Majority of aluminum cans picked up on the side of highways are "beer" cans, not soft drink cans.

Absolutely true on our Farm to Market Road. Every time I mow the right of way in front of our property and pick up the 'litter' people throw out, it is mostly Beer Cans.

Good observation. Speaks to the drinking while driving issue out there....I suspect.

FM roads out here are covered in beer and energy drink cans.

Correct. I follow posted speed limits. IF I ever speed.....it is unintentional (and rare) and never deliberately (like purposely ignoring open container laws), but it has been my observation that people who willingly break one law....will break others as well. But I probably don't have to tell you that.

In 52 years of driving I've been ticketed exactly twice. One was bogus and beat in court, the other I richly deserved and paid. I've never caused an accident or been in one that was my fault. I'd say that's a pretty damn good driving record. Drinking and driving can't be helpful for that.

Our county road ditch in front of my place become littered with beer cans starting September with deer lessors going to their leases. The number of cans drops dramatically after the end of December when the lessors are gone.

Drinking and driving and it is not the locals.

We did on road trips all the time as young bucks. Nowadays there is one situation where I will have one for the road. On the way to a restaurant where I'll have one or two more. I don't get anywhere near drunk and get behind the wheel.

I had a hunting buddy that I met cuz our daughters played sports together. He's a local cop that looks like he should be a defensive end in the NFL. His family still has a place around San Saba that he hunted and he would take an 18 pack for the drive from the Dallas area. He told me of a story once that he got pulled over and argued successfully that those weren't open containers, they're empty containers. I'm sure he got out of it most likely due to professional courtesy, not the argument.

I haven’t had a drop of alcohol this year and only had a couple of drinks since Halloween. Prior to that I drank pretty much daily for the past twenty years. I never drank before noon and didn’t absolutely need to have a drink but most days I would drink 4-5 every evening after the day’s work was done.

If it was after 5 pm it was rare for me to be driving without an open container. After I had two I wouldn’t drive so I wasn’t driving drunk but like clockwork I would drink one or two on the way home from working.

I really don’t know what happened but I had drank 4-5 a night for decades usually 1-2 on the drive home and then 2-3 at home before I went to bed. For whatever reason these numbers started increasing last year to where on several occasions I was drinking ten plus an evening and I just decided enough was enough on Halloween. I slipped up a couple of times around the holidays but have had less than ten total drinks since Halloween and not a drop this year. I missed drinking like crazy at first. Not sure if it was addiction to the substance or just addiction to the routine. It was a rough few weeks but now I have zero desire for it. I feel like I have so much I want to do and alcohol just slows me down and gets in the way of what I want to get done.

Where the issue of 'Carrying' (in public) while drinking gets 'sticky' is that there is no 'Legal Limit' as with DWI or Public Intoxication. LEO (and a judge) need only prove/agree that 'impairment' was at play.

So.....if you drink and carry you are taking a chance that an officer will (or will not) decide you are 'impaired' (regardless any amount you've consumed) and proceed with an arrest. During that time (pendency) your LTC will be suspended.

Actually, you could further be charged with Unlawfully Carrying a Weapon (if they really want to press things). A good lawyer can probably get you off provided you didn't 'blow' over a .08% (not admissible as evidence anyway) or fail a blood test. But again...the standard is 'impairment'....and I'd hate have the wrong jury for that one.

With the advent of Permit-less Carry t(and the already in place Motorist Protection Act) the need for a LTC is less important for many folks, though I recommend keeping one if you already have one. I've had mine for 26 years,

Actually, it doesn't. Drinkers throw their cans and bottles out the window to keep from being tagged for open container in the vehicle.

So what about getting a drink to go from a restaurant, isn't this an open container? Most are in a plastic cup with a straw stuck in it.

You bend the straw and stick one end in each nostril. If stopped by the police just explain what you did and why. You will be good to go.

Isn’t that what he was just saying?

Roll with a 40.

I’m afraid that will make me retarded. The name has been ruined for me, thanks to a certain member of this forum.

Same here...could cause me issues with my license to practice. Way too much to lose.

Alcohol and Motor Vehicles are a problem the same way so-called gun violence is a problem. A very select few cause the majority of the issues and the entire thing has been politicized going back to the 80s. Considering how Mothers Against Drunk drivers was headquartered out of Irving and that one of the original Founders themselves got arrested for DWI I would say all of it was political done for personal gain. In case you haven't been around nonprofits before I'll clue you into something, there's big money in nonprofits .Driving while impaired should be illegal and is but driving while having a drink if you're not impaired should not be illegal but saying so gets you the same kind of stares that having a rational discussion about registered sex offenders will get you.

All the occupants get ticketed

That’s all fine and and dandy, keep your azz outta the left lane then. We got places to go.

Well played Sneaky, well played

MADD is probably the biggest factor that Texas outlawed open containers in a car

I think it is the absolute dumbest law ever.
I put in a hard day's work and head home and can't enjoy a single beer on my commute home.
Just a stupid law that makes no sense to me at all.

YUP