cbeastwood

This weekend a guy on my dock sold his Scarab. He and the new owner were working on a few things in the engine comparment and they decided to take the boat out around dusk.

The new owner noticed that the marker light wasn't working but got it to work after cleaning the connections a little.

After being out on the lake for about 15 minutes, they headed back to the marina. They were pulled over by the water cops because the marker light had gone out again.

When the cops tied up to the boat, they observed beer cans in the boat (from when the two were working on it at the dock). They performed a sobriety test to the new owner, who came in over the legal limit.

They handcuffed him and told the other guy to TIE THE BOAT OFF TO A TREE on the shoreline. They wouldn't let former owner drive the boat back to the marina.

The took the new owner to the hospital for a blood test but by that time he was under the limit. I'm not sure what the law says but I'm sure he got written up for something. Boat stayed tied to a tree overnight (in the rain with no cover) until they could go back and get it in the morning...

What a sh!tty first day of boat ownership, eh?

Phantom1

I wonder if he used his "one call" from jail to call his bank and stop payment on the check.

onesickpantera

iTrader: (1)

Here in MI if you pass the test at the hospital or at the station the original breathalyzer test is not admissable in court. If he passed the test at the hospital that would mean he was barely over the legal limit(probably .01 over). Did they bother giving him any other sobriety tests or just whip out the breathalyzer?

Did they give the former owner a breathalyzer as well or just tell him he couldn't drive?

I agree that is a chitty first day of boat ownership!

CustomRigger101

if you get pulled over for a toxic test tell the LE officer this

"i'm not refusing our test but i'd like to talk to my attory before we go any further" that will normally by you 2 hours and your levels will drop something like .002 an hour

Semper Fi

They really should have been more careful with the drinking. People take this too lightly sometimes and that's when people get injured or killed. I lost a few friends in high school because of drinking and driving.

tommymonza

A buddy of mines father inlaw who is a police sargent told us if we ever get pulled over to say we are not refusing the breathalizer but we request the appearance of a public attorney to witness the breathalizer.Used tis information when i got pulled over in bumphuck Elizabeth City North Carolina pulling out of a bar.The cop said n.c. does not grant a public attorney but i could call for a friend to witness and i had one hour to get him there.The friend i called was pretend but it bought me an hour and after three tests i blew .07 on the third test and walked out of the station a free man 2 minutes later.

On the third test i hypervenilated my breathing and that cleared my breath enough that i blew a .07 instead of a .08 that i blew on the previous two tests.

Griff

The first test is a Preliminary Breath Test. It only provides the probable cause to make the arrest for Suspicion of DUI. The results are only admissable in court as something that gave probable cause. The actual number you blow in the PBT is not a valid chemical breath test.

Playn

Sucks for a first day of boating but...If the previous owner wasn't charged why did they prevent him from taking the boat to the marina?

LostinBoston

True, but now the legal limit is .03 in most states. which is about 1 drink an hour for some people. I woudlnt consider that "drunk" It used to be .08, which was closer. If they werent dricing reclessly, it was a BS charge. If they were, then he should have gotten written up for wreckless driving. Dotn take this the wrong way, sorry to hear about your friends, and people that are actually "drunk" and drive are retarded and shoudl get stiffer penalties

Semper Fi

I understand your logic, but let's face it--you play you pay. People need to be smarter about drinking and driving a car, boat or whatever. Just because you have a few beers and you think you are totally fine, if there's a problem you will most likely be in trouble.