You Can Still Get Your Drinks To-Go
For as long as most of us can remember if you wanted to go out for a drink, you had to stay at the bar until you were finished. You weren’t allowed to order a drink to go.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, things changed. Bar and restaurant owners struggled to keep their businesses afloat while their regular patrons worked hard to obey social distancing and self-quarantining laws and stayed home.
The problem prompted lawmakers to take an unexpected step. As the pandemic continued to drag on, they passed a law that made it legal to order a drink to go. The catch was that this was a temporary law, designed to get people through the pandemic.
If you loved ordering your favorite drink from a bar and then taking it home so you could enjoy it in your own home, you’ll be delighted to know you can still do this. The recent passing of Senate Bill 389 allows some bars and restaurants to send customers home with wine and cocktails. Best of all, this law will remain in effect for the next five years. It’s likely that in five years, lawmakers will evaluate the situation and if it’s going well, they could decide to allow to-go adult beverages to continue.
Just because you can order your favorite wine and cocktail to-go, you’re free to do whatever you want with the drink. You still aren’t allowed to drive while intoxicated. Nor are you allowed to drink while you’re driving. Getting caught for either of these things will result in you getting into legal trouble.
You already know about California’s drunk driving laws, but you’re probably less aware of the state’s open container laws. In California, you aren’t allowed to consume alcohol or marijuana while you’re in a car. It doesn’t matter if you’re a driver or a passenger, you can’t have an open container in the vehicle.
If you are caught with an open container in your car, you will be hit with an infraction. The fine ranges from $100 to $250. If the drivers or passengers are underage, the repercussions of the open container is could result in six months in jail or a $1,000 fine.
Do you think that continuing the adult beverage to-go option is a good deal? Do you think that in five years lawmakers will choose to extend the law?
We’re Quick, Right To The Point
We don’t want to waste your time (we know it’s precious and there’s no time to waste) so we’re going to get right to the point.
Here at Absolute Bail Bonds in Los Angeles, we offer:
- Customizable, low monthly rate payment plans.
- 24/7 availability.
- No hidden fees.
- Convenient and secure online payment system.
- Cash, credit, debit, and checks are accepted.
- Discounts for qualifying individuals.
- Licensed and experienced bail bond agents.
- Friendly, hardworking, understanding bail bond agents.
- Confidentiality.
- Phone approvals; if a face-to-face meeting is necessary, our agents go to you.
See how quickly we laid out what we can do for you? Error-free speed is our thing – we work very fast (and don’t worry we don’t cut corners either) to get people bailed out of jail, and our process, efficiency, and reliability won’t be any different for you and your loved one.
Contact someone at Absolute Bail Bonds in Los Angeles by opening a chat room online with us, or by calling us at (800)793-2245. We absolutely won’t let you down!
How to Report a Crime in California
It doesn’t matter if you’re the victim of a crime or if you have seen a crime take place. You should always report the situation to the police. Here’s how to go about doing just that.
Don’t try to take matters into your own hands. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is attempting to stop a crime that’s in progress. While it’s commendable that you want to do something about the situation, the odds of you getting hurt are extremely high. Stopping a crime that’s in progress isn’t worth jeopardizing your safety. When you witness a crime taking place that isn’t jeopardizing anyone’s actual health safety, don’t get involved. Simply report the situation to the police and let them handle it.
When you see a crime taking place, the first thing you need to do is get yourself to a safe place. Once you’ve addressed your personal safety, pull out your cell phone and contact 911. Explain what is happening. The 911 operator will advise you on the best way to protect yourself and also put you into contact with the police.
When the police reach out to you, give them as much information as you can. The more accurate you are about times and locations, the better the chances are that the prosecution will put together a successful case that will end with the criminal getting convicted.
Follow the police’s advice to the letter. If they want to speak to you in person right away, they will advise you on where to wait for them. If they want you to come to the police station and file a report, they will tell you which station to go to and whom to speak with.
