Gotcha, you damn drunk driver

I was being tailgated last night, nothing unusual, but I was able to pull into the right lane to let them pass. The next thing I know, they are almost past me, then the turn signal comes on and they immediately pull right over into my lane. Only serious braking on my part and luck prevented an accident, I am still shocked that he did not hit me. I let that go, my days of road rage are long past, but then he goes halfway off the road in the next curve and barely manages to recover, then continues swerving and going from under the speed limit to well above it. As much as I hate seeing drivers talk on cell phones, I was hitting 911 on mine. I told the dispatcher what happened, where we were and the make and color of the POS buick. I didn't know what model it was, there was no emblem and there isn't a Buick on the planet that I care about what it is called. This was probably the first time that I have seen cop lights behind me and not been worried about it. I got out of the way and let them do their job. Someone is rightfully sitting in a cell unless they made bail yet. I still think that the first DUI offense should make you lose your driving priviledges for at least 10 years. The second one should remove them forever, even if that means locking the person in a cage for life to make sure that they stay off of the road.

Oh, what a feeling. :-)

Pat

Reply to
pws
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Nice one. There's no excuse for drunk driving in my book. It's even worse here in the UK where the traffic density is higher and more damage to people and objects can be caused, but in general I have no time at all for anyone who's been drinking and driving.

OK, so we've now got SUVs and drunk drivers banned - what or who is next? ;-)

Eric

Reply to
Eric Baber

elderly :)

Reply to
Domagoj Bagaric

HEY! :-(

Reply to
XS11E

I agree, I hope to be elderly someday, and that day really isn't too far off. Look at the alternative. :-)

My grandma is in her '80s and drives her Accord faster than I normally drive in-town......She is still a pretty sharp old lady though.

Pat

Reply to
pws

Everyone but sober, miata-driving individuals, with one optional passenger of course. We'll allow motorcycles too. Did you need to ask? :-)

Pat

Reply to
pws

Geez, glad to hear that you (and your Miata) survived without any damage.

The problem with DUI offenses is that, at least in this area, the damn drunk drivers just go on driving without a license. And, when they do get spotted driving under the influence again, usually go on a high-speed run to try to avoid being arrested, thereby causing even *more* damages.

Maybe we should just lock them up for that ten year period.

Iva & Belle.) '90B Classic Red.) #3 Winkin' Miata

Reply to
Iva

A lot of people think I am being overly harsh with losing your license for a decade on the first offense, as if DUI is not that big a deal. Anyone who thinks that can take a look here.

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This happened to this beautiful young lady on a road that I have driven hundreds of times. Her inner beauty hasn't wavered, but I don't think anyone can argue about the exterior. I did the smart thing last night, but I didn't do what I really wanted to.....I HATE drunk drivers with a serious passion.

I like your solution to the problem of their continued driving. If they are caught driving with a suspended license, a long, long time in prison will keep them off of the streets.

Pat

Reply to
pws

Nice work dude!

Chris

99BBB
Reply to
Chris D'Agnolo

pws wrote on 09/25/06 09:35:

Well, around here we had an elderly (80ies) guy driving his Buick through a farmers market in Santa Monica. The trial is on right now. His lawyer claims he confused the gas and the brake pedal...

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-Joe

Reply to
Joe Feise

It did feel good to help. It feels even better after learning that Austin had traffic casualties #49 and #50 of this year yesterday, both women killed by drunk drivers, (who lived), in separate accidents within

13 hours of each other. The police may have kept #51 from happening by pulling over that worthless human being that I called in.

I just can't believe that anyone still does it, especially in such numbers. The education is out there, the enforcement is out there, and there is nothing to possibly be gained by it like with many other crimes.

Pat

Reply to
pws

I agree. And I'd go farther. We've all seen terrible accidents on the news that result from someone speeding or running a "yellow" light. Speed is a factor in many other accidents as well. Anyone who has been nabbed doing, say, 34 in a 30 should lose their license for ten years. It really makes no difference whether a victim is crippled from a drunk hitting them vs a speeder hitting them.

miker

Reply to
miker

I hope that you are joking, because if you are really comparing going slightly over the speed limit to DUI then you are just plain f****ng stupid.

Pat

Reply to
pws

I don't remember you saying that only DUI's that were far over the limit should lose their license for ten years. You said "First offense, ten years" without regard to circumstance.

