A warning about drunk-driving checkpoints during the Cinco de Mayo holiday got the Oakland (CA) Police Department in hot water.
The lengthy warning, titled “Fiesta Time or Jail Times,” about driving while intoxicated made many references to such drinks as tequila and margaritas, and many people complained it was offensive.
“In the United States, Cinco de Mayo has become synonymous with festive fiestas and salty margaritas,” the warning said. “Historically, the fifth of May commemorates Mexico’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War, but present-day celebrations often lead to drunk driving—and there’s no victory in that.”
Criticism about the warning prompted the Oakland Police Department to issue an apology and then cancel the checkpoints, Fox Latino reports.
