[quote]pookie wrote:
We’re talking about a DWI here, as in driving with blood alcohol levels exceeding some state set limit, generally around 0.08. It has nothing to do with driving home after a couple of drinks, unless those drinks are two kegs or you weigh 67 pounds.
[/quote]
Sorry, but you’re mistaken about that.
I’m not condoning DWI, but the tests are not always right. Mod03r had a point, if you drink ANYTHING they can get you.
I blew a 0.095 after 3 beers in a period of 2.5 hours. This was at a weight of 200 lbs. If you look at the “charts”, this should not have been possible, but there it was…
This might sound stupid, but how are you unable to drink anything, at all? If you’re sitting at home on the veranda having a quiet brew after a hard days work, do you honestly think the cops are gonna boot your door open and arrest you on the spot? Do you yanks have that many free cops, with that little to do? Shouldn’t they be out arresting people committing real crimes?
No I don’t empathise with you, you were DUI and you deserved to go down. Next time, call a cab for fucks sake, or better yet, walk home and burn off some of those excess calories.
Wow. You people are sheep. Just believe anything the news and the police tell you huh? I’m currently working on a graduate thesis on DUI’s…and what a total crock they are. At the average limit of .08, the MAJORITY of people are NOT intoxicated. They are APPROACHING it. A study is going to be published next month in the Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics that found talking on cell phones to be MORE dangerous than driving at the limit of intoxication. And in those simulations the drinkers never hit anyone…but the cell phone people did.
Driving while TIRED has also been found to be worse than at the limit of intoxication. News tell you that? I bet you drive when you’re tired instead of pulling over though huh?
You should REALLY stop believing everything the news and the police tell you. One is trying to scare you and get ratings, and the other is just trying to get more money.
And as far as the argument about “drinking not being a right.” Well, technically it is. Everything you do is your right, except that which you’ve explicitly GIVEN UP. Just because the constitution explicitly defines a few rights, doesn’t mean those are all you have…its authors just felt those needed to be better spelled out for all the idiots that might attempt to take them away.
Lay off the guy, people make mistakes and a year in jail is NOT a penalty that fits the crime. A year without a license is a reasonable punishment. MADD is just trumping this all up, and pretty soon, if they get their way, you won’t be able to buy beer anymore…and I think we can all recognize how stupid prohibition was.
[quote]billybill1977 wrote:
I empathize with you man. I think most of us have driven over the legal limit at some point in our lives. To those who don’t drink… I wish I never had and I admire you. But I’m sure you’ve made some kind of foolish decision in other areas of your life that may not be prosecutable. I look back on the times I drove drunk and am glad I never hurt someone, and was never caught. I learned my lesson from alchohol in other ways and don’t drink anymore. At some point in your life most people are forced to come to terms with alchol or be responsible. For some, it comes quicker and is more obvious like a DUI. I think the problem with this thread is not that you got the DUI, but the fact that you bitch about it. What you should be saying is that “Man, I wish I had used better judgement.” Or “I’m glad that’s all that happened.” or “Why did I get in the car.” Dude… own it. Take your licks and learn and grow. You can develop yourself a lot more as a person without alcohol. Alcohol is nothing more than a crutch to have a good time or compensate for something that you can’t do sober. I wouldn’t have had a lot of the fun I had without alcohol, but dude it wasn’t really the real me. I mean, would the “real” you drive while intoxicated and knowingly put others in danger. If so, then you should be in fucking jail. But do something positive with what you’ve got out of this situation, take responsibility for it, and learn something about yourself. It is nobody’s fault but yours, like any bad decision made in life, and this is an opportunity for personal growth. It doesn’t have to be this bad thing. [/quote]
[quote]simon-hecubus wrote:
pookie wrote:
We’re talking about a DWI here, as in driving with blood alcohol levels exceeding some state set limit, generally around 0.08. It has nothing to do with driving home after a couple of drinks, unless those drinks are two kegs or you weigh 67 pounds.
Sorry, but you’re mistaken about that.
I’m not condoning DWI, but the tests are not always right. Mod03r had a point, if you drink ANYTHING they can get you.
I blew a 0.095 after 3 beers in a period of 2.5 hours. This was at a weight of 200 lbs. If you look at the “charts”, this should not have been possible, but there it was…[/quote]
You can then contest the results of the breathalyzer test in court and establish that you were not drunk using witnesses, experts, etc.
Note that the arresting officer can also testify to your general attitude at the time of the arrest.
Breathalyzer tests get constested all the time and often thrown out by judges, especially the borderline cases (at least they do here). I don’t know of any jurisdiction where a DWI equals an automatic conviction.
