pretty defined social class division.

[P Brooks]

How long will it be before the kid's mom is hauled in for "child endangerment?" After all, you can't just wantonly provide sugary fizz to other people's children without their written permission!

[Mothers Against High Fructose]

Shame on that woman! Mrs. Zebro's attitude demonstrates why just having a uterus should not entitle people to become parents.

And shame on you all as well!

How can you mock the tragedy of a mother feeding other parent's children High Fructose Corn Syrup?

Those of us who've seen a loved one wasting away due to diabetes know the danger that root beer poses to our children.

I'm glad libertarianism is a fringe political movement. Fortunately, most people recognize that social ills must be stopped and that a variety of tools should be used to stop them. Incarceration, while regretable, is a necessary tool to send a lesson to irresponsible parents like the "mother" of Mr Zebro.

[Lamar]

Well, they still should have tasered somebody, just to send the right message.

[ChicagoTom]

Call it Civil Obedience. I love it

More like Civil Obedience? Doesn't civil disobedience have to involve breaking a law or a rule or something?

[First Little Pig]

Three cheers for these kids for pulling this stunt.

Now, if this had been in Albuquerque, NM they would have sent the Party Patrol http://www.apdpartypatrol.com/ and have broken this thing up and sent the kids home. (And probably after knocking a few heads around in the process.)

Seriously, I think the Albuquerque Party Patrol would be a good topic for Reason Mag -- at least in the Brickbats section.

[Matt J]

Thanks for the link. From the Party patrol site.

Do officers need a search warrant to enter a premise where underage drinking is taking place?
This is a common concern and there is no simple answer to this question. Basically, officers do need a search warrant to make entry into a private home to investigate a home or make an arrest. However, there are some exceptions to this constitutional privilege that will give the police authority to make a limited warrant less search of these places.

Apparently the Constitution now grants us privileges rather than inalienable rights.

First Little Pig is right. Sick'em Balko!

[the innominate one]

Chi-Tom

having some reading comprehension difficulties?

[lunchstealer]

He and friends pulled up to the party, saw the flashing police lights and figured this could get interesting, he said. They taped until an officer made them stop.

If you're not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to hide. Unless you're the police.

[The Wine Commonsewer]

Fuck Me Dead! That's great.

Warrants? We don't need no steenking warrants.

[Steve Verdon]

It is at moments like this that I have a really hard time not concluding: Cops are teh stupid. Yes, in general. I suppose there might be exceptions for the odd cop here and there, but in general, this shoe appears to fit.

Jesus.

[jon]

I think the kids should insist on the far more expensive blood testing next time. It's their right, after all.

[capelza]

"Hugh Akston | April 1, 2008, 9:57am | #

But Warren, if we put an end to public education, then education will become a luxury good. Like automobiles, personal computers and cellular telephones before it, only the richest 1% will be able to afford education, widening the divide between haves and have-nots. Soon the change will take an evolutionary track and we'll be left with a world of educated, indolent Eloi and ignorant Morlock laborers."

How many people actually OWN their cars (that is, not making payments for 3, 4, 5 years), or have paid down the credit cards for the computor, cell phones, plasma TVs...how many are in debt for their kids college education. Hell, how many actually OWN their own homes (that is, not tied down to a mortgage?).

Just sayin'! Without the credit industry, a lot more people wouldn't own the cars, etc, at least the ones they drive now. A good school costs a lot of money. Would all private schools be dependent on the same credit scores?

Not that I disagree neccessarily in theory...just sayin'.

Love the root beer kegger...those kids are great.

[Seitz]

Here's what I would have learned, were I a teenager:

1) Throw a party with root beer and red cups.
2) Entice cops, or hope cops show up somehow.
3) Everyone takes breathalyser tests.
4) Everyone passes.
5) Cops leave.

THAT is when you bust out the hard stuff and get wasted.

[Christopher Monnier]

Awesome, I went to that high school!

[Pinette]

What an incredibly heartwarming story.

[Christopher Monnier]

And I grew up in Kronenwetter...I'm so proud.

[billhilly]

Anybody else notice that the kid who showed up late filmed it "until the police made him stop"?

[Gabe Harris]

In general I agree they should have been polite....I only hoped for the doughnut tuanting so that they would be lured into using the taser....getting a tasering incident ,on video, related to a rootbeer kegger by white high school kids would have been a good publicity event to help awaken those under the mistaken belief that a dark police state is not arising in this country.

[J sub D]

Lunchstealer beat me to it. But this really pisses me off.

Everest student Keaton Meinel is one of the students who made the video. He and friends pulled up to the party, saw the flashing police lights and figured this could get interesting, he said. They taped until an officer made them stop.

