I got a reading a case study of a 12 year old girl arrested on a metrorail platform for eating a single french fry. She was arrested because the police had been given a "Zero Tolerance" policy to enforce. The girl was compliant and obedient throughout getting handcuffed, stuffed into a police car and driven to the police department.

Zero Tolerance is a good policy only under one circumstance: Dictatorship (or martial law, whichever term you'd prefer.) I completely despise the fact that the infraction of a law is ok by some people while others are nailed for it. Am I too old fashioned here?

I got a reading a case study of a 12 year old girl arrested on a metrorail platform for eating a single french fry. She was arrested because the police had been given a "Zero Tolerance" policy to enforce. The girl was compliant and obedient throughout getting handcuffed, stuffed into a police car and driven to the police department.

Zero Tolerance is a good policy only under one circumstance: Dictatorship (or martial law, whichever term you'd prefer.) I completely despise the fact that the infraction of a law is ok by some people while others are nailed for it. Am I too old fashioned here?


Ok....I know this is a cop out answer......

It depends on the issue! If arrested, that covers the Zero Tolerance, right? But, it's in the prosecution that matters. That girl could get off wtih NO consequence, where as a 'repeat' offender could get slammed....and probably should.

Laws and Rules are put into place for a reason. People vote on them. If you didn't vote, don't complain. (different issue, I know) BUT, if there were no rules or laws, then people would be free to do what they want, when they want without regard to the rest of the population.

I believe in a lot of places they are a good thing. The vocational highschool I went to had a "no tolerance" policy when it came to weapons and I think that is how it should be.... even though they made an exception for one of the students because he scored the highest in the state on his SAT's. He had several switch blades, a butterly knife and a batering on him.. he was given 9 days of suspension and that way it heh... So if they are in place they also shouldn't have acceptions.. like in that case with the girl I suppose.

it depends.
i believe in like schools for example they need to have a zero tolerance policy IN THE SCHOOL. at my high school if the school rent-a-cops (they were fat and lazy and tried to look up cheerleaders skirts--caught them) even SUSPECTED that you had tylenol or advil in your car they could pop the lock and search your car.
but then again it turns into like with the dress code at my high school (i've posted it before but here is the verbatim link http://www.katyisd.org/services/communications/dresscode.htm) you'd have the "popular" girls wearing the miniskirts and barely making it lowcut shirts and nothing got said. then you'd have me and my friends or anyone else really who would wear not even close to the same thing and be called on it.

in a dress code situation it needs to be 100% clean cut to everyone...no ambiguity.

Zero tolerance is zero tolerance. Charm and a nice smile should not get you off the hook regardless of circumstance.

:agree