I wouldn't listen to someone I thought was drunk. I knew these guys well and I knew what they're like. As I said, personal breathalyzers weren't an option then. And this wasn't a college-style party, it was a relatively subdued group of friends that one zoned female happened to drop in on. My point is, in the context of the times, I was acting in a manner most people would have considered pretty responsible, and I stepped up to the plate when someone was needed to prevent an alcohol related tragedy. And taking my license would have kept me from averting several other situations, a net negative for society. But we can leave it at that. I'm just presenting the possibility that I may have saved several lives, and your law would have me prevented from doing that, which to me sounds like your law could use a little consideration for circumstance.
She was too much for two cops to put in leg restraints. They called in backup from the front desk. You have no idea.
No problem with you having that opinion. But it's kind of tough to control people who may be acting out of personal or chemical demons without executing them - they tend to just ignore punishment and continue on their destructive path. I mean, HOW do you keep someone from driving, if they are so impaired that sensible fear of punishment doesn't exist? Cars can be stolen, "borrowed" without the owners knowledge, driven off a lot in a road test, you name it. You're going to have to kill them.
Hopefully you will see my real argument, which has nothing to do with alcohol or speed but is strictly about law and how it's applied. Let me try this angle.
- Are you willing to concede that somewhere there's a person who has lost one or more loved ones due to someones excessive speed thru a residential area?
- Is it not possible that this person desires a much more severe punishment on the books for speeding? Perhaps even a ten year suspension, automatic, on any speeding offense no matter how trivial?
- Are you willing to give them the law they want, as you would have others subject to the law you want? Are you willing to lose your license for ten years over a 34 in a 30 because *they* have a strong opinion about it?
Or, as I suspect, would you prefer that their law be considered by a wide range of people, passed by a legislature who would modify and tone it down according to circumstances of the violation, and punish according to the severity of the violation?
Unfortunately, we only get to pick one way and it has to work the same for everyone. (Presidents excluded, of course.)
miker