I knew someone in Maryland that got a DUI ticket while sitting in the parking lot. She had no intention of driving and was waiting for the designated driver to return to the car.
It’s this kind of silliness that causes people to really hate the cops, the clueless state legislators and the rest of the nanny state.
A practical problem with this judicial overreach is that it will lead admittedly inebriated people to come the conclusion, that; what the hell, I might as well drive and hope I avoid the cops, because if I stay here and sleep I will get convicted anyway. And what about people who are in a car with a designated driver? It is easy to concoct a situation where the driver might become incapacitated and the legally drunk passenger is therefore in ‘proximate control’ of the vehicle. And if a designated driver allowed a passenger with previous DUI’s into the vehicle isn’t he guilty of abetting a felony?
From the MADD website...'Designated drivers are the ones who get fans home from the game safe and sound. That's why MADD urges everyone to plan ahead by designating a sober driver.' Surely to goodness MADD should be mad as stink when a program such as ensuring a designated driver is appointed runs into this sort of crap. It would be interesting to see what they have to say as it completely undermines what they are trying to promote.