DWI poll part deux
 

just curious about the DWI poll. yeah, but never convicted.

I am both very careful, and very lucky.

I do my major consumption of intoxicants at the two days of bacchanalia known as Plastic Forks. (June 25 and 26, 2005 gang!!)

If I am to be in charge of a motor vehicle I have a self-imposed two-drink limit.

not convicted, but pled guilty and got a deferred sentence and a bunch of classes and community service. I guess that falls under "convicted" for the purpose of this poll.

Not convicted (refused breathalizer) was found guilty of 'failure to maintain distance'. No record. Lucky--very, very lucky I didn't hurt anyone. I'll never do that again. Cost a bunch, too. 300 to bail me out, 1200 for the lawyer, 300 court costs and a 60 day suspension of my driver's license (automatic since refused breathalizer.)

dumb, dumb, dumb.

How's the sobriety, Bri?

On day TEN of sober living, and while its nothing like Martha Stewart Living, at least it's living in my house and not the pokey, wearing my own clothes and not jail-issued scrubs with ID wrist bands, white sox and those stupid shower shoes for everywhere you go. Scheduling conference is next Monday, 9:30. Defender thinks 1-2 years of probabtion and most assurredly a fare-well to the license for that amount of time, too.
I need a job!! Any job!! Full time and flexible enough so that when I have to report to the PO, I'll be free to do that....worra, worra, worra...m-m-must l-live in t-t-today!

recruiter in medical staffing agency.

I agree with lookout on this one. It makes good sense.

if that doesn't work... lounge singer. i always thought that would be cool.

yeah i now have an imposed 2 drink maximum if i'm driving, if that at all. $1000 bail bond that cost $250 or $350, not sure my sister hasn't told me what i owe her, no court costs b/c i won the case and the lawyer - $1500 smackaroos. and i have to say that the booking process is a Loooooooong drawn out process in harris county. countless room switches, rednecks with SMS (short man syndrome) and just plain mean guards, well, there was one that was cool with me in the classification process. heh! he asked me if i was in a gang and if i was he was surprised to see that i have a right to carry license. i countered with "how many gang members do you know that are commercial pilots?" he chuckled on that one, and said none. haha, the computer had in there that i was a member of the "east side 45's" and to prove that i wasn't i had to show him my side and the fact that i didn't have the moniker tatoo of a colt 45 on my side at the waist band. hehe. me. a gang member. roflmao!

lookout's got a good point there on the medical staffing gig. of course you could lounge sing at night too :D

like Mrnoodle I just plead guilty and did my time.. well I did get caught red-handed.. well red faced anyway. although I usually just walk if I'm going to be doing any serious drinking.. I only live 6 blocks from my usual watering hole. So I wasn't thinking that day (my mother had just been diagnosed with cancer, that had spread pretty far by the time they caught it.. so I felt the need to get shitty.. although I really ought not have driven.. what's that about judgement being impared?)

I think I learned my lesson through my family. My Dad has had 2 DUIs and my sister has had 1 DUI. None of that for me, thank you very much! If I will be driving, no drinking for me at all. I always arrange to stay somewhere so I don't have to drive. Too risky...

You are wise. Very few folks can learn from other people's mistakes. I went thru a sobriety period for about 8 months, then decided to try the moderation thing again. That's been working for the last year.

My rule is just like yours. If I have my car with me, I don't take the first drink. If I want to drink, I leave my car at home. I've learned how to navigate public transit and no longer think of taxis as expensive.

As I said last year, I crashed my car in a DUI accident. I paid fines, spent 20 days in jail, and went to DUI classes for a year. All that is over. If I hurt someone, that would have been with me the rest of my life.

I've learned how to navigate public transit and no longer think of taxis as expensive.


That's one thing I never got, how people could blow $60 on alcohol but balk at a $10 cab fare... :confused:

Convienence. We americans treasure convience. People don't want to have to go fetch their car the next day. It's easier if you just don't bring your car in the first place.

This year I've had to take three cab rides over $75 each. I felt it was worth it each time.

Why do drunks never consider themselves as "someone" in that statement?

Ah...good question, grasshopper.


Plus, I'd rather kill myself than harm someone else. Much rather.

killing yourself hurts others. suicide (or suicide by stupidity) is the singlemost selfish and hurtful thing in the world. the ones who do it obviously don't know how many people are actually rooting for them, and that's too bad.

no doubt, here in houston, for example, the night i got out of jail there were cab's right there waiting. i asked them how much to take me out to the burbs and they wanted $60! of course if i'd been drinking that's one thing, $60 is WAYcheaper than bail and lawyers and fines if any but i said, thanks, but no thanks. i'm not paying $60 for a 15 mile cab ride just fresh out of jail so i called a friend. now, however, if i'm just going out for the night in the neighborhood i'll walk or catch a ride with someone. i keep it pretty close to the house now. at least within walking distance.

I have an alcoholic friend who specfically chooses places to live based on whether or not they're within "staggering distance" to a bar. And he ends up moving a lot, but that's a whole other story. Crazy shit, but at least he doesn't drink and drive anymore.

As for the cab fare thing, I'll pay $50 or $100 for a cab ride in a heartbeat if I know I'm drunk and shouldn't drive. I'd rather be broke for the rest of the week than dead (or even worse, kill someone else). Haven't been down the DUI road, and with my luck, I'd get popped the first time I try.

