Social Drinkers Beware

Nanny News Headlines ^ | September 27, 2001

[Tijeras_Slim]

I try to avoid driving in New Mexico at night, cause at 0.08 I might not be quick enough to avoid the guy at 0.23 with 12 priors who's coming the wrong way on the interstate.
< /no joke>

[JmyBryan]

Nah - it's illegal

[Alberta's Child]

The state's "war against drunken driving" will feature weekend roadblocks ...

There is a way to put a stop to this. Freepers can organize a letter-writing campaign informing municipal officials and local Chambers of Commerce that we will boycott all businesses in any town that puts up these random roadblocks. Legitimate checkpoints to apprehend criminals, of course, will be permitted.

If enough people do this, I'm sure we won't see a single roadblock.

[Dakmar]

They're pulling the same BS here in Hoosierland, only we get the added convenience of a Sunday blue law. It is illegal to sell carry out on Sunday, so if you want a few beers you have to go out to a bar or restaurant, which usually means driving. Not that I can't control myself for one day, but it still makes no sense. I think it got passed by the restaurant lobby.

[Critter]

"Robert Voas, who has worked with MADD and the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE), has said that drivers just above .08% BAC "often do not exhibit blatant erratic driving of higher BAC offenders, so the evidence of probable cause may not be present for stopping a vehicle." PIRE has called for random roadside breath tests to cover at least half the driving population each year."

Anyone else see where this is leading?

Since there won't be probably cause (because someone with a BAC of up to .10 is not drunk in any way shape or form) we have to stop everyone to make sure they're not driving while "not impaired".

The commies continue the slow takeover of America. Fight back! Urinate on the commie that tries to arrest you for .081!

"I was "intoxicated" your honor. I could not hold it in any longer."

[Dakmar]

The commies continue the slow takeover of America. Fight back! Urinate on the commie that tries to arrest you for .081!

I'm starting a local chapter of DAMM (Drunks Against Madd Mothers) :-)

[FR_addict]

Do this in Pennsylvania and your license will automatically be revoked. Are you sure this is MD law?

NC has the same law. If you refused license will be automatically revoked.

[jae471]

Claim legal precedence. Cite the People v. Glendening case. The son of our wonderful(gag) governer didn't blow, was underaged, and was let off "because of lack of evidence", the rich bastard.

[HiTech RedNeck]

What ever happened to designated driver or waiting?

[BearCub]

No way...they'll chuck the book at you for refusing a brethalyzer. And then they'll dump the whole damn shelf over on you if you're still conscious...

Not as bad as they will if you fail it. Best advice is to never take a breathalyzer if there is any chance you could fail it. And never take roadside sobriety tests (like that horizontal gaze voodoo thing) - you can't be penalized for refusing them - they're difficult to pass completely sober & they can only hurt your case.

Without a breatalyzer they have no case unless they videotape you 'acting drunk'. So sit down and keep your mouth shut.

Worst case if you refuse the breathalyzer is you get your license suspended & then get an administrative hearing to either have it reinstated or get a hardship permit that allows you to drive to work.

Incidentally, this is all from a lawyer buddy that defends DWIs exclusively - NOT from my experience!

-bc

[jpsb]

10 or 15 years ago I was stopped and accused of a DWI. (Local cop just didn't like me) I had 1 glass of wine before dinner and 1 glass of wine after dinner. Then my date and I drove the 20 minutes or so back to the town I lived in where I was stopped. I was arrested and 30 minutes later I took the breath test, 08. Two glasses of wine, two beers, two mixed drinks and you are at .008. (PS 160 lbs male in excellent health). Happily Texas had a .010 at the time so I was not charged.

[Harrison Bergeron]

I harassed all the businesses on the main drag in my town during the Summer after I got stuck in a seatbelt checking roadblock (New Jersey). Their replies were all the same... "What's the big deal, it's only once a year, and they have a special budget from the state that they gotta spend on it." I told them I'd be patronizing the mall more often if it gets to be a pain to drive in my own town.

FReepers who speak out about this stuff are like the characters in those sci fi movies about the pod people taking over the world. We warn our friends and family, but they either look at us like we're crazy, or they're already pods themselves.

[geaux]

I ordered a Solichnaya Oranj and tonic at one, and the bartender looked at me like I was the Second Coming of Elvis.

I would too; that sounds like a disease you contract in the deepest darkest jungles of Africa. Whatever happened to bourbon and coke?

[StoneColdGOP]

Great, this only applies to social drinkers!

Us outright alcoholics can continue on our merry way...

[gopgen]

The "war against drunken driving" so far seems more serious than the "war on terrorism..."

[Hildy]

I don't understand then how bars can be legal. Anyone getting into a car after leaving a bar could be arrested, right?

[Alberta's Child]

I have a relative who had a similar situation in a town in New Jersey. He cancelled a $5,000 purchase at a local furniture store and bought everything at another store in the next town.

Of course, he made sure to write a letter to the owner of the first store explaining exactly why he did it.

You can only do what you can, and hope that someone figures it out.

[1rudeboy]

Whatever happened to bourbon and coke?

Only on week-nights, brother. I try to relax and get some rest during the weekend.

[SamAdams76]

What a laugh. Almost every drunk on the road has a BAC well over the original .10 threshold. Lowering the legal limit to .08 is supposed to make them stop? That's the same simpleton logic the gun control freaks have. Pass more laws. As if a criminal who wants to rob a bank would be deterred if the firearm he was using became illegal.