It’s important that your memory of the incident remains clear. It doesn’t take much time for a memory to shift or fade, so it’s not a bad idea to grab a piece of paper and write down everything you remember about what you’ve witnessed. This includes a detailed description of the person/people who committed the crime.
If an arrest is made and the case goes to court, you’ll be called on to testify. The prosecutor that’s handling the case will provide you with the information you need to be a reliable witness while on the stand.
Valentine’s First Date Safety Tips
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Those of us who are single often feel that the holiday is the perfect day to arrange a first date and hopefully strike up a romance. The problem is that some of us are so fixated on connecting romantically, that we sometimes overlook basic first-date safety measures and will find ourselves in a dangerous situation.
Drive Separately
These days, most of us go on first dates with people we don’t actually know. In many cases, it’s an internet connection that sounds interesting. No matter how nice and trustworthy that person might sound during your virtual conversations, you need to remember that you don’t fully know them. One of the best ways you can keep yourself safe is making sure that each of you drives separately to your Valentine’s Day date location.
Driving does more than simply prevent you from being located in a small space where you have very little control over things with a person you don’t know well. It also provides you with an easy and accessible means of escape if the date doesn’t go well.
If you don’t have your own car, use an Uber/cab/bus to get to the location.
Tell Your Friends About Your Plans
Secret first dates sound fun and exciting, especially on Valentine’s Day. The other nice thing about secret first dates is that you don’t have to fill your friends and family members in on all of the details if the date turns out to be a dud.
The problem with secret Valentine’s Day dates is that if no one knows where you are or what you’re doing, they won’t know that you could be in trouble. Let at least one trusted person know where you’re going and who your Valentine’s Day date is. They will provide this information to the police if something goes wrong.
Meet in Public
Your Valentine’s Day date doesn’t have to be in a noisy club or even a secluded forest glen. It should be in a public place where people can step in if things don’t go the way you like. If you start to feel uncomfortable during the date, alert someone who is nearby and they can help extract you from the situation.
Never Leave a Drink Unattended
Always keep an eye on your drink. You don’t want your date or anyone else who is nearby, to slip anything into it. If you have to leave your drink, order a new one. Don’t finish the one that was left by itself.
Let Someone Know When You Make it Home Safely
Let the friend/family member you told about the date know that you’ve made it home and are safe. This is a great opportunity to discuss your Valentine’s Day date and decide if this is a person you’re interested in seeing again.
What are your plans for this Valentine’s Day?
Failing to Pay Child Support in California
Child support is always a touchy subject. Often a person’s actual financial situation isn’t taken into consideration when the amount of child support is set. There is also the constant complaint that the child support isn’t going to the child, but rather being used for other purposes. The arguments over child support are often intense and in the end, the parties on either side are unhappy with the result.
It doesn’t matter how unhappy you are about having to pay child support, it’s something you want to stay on top of because failing to do so can result in numerous legal headaches.
It doesn’t matter what you might have on your plate, paying your court-ordered child support should be your first priority. Failing to make the payments on time and in full doesn’t just ruin your credit report, it’s breaking the law. No matter what type of financial hardships you encounter, you need to stay on top of those payments. As soon as you realize that you’re going to have a problem, contact the court so something else can be arranged, but don’t miss a payment while you wait for your hearing with the family judge.
Failing to pay your child support in California has severe legal consequences. In most cases, the state decides to suspend your driver’s license until the payments are caught up. This means that you can’t legally drive. If you’re caught driving without a valid license, you’ll be charged with a misdemeanor, get hit with more fines, and potentially be arrested. The state could also create a levy on your bank account, meaning that they will simply withdraw the amount of the outstanding child support payments. They could also cancel your passport.
In extreme cases, people who fail to pay child support in California are arrested. This usually happens when there is a long history of missed child support payments. Failure to pay child support can result in a one-year jail sentence and a $2,000 fine.
Considering the severe consequences of being late with a child support payment, it’s in your best interest to notify the court as soon as you realize you’re in a financial bind.