[quote]simon-hecubus wrote:
pookie wrote:
We’re talking about a DWI here, as in driving with blood alcohol levels exceeding some state set limit, generally around 0.08. It has nothing to do with driving home after a couple of drinks, unless those drinks are two kegs or you weigh 67 pounds.
Sorry, but you’re mistaken about that.
I’m not condoning DWI, but the tests are not always right. Mod03r had a point, if you drink ANYTHING they can get you.
I blew a 0.095 after 3 beers in a period of 2.5 hours. This was at a weight of 200 lbs. If you look at the “charts”, this should not have been possible, but there it was…[/quote]
You can exceed .08 after rinsing with mouthwash.
If my wife blew a .08, she would probably have trouble walking. Most of my college buddies never sobered up to .08 and you could never tell the difference.
The problem is that the legal system set an arbitrary baseline number to consider “illegal” (they have to in this age of people getting off on “technicalities”).
As for not being able to drink at all for a whole year- the OP MUST have blown an incredible number on the breathalyzer. None of the “dewey’s” I’ve know have ever been banned from legal drinking- just banned from driving for a period of time. One of which I can’t believe is still allowed to drive after 6 DUIs.
To the OP: Tough it out. You’ll be OK without booze for a year. Use this as a chance to make great gains in the gym. Use it to find the “real” you- not the one that needs alcohol to function socially. I know it’s tough because I’ve done it. All of my friends are just like yours (except mine don’t go to the gym). I’ve gone out with them plenty and matched them beer-for-water. It’s a change from the beer-for-beer that I used to do, but eventually you get used to it. Heck, your friends might see the gains you make without drinking and slow down, themselves. You might be the inspiration that keeps them from getting a DUI, or worse- killing someone in a DUI crash. Good luck! Keep your head up.
[quote]hedgrinder wrote:
Wow. You people are sheep. Just believe anything the news and the police tell you huh? I’m currently working on a graduate thesis on DUI’s…and what a total crock they are. At the average limit of .08, the MAJORITY of people are NOT intoxicated. They are APPROACHING it. A study is going to be published next month in the Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics that found talking on cell phones to be MORE dangerous than driving at the limit of intoxication. And in those simulations the drinkers never hit anyone…but the cell phone people did.
Driving while TIRED has also been found to be worse than at the limit of intoxication. News tell you that? I bet you drive when you’re tired instead of pulling over though huh?
You should REALLY stop believing everything the news and the police tell you. One is trying to scare you and get ratings, and the other is just trying to get more money. [/quote]
Personally, it’s a miracle people drive as well as they do.
Whether it’s cell phones, the radio, eating and drinking, worrying about the kids in the back seat, being tired, and everything else besides paying attention to the road that people do, I’m surprised that I don’t get hit more often.
Or hit other people.
Falling asleep while driving is always tough for me. Thankfully, the one accident I had because I fell asleep just cost me a K-Car in college and didn’t cause any other damage.
And now my wife loves to yell at me when I get drowsy behind the wheel!
It’s been said before but thank God you didn’t kill anyone else or yourself.
I’ve lost a few friends to accidents involoving alchohol and let me tell you…I’ve never been to sadder funerals.
My aunt’s boyfriend has gotten MULTIPLE DWI’s and they are petitioning to get his license reinstated. I for one will be writing to the CT DMV and whomever else that is applicable to encourage them to NEVER let him get his license back. That POS should never again be allowed on the road, although I’m almost positive he still drives illegally on occasion.
[quote]simon-hecubus wrote:
MaloVerde wrote:
You should be in jail and should never be allowed to drive again. Period.
Yeah yeah…that’s what we need — more people in jail!!..
Dude, are you fucking high? Have you been up for days with the meth guy?
If the kid doesn’t have remorse now, he sure as shit ain’t gonna get it by being shamed by you a-holes.
The only thing more stupid than a DWI is bringing it up on this forum.
Scott[/quote]
You ask if I’m high and then you make my point. You must be retarded. Jail is for unremorseful assholes who will most likely commit their dangerous crimes again. Don’t you think? Too many people in jail…maybe. But what’s your idea to do with unremorseful dickheads who commit dangerous crimes. Spank their naughty bottoms?
Where are the police officers on this board. Aren’t all who are on probation not allowed to drink alcohol or be in possesion of a firearm whether their crime was alcohol related or not?
