Back Quiet from Port Arthur asks: Officer Antoine, I need to know one thing. If a police officer can stop me and give me a ticket for a light being out on my car, can I stop a police officer and give them a ticket for the light out on their police unit?

Answer: Good question Back Quiet! Port Arthur Police Department strives to be a model of compliance to the Texas Transportation Code, i.e, vehicle equipment/lighting operations. Back Quiet, every Port Arthur police officer’s responsibility is to inspect his/her assigned unit every day before they began their tour of duty. Now, Back Quiet, I wouldn’t suggest you attempt stop a marked or unmarked police unit in an attempt to issue the officer a citation for defective equipment! A much better way to handle that is for you to get the number off the police unit with defective equipment and report this to their supervisor on duty. If you’re adamant about charges being filed, they can assist you with the direction and information needed to complete the charge. Hopefully we, as a department, can do better in this area as we continue to put our best foot forward to serve this community. We, as law enforcement officers, are not ABOVE the law, rather we are sworn to enforce and comply with state law.

Percilla from Bridge City asks: Officer I’m glad to be able to talk to you in the form of “Ask A Cop” versus you standing by my car again asking me questions! Officer Antoine I was driving from church with my sister and my feet were hurting so I took off my heels. My sister flipped out saying it was illegal to drive barefoot and that I needed to put my heels back on! I’ve never heard of such a law, but she swore that barefoot driving is illegal. Not wanting to violate any law I pulled over and put my shoes back on. Is it illegal to drive barefoot?

Answer: Good question Percilla! Rumors, rumors and more false rumors have been circulating throughout the driving community for years. Percilla it is totally legal to operate a motor vehicle without footwear! Don’t feel bad. It is a common misconception that this is illegal in Texas; actually there’s not a state in this great United States of America that prohibits driving a motor vehicle without footwear. Alabama has outlawed operating a motorcycle without footwear but not in motor vehicles. There are safety concerns driving barefoot like shoes getting stuck under the brake or gas pedals. If you’re involved in a crash insurance companies may be interested in knowing you or the other party weren’t wearing footwear. Now next time you remove your shoes you can tell you sister to CHILL no law is being broken!

James from Port Arthur asks: Officer Antoine it’s closing in on the holiday season, which means for my wife — shopping season. Honestly, I can’t keep up with her, so I’ll normally go back to the car and wait up front. Here’s my question, is it permissible to park in the diagonal stripped lines if I’m still inside the vehicle?

Answer: Good question James! Just know you’re not alone, I’m sure there’s thousands (really hundreds of millions) of men that echo your sentiment about shopping with their significant female other! Now it’s totally permissible and understandable for you to leave her in the store, but where you’re wanting to park is a violation of state law. James those lines are painted there for a reason to restrict and discourage parking in that area. Now you can park in the lot provided until your wife is ready for pickup and then you can drive around to the front to help load packages and your wife! Don’t even PARK if someone is saying the person who went in the store will just be a minute, it’s ILLEGAL Parking.

Join Officer Antoine for Ask A Cop Live, on KSAP 96.9 FM, “The Breeze” radio station, every Tuesday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Tune in and listen as Officer Antoine discusses in detail the newly released Ask A Cop article that printed in The News. You can also tune in via ksapthebreeze.org. Feel free to call in and ask your question live at 409- 982-0247.

Remember to email your questions to rickey.Antoine@portarthurtx.gov, or call 409-983-8673 and leave a message or voice mail question, or mail them to: Ofc. Rickey Antoine, 645 4th Street, Port Arthur, Texas, 77640. If you happen to see feel free to always approach me and Ask A Cop!!!