Vaping in California
Over the past ten or fifteen years, vaping has become extremely popular. There are several reasons for this, including the idea that vaping is cleaner, cheaper, and might be a little safer than smoking. The fact that you can get vapes in interesting flavors that simply aren’t possible with traditional cigarettes is another reason so many people have started vaping.
As vaping grows more popular the state feels increasing pressure to create vaping laws. These laws are very similar to smoking laws because there is a great deal of concern about the potential health risks.
While some of these vaping laws impart consumers, most are designed to crack down on the sale of e-cigs.
Additional taxes aren’t the only things business owners who sell vaping supplies have to worry about. The state has also set things up so that any business that markets e-cig and other vaping supplies has to be properly registered, which includes safety inspections. The registration fee must be paid every single year if the business wishes to continue selling e-cigs.
At this point, if you’re not 21 or older, you can’t purchase e-cigs are anything connected to vaping. The hope is that by raising the minimum age, fewer people will start vaping.
The places you’re allowed to vape are also restricted. Vapers are expected to follow the same rules as smokers. You aren’t allowed to smoke in/near government buildings, including schools. Additional places where you’re not allowed to vape include commercial warehouses, hotel lobbies, and stores. If you’re self-employed but routinely have clients in your office/home/workspace, you’re not allowed to vape there.
Getting caught vaping in an area where it’s prohibited will cost you hundreds of dollars.
Down Powerline Safety tips
There are a variety of ways a power line can come down including severe winds, natural disasters, and even an auto accident. The reason the power line is down isn’t important. The important part is knowing how to stay safe when you find a downed power line.
Don’t assume that just because the downed power line isn’t sparking or because it’s coated with rubber that it’s safe. When it comes to power lines, always act like it’s a live wire and that touching it will result in a fatal shock. Power lines aren’t something you should ever take a chance on.
As soon as you spot the downed power line, you need to change the way you move. Instead of lifting your feet when you walk, start shuffling. Keeping your feet, especially if you’re wearing rubber-soled shoes, on the floor increases the odds of your remaining grounded and safe from the electricity.
Most people assume that the damaged power line is the only dangerous thing. It’s not. When a power line goes down, the electricity actually fans out, which means that anything in the area could potentially deliver a deadly shock. Stay at least 100 feet, the length of two semi-truck trailers, away from the line and don’t touch a single thing. The further you are from the line, the safer you are.
As long as you are safe, remain in the area. Your responsibility while you wait for the proper authorities to arrive is to warn anyone who approaches of the danger and prevent them from coming into contact with any stray voltage.
Early Warning Signs that Your Partner is Dangerous
One of the things many domestic abuse victims say is that they never thought that it could happen to them. Another comment is that they simply didn’t recognize the early warning signs.
The truth of the matter is that many people don’t know that most relationships have red flags that could serve as important signs that it’s time to get out of the relationship before your partner becomes dangerous. Heeding these early red flags and removing yourself from the relationship early is the best way to preserve your mental and physical health.
Frequent Bursts of Aggressive Behavior
If your partner frequently succumbs to bursts of aggression, particularly if it’s aimed towards you, a pet, or others, treat it as a red flag. Yes, everyone has bad days. Yes, everyone does get angry from time to time, but when that aggression causes a person to punch holes in a wall, kick a dog, make a threat, or grab you, your partner hasn’t learned how to properly manage their anger.
Possessiveness
The fact that your significant other gets jealous when others are around you might seem cute at first. It might even make you feel more loved, but possessiveness can go to far. Signs that your significant other’s jealousy is becoming dangerously possessive include that they think you’re deliberately trying to make them jealous, that the jealously leads to physical and verbal aggression, that they are actively trying to cut you off from your friends and family.
Many abusers demonstrate possessive behavior early in the relationship. In many cases, it’s the first red flag that the relationship will take a dangerous turn. Take the early signs of a possessive nature as an early indicator that you should end the relationship sooner rather than later.