The police have video cameras mounted in the cruisers to document suspicious and illegal behavior. Why do they get upset when the shoe is on their foot?

I think videotaping of police should be encouraged by government. It should be required for ALL interrogations. What better way to seperate the wheat from the chaff on the force? Imagine a video camera, integrated with a radar gun, documenting the driving habits of your local costabulary.

[Nash]

After reading the article I find it disturbing that the attitude of the Police chief is that this whole gag "wasted a few hours of police time".

That may be true but don't blame the kids. Blame the law and his own department policy. Why is something so blatantly obvious like that so over this guy's head?

[Mark in Minneapolis]

"Hell, how many actually OWN their own homes"

I do. No mortgage. But... every 6 month I pay the county about $1,000 dollars in property taxes (about $160/month). And if I don't, I'm out on the street.

So basically, I'm paying the county rent to live in my own house.

[Jim Bob]

"He needed to check every partier because it would be risky to assume they were all clean just because the first few were."

Well, what about after the first 50, then?

[David]

Well, what about after the first 50, then?

It makes sense that police would assume that everyone else covers for their friends,too.

[Gabe Harris]

They should have woken up the neighbors as well to test them, it wouldn't be safe to just assume they were sober would it? I'm surprised there wasn't one guy there who didn't put up a stink about not blowing just to see what ridiculous crap he could make the police do. They REALLY think we are their absolute property. amazing

[R C Dean]

Couldn't the idiots on the police force draw a cup from the keg and see it was root beer?

Seriously, what happened to probably cause?

They taped until an officer made them stop.

How? Is there a law against taping police officers in Maryland? I know its been proposed, and maybe passed, somewhere, but I'm not sure how such a law would pass Constitutional scrutiny.

[R C Dean]

Blast. Wisconsin, not Maryland.

[The Wine Commonsewer]

Hell, how many actually OWN their own homes (that is, not tied down to a mortgage?).

Every home owner owns his/her home and you can do whatever you want with it (subject to laws & CCR's).

The fact that a home is subject to a mortgage is irrelevant to ownership. A mortgage is a tool to help you acquire a home sooner or more conveniently than you could otherwise acquire one and the fact that a few people make bad decisions doesn't negate the huge benefits to the rest of us.

Further, although I have a mortgage, I could sell the house and walk away debt free with a enough cash to buy a decent house in most places. Since my equity exceeds my loan balance I suppose, even by your definition, I actually do own my house.

If you think I'm wrong about that just try listing your rented or leased apartment for sale with a realtor.

[Robert]

Blast. Wisconsin, not Maryland.

You blast Wisc. I'm blasting Md.

[Grace]

Life is short! Great fun! What a healthy way to be a normal teenager. I am guessing the cops had the most fun...what a pleasant diversion ........maybe a nudge toward a more centrist perspective to have a little more hope for the challenges society faces.

[Jayde]

Meanwhile, across town, a convenience store was being held up and there were no cops to respond.

You act as if the whole police squad was at that house. The most we saw was one police car, one cop, and possibly another that pulled up half-way through the breath-tests.

If it were a serious matter to the cops, the kids wouldn't have been allowed to take pictures, and most definitely wouldn't have been allowed to film it.

There were also times you could see the cop laughing and smiling along with them. Give it up and stop being a douchebag. :]

[Falling]

Every single one of the fools on here cheering the kids on for their behavior and cursing the police and the schools for trying to maintain some discipline would be going through the roof if the police had just decided to ignore the neighbors calls about an underage party and the kids HAD been drinking and one of them wrapped their car around a tree!

Binge drinking and drugs are a serious problem among our youth and those who participate are getting younger every year. What percentage of these underage parties are drug and alcohal free...I'm betting very, very few.

[Falling]

"He needed to check every partier because it would be risky to assume they were all clean just because the first few were."
-----------------
Well, what about after the first 50, then?
---------------
If you were at a party and HAD been drinking while others had not, wouldn't you make sure you were last in line if you knew the cops were only going to test the first people in line? Of course the cops knew the kids were all going to blow zero, but they still have to follow the rules, they don't get to guess who is under the influence.

[Falling]

After reading the article I find it disturbing that the attitude of the Police chief is that this whole gag "wasted a few hours of police time".
-------
That may be true but don't blame the kids. Blame the law and his own department policy. Why is something so blatantly obvious like that so over this guy's head?
-------
You want the police to start GUESSING which calls are serious ones and which are childish gags? Sorry, but I want my police force to take every single call of wrong doing seriously, even if it does turn out to be a bunch of teens showing off for their peers.

[Matt J]

Falling,

Chill out and have a beer.