[quote]billybill1977 wrote:
I empathize with you man. I think most of us have driven over the legal limit at some point in our lives. To those who don’t drink… I wish I never had and I admire you. But I’m sure you’ve made some kind of foolish decision in other areas of your life that may not be prosecutable. I look back on the times I drove drunk and am glad I never hurt someone, and was never caught. I learned my lesson from alchohol in other ways and don’t drink anymore… What you should be saying is that “Man, I wish I had used better judgement.” Or “I’m glad that’s all that happened.” or “Why did I get in the car.” Dude… own it. Take your licks and learn and grow. You can develop yourself a lot more as a person without alcohol… I mean, would the “real” you drive while intoxicated and knowingly put others in danger… But do something positive with what you’ve got out of this situation, take responsibility for it, and learn something about yourself. It is nobody’s fault but yours, like any bad decision made in life, and this is an opportunity for personal growth. It doesn’t have to be this bad thing. [/quote]
Billy,
I admire your cool head and cool advice. This was the most “real” bit of advice given on this thread.
You provided words of action — as opposed to reaction.
why don’t you grow up and be a man. You messed up, you have consequences and you have to deal with them or go to jail. I am just absolutely amazed your only concern is for your own inconveinence. Until you stop blaming your problems on others you will continue to fuck up. I had the same problem for many years and it took a trip to prison for me to figure this out.
[quote]pitbull314 wrote:
why don’t you grow up and be a man. You messed up, you have consequences and you have to deal with them or go to jail. I am just absolutely amazed your only concern is for your own inconveinence. Until you stop blaming your problems on others you will continue to fuck up. I had the same problem for many years and it took a trip to prison for me to figure this out.[/quote]
He wasn’t complaining that he didn’t fuck up. He sounds to me like he knows he did. The problem with DUI’s, is that the punishment no longer fits the crime. When this becomes the case, no one respects the law. I know, weird how that works, but its the truth.
The problem is that even if you are innocent, it’s still going to cost you an INSANE amount of money to take your case to court and you have no choice BUT to take them to court. MADD advocates are now sitting in courtrooms to prevent DA’s and attorneys from dealing in DUI cases. This means your side of the case isn’t going to be heard as DA’s are often told they have NO-ZERO-NADA leeway in DUI cases. Thus you either have to plead guilty, or go to a jury trial(EXPENSIVE!!!.)
And, isn’t it funny how the study I mentioned about DUI’s and cell phones has now busted all over the news? And STILL totally being misinterpreted.
I’m very remorseful for what I’ve done. Trust, me I’ve done a year+ of thinking on this and it’s killed me.
It was just that when I posted I had just gotten back from court and it all hit my like a two-ton heavy thing that came out in the form of bitching. I’m getting to point where I can logically step back and say “Yes, I deserve this and I’m fortunate that nothing severely bad happened.”
In the interlude between the incident and the sentencing I have seen the devastation first-hand. A friend’s sister killed a mother and daughter while burning the father badly. That with a few other things have more than convinced me of the dangers.
As for not being able to drink. I can/will deal with that and like many of you said–focus on myself and grow in every way.
The state will enforce it through the PO–(s)he has the power to test me whenever, be it breathalyzer or other. And through fear–a 180 day sentence dangling in front of you is pretty good motivation.
As for my BA rating–I didn’t blow.
There is one contestable point about this ordeal with me. I’ve been keeping it to myself with a total of 5 friends knowing. This is very private matter. There are already questions about why I don’t want to go out. I can deal with those, no problem. But, is it best to tell them the real reason and maybe help them out or keep it a private matter?
[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
Some people just don’t get it at all. Especially the guy writing his thesis on the subject. Kind of scary what passes for higher education these days.
[/quote]
You question my education simply because I point out a different oppinion than yours? Everything I’ve said so far was just a reference to studies and social/criminalogical theories. Not even my particular thoughts on the subject. I bet you’re the kinda guy that thinks all sex offenders are rapists and should therefore have gotten the death sentence or something huh?
Are you serious here? Tell ya what, I’m 6’4, 250lbs. Athletic build. Tell me how many drinks I need to hit .08? In what time period? Can you reasonably make the assumption that the bartender poured me an EXACT amount of unwatered down alcohol? How 'bout how much food I’ve had? Over what EXACT time period? Because if you CAN’T tell ALL of those factors, then you better revise the poorly-written law that could lead to my incarceration should I be declared intoxicated while driving. Because the LAW says, “Guilty WITHOUT a reasonable doubt.”
I GET IT just fine. You don’t. There are WAY too many variables around something as oversimplified as saying, “At .08, you are drunk.” It is an ASSUMPTION that someone is INTOXICATED at .08. NOT A FACT. Arresting people, and thus immediately implicating guilt, as DUI’s do, based on an assumption, is unnacceptable in our culture.
TONS of people die from speeding and other stupid accidents every day, but we don’t use the same tactics to try and prevent speeding, do we? It’s equally, if not moreso, preventable than drunk driving. Why don’t cops show pictures of a burned, yet living, person, with statements about how they are the result of a speeding accident? It IS NOT different.