So you are claiming that a guy driving at .999% of his states BAL limit is enough different to a guy driving at 1.001% of the limit to warrant a ten year suspension? If the letter of the law is what's important, then the

34mph driver is as guilty as the guy going 65 thru a school parking lot and should be hit with the same punishment. (The way I used to phrase this idea was to remind people that, under the law, Grandma Moses is safe driving 55 and Dick Petty is unsafe at 56.)

Or to make another example, a guy knocks back a few in his living room. He's at 1.01% of his states limit. Before going to bed he pulls his car from the street into the garage. He has violated the same law that you would have take his license for ten years, and you are saying he should be treated the same as the habitual offender with 10 vehicular-caused deaths on his record.

Don't misunderstand, multiple offenders who are dangerous should be treated harshly. But people don't come with a built-in BAL meter, and many don't know how few drinks will put you over in some states. Most don't get educated to that until their first offense. A ten year revocation for EVERY first DUI regardless of circumstance is "just plain f****ng stupid".

miker

Reply to
miker

I am saying that you shouldn't drink and drive at all, but that is my viewpoint, not the law. Common sense means that there should never be a question of "did I have too much?".

What's wrong miker, do you have a DUI or two that would have your license suspended under the rules that I would like? I am sure that there are at least a few people here who do, and they should have been punished much more heavily than they were.

That might not make me popular, but I don't care if drunks, who are amongst the worst type of drug addicts, like me or not. I already told one former friend to get lost after his third DUI. He doesn't need my support, he needs to be in prison.

I am not looking at the letter of the law, I would not call in somebody that I saw "committing" a victimless crime. I am looking at the reality of the world. Two women were just killed in my city on the same night by drunk drivers. If any accidents were caused by someone doing 34mph in a 30 zone, it was minor enough to not even make the news, so your comparison is pure, unadulterated bullshit.

Pat

Reply to
pws

pws wrote in news:1h4Sg.125$ snipped-for-privacy@tornado.texas.rr.com:

We had our annual crackdown in the east valley areas back around Labor Day and one officer interviewed on TV said that with all the enforcement and all the education there was NO decrease in driving under the influence of alcohol, NO decrease in driving under the influence of illegal drugs and an INCREASE in driving under the influence of prescription drugs, FWIW.

Reply to
XS11E

I tend to agree with you, in my own viewpoint. But as you say, that's not the law, and punishment is a matter of law.

Does common sense also mean "there should never be a question of, was I going to fast?" Perhaps 20mph limits would help there.

I get it. Your viewpoint is above the law and should supercede it, including what crimes are ok to commit. Your reality is "real" reality, others reality should be subject to it.

Ok, you haven't got the horsepower to see what I'm talking about. Have at it, I'm done. May I suggest you go after "Innocent until proven guilty" next? After all, making sure guilty people don't get off is important, isn't it? Or maybe just for the crimes you think are serious enough?

miker

Reply to
miker

Again you compare speeding with drunken driving. I am not sure where you got the idea that I condone reckless driving, I don't. If you are continuing to compare driving slightly over the speed limit to DUI, then you are still just plain stupid. You can't even use ignorance as an excuse at this point.

No, I am one person stating an opinion on a subject that I feel very strongly about because I lost two friends in high school, one since then, and another has suffered serious injuries, all due to someone driving while drunk, plus a drunk almost clipped me recently. I have also had two vehicles rear-ended by drunks that did not cause injuries but did plenty of car body damage.

I don't pretend that DUI is not a serious problem that needs serious solutions. I also don't pretend that somebody smoking a joint or snorting cocaine in their living room is any more of a threat to me than someone smoking a cigarette or having an alcoholic drink in the same location. To expect all others to conform to my ideas would be irrational.

I feel like a fresh Monster Miata sitting next to a tired old 1990 model. I noticed that you snipped my question on your DUI status. How many times has it been miker? I predict either no answer or an answer of none, but the defensiveness that you show at one random person's opinion is quite telling, and since it won't be proven here, I will go with my gut feeling.

Pat

Reply to
pws

No, I illustrate why a blanket application of harsh punishment for violation of a numerical limit (speeding as well as DUI) doesn't work out so well. I use speeding mainly because as a car enthusiast group, we have an understanding of how the individual situation (driver skill, weather, etc) makes a blanket application of a legal numerical speed limit nonsensical compared to other factors. I suspect most of us are actually safer at significantly higher speeds than the average driver. Not in the eyes of the law! The two violations (speed and DUI) are quite similar in that an arbitrary number determines guilt or innocence.