Manipulation
One of the hardest red flags to catch is manipulation. Many abusers are geniuses when it comes to manipulation. They are so good that it can be difficult to realize that you’re being manipulated. If you frequently find yourself doing things you wouldn’t normally want to do, or if you notice that your partner constantly uses emotions, particularly guilt, to change your mind about situations, people you like, and attending events, they’re a manipulator and you should proceed with care.
Pay Attention to How Friends and Family Feel About Your Partner
The odds are good that the people who truly love you the most will be the first to notice that something simply isn’t right about your significant other. If they say that you’re changing, or that they have a bad feeling about your partner, ask them to clarify. While it’s okay for one or two friends to simply not like your new partner, if everyone mentions the same red flags, or if it’s someone who is usually an excellent judge of character, give yourself some time and space to evaluate your relationship and determine if your friends and family are right and that your partner isn’t actually as perfect as you think.
Most people automatically assume that domestic abuse situations always involve an abusive male and a female victim. The truth is that women can be as abusive as men, which is why everyone needs to be mindful of red flags when they are involved in a relationship.
Do I Have to Report a Traffic Accident?
Most of us have a weird, knee-jerk reaction to traffic accidents. We like to pretend we don’t know about them and try to put as much distance between ourselves and the traffic accident as we possibly can. This is our reaction whether we’re involved in the accident or if we’ve simply witnessed one.
When a traffic accident occurs, many of us wonder if we actually have to report it to the police.
If you’re driving any of the vehicles involved in a car accident, you are legally required to report the accident to the police.
Technically, you have 24 hours to complete a written report about the incident. All things considered, it’s in your best interest to report the accident as soon as it happens. There are several reasons for this:
- The responding officer will handle writing the written report for you
- Filing the insurance claim will be easier
- The events leading up to the cause of the accident is fresh in everyone’s mind
- You won’t have to worry about being labeled a hit and run driver
In addition to letting the police know about the accident, you need to let your car insurance company know about the accident as quickly as possible. Not only will this put you in a position to receive your claim money as quickly as possible, but if an investigation is needed, they will be able to talk to everyone involved while the details of the accident remain fresh in everyone’s mind.
But what if you merely witnessed a car accident but weren’t directly involved with it?
It’s in your best interest to make sure that everyone who was involved in the accident doesn’t need any type of medical attention and you should also plan on serving as a witness to the incident.
Is It Illegal To Brake Check?
“Brake check” is a term that refers to the act of someone slamming hard on their brakes while they’re driving in front of another driver, forcing the other driver to either slam on their own brakes or swerve out of the way. It’s often done because the driver of the lead vehicle feels the second car is following too closely, or tailgating, them. The hope is that slamming on the brakes will convince the other driver to back off. It’s important to understand that this isn’t just a light tap of the brakes. During a brake check, the driver exerts enough pressure on the brake pedal to quickly and significantly slow their vehicle. They usually hit the gas pedal equally hard and speed off.
The interesting thing about brake checks is that both the brake checking and the tailgating are considered to be examples of aggressive or reckless driving. In this particular incident, both drivers can be issued a ticket. Both actions can lead to a serious accident.
There are a couple of different reasons people tailgate. The first is because the driver is impatient and hopes that they can encourage the other driver to go faster. In this scenario, the tailgating is a form of road rage and aggressive driving. The second most common reason for tailgating is because the driver isn’t paying attention or doesn’t realize just how close they’re getting to the other car’s back bumper. In this instance, the tailgating is a perfect example of distracted or careless driving.
If a police officer observes you doing a brake check, they can nail you for reckless driving. Don’t assume that it will merely be a ticket and a fine. Depending on the circumstances, your brake check could result in you gaining a criminal record, possibly losing your driver’s license, and even ending up in a jail cell.
If your brake check results in someone getting hurt or killed, the penalties are more severe and could include the suspension of your driver’s license. It’s also likely that the injured party will file a civil case against you.
The next time you get tired of being tailgated, take a deep breath and keep your foot off the brake pedal. Remind yourself that it’s far better to be irritated than to do something that could cost you both your freedom and your means of transportation.