Thanks. It is a wonderful thing that you learned your lesson. Everyone makes mistakes, but the important thing is to acknowledge that it was a mistake. That is the only way to improve. Now I just wish my family would realize that... :worried:

But anyway, Good luck with sobriety! I'm rooting for you! :D

I think you know the point where you really shouldn't be driving. I have rollercoastered home after a couple of wines but been in control. Other nights I've stubbornly got in the car after 16 vodkas and been dragged out by a friend. On those nights I am aware somewhere deep in my consciousness that it's not a good idea. I've never done it, friend or no friend. Know thyself, yah.

DUI lesson part two: Lesson begun, 7/23/05. Court date, 9/8/05.

Blew a .08 at a checkpoint after playing poker and drinking 4 beers over the course of 3 hours. This one's gonna cost me, and I was just getting my shit together financially. :(

We'll see what happens....lawyer shopping today.

Please don't drive after drinking even ONE alcoholic beverage -- your whole life can get screwed up in 5 minutes, and you don't have to even be TRYING to get drunk.

None of the beverages I consume in the future will contain alcohol. Expensive refreshment, that.

I can relate. I got my DUI last July, but I refused the breathalyzer. Lawyer got me off on a Failure to Maintain Proper Distance. Cost around 3,000 plus a suspended license for 6 months. My heart goes out to you, noodle. Remember: This, too, shall pass.

if you had 4 beers over 3 hours, either your metabolism is slow or the machine was out of whack. with any luck after several court date reschedules you might stand a chance. on mine, i got lucky because the officer missed the court date. he had shown up the day before and actually thought i was the DA because I was wearing a suit and looked the part i suppose. he didn't even recognize me. it was sooo funny. he came up to me after he had talked to my lawyer and when he asked where the DA was for the case my lawyer had misunderstood him and thought he was asking for me to which he pointed at me. hehe, the cop walked up i stood up as he approached me:
me extending hand: "hey, how've you been?"
cop: "oh good. good. say are you the DA?"
me: chuckling "no i'm the guy you arrested"
cop: taken aback "oh, uh, uh (thumbing through his little book) oh, you mister so and so?"
me: "yeah, so you been doing ok?"
cop: uhm yyyeah, do you know where the DA is?"
me: pointing "yeah she's right over there."

the look on his face was priceless. anyway the trial was bumped to the next day and he had to work the night shift so he was asleep when he was supposed to be in court. now the cop that gave me my video downtown did show up but in street clothes. come to find out he was on suspension and have since been fired for downloading nekkid pictures off of a chicks cell phone that he pulled over to his PDA and was showing them off to his buddies and court personnel. dumbass. so when he showed up the DA escorted him out of the courtroom and said his testimony was not needed.
i got a jury directed verdict of "not guilty"
oh and by the way noodle, i had been playing poker that night myself. good luck brother!

Or all the propaganda used to get the BAC limit reduced is a lot of bullshit. Which it is. You can reach .08 in as little as one drink, not the four they claim. Of course, that's one actual drink, not the 12 oz of 3.6% beer they use as a "standard drink".

and if you haven't had water, etc. to rinse you mouth and the pipes, the machine will give a slightly higher than legit reading. don't trust the breathalyzer - ever.

in most states you have the right to a blood test. i was stopped just a couple of months ago. i only had one beer so i had absolutely ZERO concern about the results - but i still very politely refused the breathalyzer and informed the officer that i would be more than happy to take a ride with him to have my blood drawn. he got all pissed off and tried threatening me with the consequences of non-cooperation. i told him that i don't trust his machines, but again i was happy to give blood. when he went back to his patrol car he mysteriously got a call on a "more important matter" and he would have to let me go. moron.

the downside is if you think you might fail the bloodtest - don't do it! most lawyers won't even take cases arguing against that type of evidence.

yeah i forgot to mention that. the court made me put a "smart start" on my truck and the company that installed made it a point to stress how important it was to rinse your mouth with water. one time i didn't rinse very well after using mouth wash and it registered. that pissed me off big time. i went inside, rinsed REAL well and got the truck started. just the process is a pain.

edit: a smart start is an ignition interlocking device that you have to breath into to start your vehicle and then it asks you again within the first 10 minutes after starting, then at random after that.

In Pennsylvania you have a different driver's license if you have an ignition interlock ... the normally blue border on the license is red. Does TX do the same thing?

(there is also a difference in Under 21 Licenses ... they are printed in "portrait" rather than "landscape")

I've sat on 3 DWI juries and never want to be sitting on the other side of that bar.

apparently. i never had it on long enough to apply. well i did, technically, but i sent them the paperwork showing the removal and never heard anything back so.....

I wonder if you could blow compressed air into it. :question:

no, it has a vibration switch in it. you blow normal for 3 seconds then hum into it for the next 3 seconds. i used to joke that i had to give my truck a hummer before it'd go anywhere :p

There are "features" on the device to keep you from doing stuff like that, or having someone else blow into it for you.

how can it know if someone else is blowing into it?

this was my car, the guy who ran into my windshield was completely drunk.
i had no alcohol that night, so i was driving, this other guy was not driving, but had been drinking too much.

he is ok now. well, not O K, but lives.

was he on a motorcycle? no, there would only be pieces left. bicycle or really poor walking abilities?

he was trying to cross the street, which in fact is an avenue, running.
he never saw me. nor me.

Many of the ones that require humming are tuned. To you.

I haven't found documentation of such, but I also wouldn't be surprised that in addition to BAL there's something in the beastie to test humidity and or temperature of the blow, to keep people from doing the compressed air thing.

huh < scratches head \> maybe, but with the company i used they said that if i took my car to the mechanic and joe mechanic was hungover and caused me to register then to bring the reciept in for proof. not trying to disqualify your statement, just maybe that particular company doesn't have that feature yet......