I'm interested in your view of this: If a guy crossing a bridge in a border town gets a DUI under the law in the state he just entered, but was at a legal BAL in the state he just left, should he lose his license for ten years? Was he doing nothing wrong in the first state? But commiting a henious crime in the second state? Which state is right?

Taking it to a ridiculous extreme, what if he stops in the middle of the bridge? His vehicle is partly in a jurisdiction where his control of it is illegal, but he himself is in a jurisdiction where he is legal. I suspect it isn't a violation until his body passes the bridge center. Argh!

No Pat, you condone blanket punishment without regard for individual circumstance. That's the discussion.

Well, I'll still let you use it. ;)

I agree with your opinion of drunk driving. I don't agree that your idea of blanket punishment is workable.

One, back in the 80's.

Oops!

I'm discussing the law and rational application of it, but if you want to make it personal then my DUI would indeed make an interesting and relevant discussion. Here's how it went, stripped down to essentials.

  1. Party at the place I lived with roommates.
  2. Severely intoxicated young lady wants to leave and go to another party, and is planning on driving herself there. No amount of persuasion is making her see sense. Honest, it's to the point of her being ready to slug someone.
  3. I hadn't been drinking much, didn't feel impaired, and my friends didn't think I was over the limit. So rather than have her driving, I said I'd take her there.
  4. Pulled over a few blocks away on a random stop (it was quite late) and blew just over the limit. Passed all the one-leg walk-the-line stuff, had a nice talk with the officer, but barely failed the breath test.(Interestingly, the police report related how they'd followed me for several miles including an area the other direction from my place, and described my car as a completely different color than it actually is!)

Now, you can be up front and honestly comment on a few things, ok?

a. At the time pocket breathalyers etc were uncommon. Most people judged their impairment for themselves. Both myself and others thought I was legal, but we were wrong - very slightly wrong, but wrong. Even the officer that tested me said a few minutes either way and I most likely would have passed as legal. I didn't mindlessly hop behind the wheel, I stopped and thought about it and asked others as well.

b. I have no doubt whatsever that I prevented a certain accident by driving her. Can't say if she would have killed anyone or not, but something would have happened. Did I really do wrong?

c. My punishment was reasonable - fine, temporary loss of license (3 months with a work permit iirc) and holiday weekend on the county. The little seminar that taught us how alcohol metabolizes, etc. gave me some education that no one else was providing at the time, and from that day I modified by behavior to be certain I was never in violation. (Not because of the punishment, but because I am a responsible person and it was the right thing to do.) I can honestly say the punishment could have been half what it was, twice what it was, or nothing at all, and I would still have changed just as I did.

Did they blow it by not taking my license away for ten years? What would taking my license away have accomplished? (One thing: There's a few other people in those ten years that most likely would have been driving drunk without me to drive them.) Would you want your sister or parent to lose theirs for ten years in that situation? Your law would assure that - it would leave the court no choice.

I hope you can see I'm not being defensive about this; rather, my own experience helps me to see that when you're dealing with people, fixed limits and blanket punishments are hard to apply fairly and with uncertain results. That's why the law has so few of them, and typically specifies a range of permissable punishments to be applied at the discretion of the court.

miker

Reply to
miker

I had to snip, too much there, but I will answer your questions even though I thought you were through due to my lack of horsepower. :-)

If you are the type of person that needs a pocket breathalyzer, you are part of the problem. Just quit drinking and driving. It is that simple. There are cabs, people who will give you rides, walk if you have to.

I have given people rides home that I didn't even know because anyone who knows me knows that I am automatically eligible as a designated driver.

Yes, you did. You relied on your own impaired opinion and the opinions of your intoxicated college buddies to determine your level of capability. She could have gotten a cab ride or you could have taken her keys. I have taken keys from men half again as large as myself, was it really an impossible task for several people to do with one woman?

I don't have a sister. Parents, hell yes. If they are out driving while intoxicated then they need to be removed from the road too. Bringing me into this world doesn't give them any right to endanger others in this way. I would rather see them lose their license than their lives, or even worse, taking somebody else's life due to pure stupidity.

Ok, we can at least agree on that. The problem I have, is that the punishment is not severe enough. I consider getting behind the wheel of a car while wasted to be very close to multiple counts of attempted murder as far as severity, and I would like to see the law reflect this.

Pat

Reply to
pws

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