Good point, I stand corrected, What I really meant to get across is how I really disapprove of the emphasis put on alcohol while other forms of behavior that equally impairs driving is ignored or downplayed in seriousness and punishment.

Trout,

I always enjoy your replies. I have heard contradicting factors to reach the .08 limit. But you are saying Prima Facia can land someone a DUI at .04 as well (by the way, I almost choked on my hamsalad sandwich when I heard there was a legal limit for commercial PILOTS!!! CDL drivers need to have a .00 limit as do pilots, I have a CDL and driving a 30K lbs truck is much differ than a car). Again, I don't want drunks all over the roads, I doubt any of us do. But I feel that a resonable discretion needs to take place. I know you have the facts, and I know you represent them honestly, that's why I enjoy your responses, but I find it hard to beleive that a middle aged parent would not be able to get a DUI under the circumstances you have talked about, after 2 20oz beers at a ball game. I may be wrong however, just from what I have understood from other sources. As far as field sob tests, I bet many of us would have a tough time passing those completely sober, then add the nervousness that comes from being stopped, etc......

Your question was why do I want a .08 driver rolling down the road, my answer is I don't. But I would rather a .08 be rolling down the road and the goverment concentrating on enforcing the current laws that target/prosecute extensively the TRUE problem..... the habitual offender. These people are the real problem in my opinion, not the barely intoxicated guy on the way home after a business meeting at 9 pm, driving just over the speed limit and porbably driving better than most 65+ year old drivers do anytime of the day. This person does not deserve the poopstorm that comes with a DUI. The .17 guy or the 4 DUI guy or the guy who wants to do 80 in a 45 while at .15 is the folks that need to be held accountable, not that I am an angel by any means.

Anywho.....I appreciate your job and your stance. I have several friends who are cops and respect them greatly for performing a job I would not want, or could not do. Inaddition, you seem to take your profession very seriously, a trate I admire no matter what the job may be. ;)

Later, A4

Allan....... I forgot all about that... he REALLY had me tthen.. I have a CDL with haz mat.:eek:

If I have two beers I am drunk but if I drink two Captain and cokes I am very sober. The stuff in beer puts me out. My sister breaks out with a rash any time she drinks alcohol. And I also agree that a lot of people probably couldn't pass a field sobriety test sober. Hey who isn't very nervious when pulled over.

Troutly, just for giggles (I know you like typing :) ), and BTW, great responses :)

Do Police agencies have a standardized test that is used to determine if the person is under the influence of drugs?. I would think that Marijuana is easy to pick up just from the smell of the person however what about the other drugs (cocaine heroin etc?). I would think that these drug users (and we know there are many more out there than the average guy thinks), have their functions altered much more than the guy that is a .10 drinker.

Obviously a drinking person is very easy to detect however someone high on cocaine may not be ( I am not sure) and I would certainly think it would be just as important to test and prosecute those drug users like the drinkers. I wouldn't doubt that a .10 driver pulled over gets twice the hassle/jail time/fines etc than the driver that is high on cocaine. Not sure but that would be my guess.

How many Crown n Coke double talls for a 238lb male?:D :D

Here is a link to a program that will instantly compute your estimated blood/breath alcohol concentration ("BAC") based on the information that you have provided and return that estimate to you. It is provided by The Intoximeters Inc. and is called "Drink Wheel".

http://www.mtboats.com/drinkwheel.html

You should learn from your mistakes and do as I do.
I always let my wife drive.

Thats right . She drives the Boat( As big as 36 foot at one time)
As well as the 1 ton dually pulling the boat.
I have never had a problem with this combination.
So teach them to drive the boat and pull the boat home.:)

It has worked for me for 20 years.

G

HAHAHAAAA, you make me feel better about my ramblings......wow, them are some long ones, but great indepth stuff!!

Srobak, I am not at all condoning DWI by anymeans. I used to party quite a bit, but have backed way off for a number of reasons. Even when I did party alot, there were very few times I drank and drove. We used to cab it to bars all the time.

As far as checkpoints, what ever happened to probable cause?? Sure I don't want drunks swerving all over the streets, but I don't want my rights as an American ignored either. As a free society, I don't like the fact that I can be stopped for no reason and be treated as a criminal for no reason other than the fact I am driving down the road. The gray area becomes the fact that it may save lives, which we are all for ofcourse. DUI chekcpoints today, what intrusion tomorrow?? I do not want the cops going randomly door to door and looking for illegal guns, dope or $$ in every house on the block, with no PC. Sounds like socialism at it's finest, simple disregard of a citizen's right to privacy, and it is wrong. The thought is good, but the process is, by the Constitution, illegal.

Summation, I can live with DUI checkpoints because it probably save lives. But just as well, I would like to see them abolished and have the law create other more "legal" forms of enforcment. Two wrongs do not make a right.

Good night guys, need to run. Interseting reading!!!

Geez, are all cops democrats?

Privilege? Maybe in New York City or a few other very large cities, but for the rest of of is, it's a necessity. It stopped being a privilege many years ago. Getting to work, shopping for food, you name it, cant be done without a car. Take that away from someone and you remove their ability to function in society. If stopping DUI was the real intent, there are much more effective methods. Most watering holes only have a few escape routes and if they were targeted everynight for a month, the bar wouldn't survive. It wouldnt take long to close them all. Better yet, why not just make alcohol illegal? Oh yea, they tried that once, it didnt work. Ever wonder why so many kids today use drugs? Ive spent some time working in dry counties, the drug use was rampant to the point where employers had to stop testing for it, they couldnt find enough people that passed. You want to make the streets safer? Enforce all the traffic laws, for everybody, all the time. Heck, with everybody having cell phones today, have a national "bad driver" cell hotline. Id be glad to help you catch some of the more serious nuts. This 75-80 mph stuff is fine for me in my sports car but not safe for the majority of people or vehicles I see driving. I digress, I dont believe that driving is a privilege anymore. That may be whats on the books but its not realistic.

Troutly and Srobak: The non alcohol impairment thing that really gets me going is the 70 year old woman who can barely see over the dash of her Buick Roadmaster, cant move her head more than 20 degrees to make a decent lane change, yet is driving around WITH A POODLE IN HER LAP!!!! I basically drive for a living and see it a couple of times a month. Please tell me you have busted one of these people!!!!! And what articale of law do you use to prosecute this offence.

Troutly, in your opinion would it slow the intoxication process if you drink a glass of water in between every couple of drinks? I do that from time to time, and it always seems like I feel less intoxicated by the end of the night.

Ah, but it is and you cant stop it. It seems to be human nature to want some form of drug induced escape. Do you drink coffee or smoke? Then you are one of us too. Seriously, Im old enough to have watched the big shift from alcohol to drugs. Just in my area, there are probably only 10% of the bars there were 25 years ago. In a perfect world we would all be happy the way we are but I dont see that happening any time soon.

At least alcohol used to be legal, the drugs arent and we have created a large group of people who have no problem using illegal drugs recreationally. Continued focus on alcohol will only further this shift.

I know someone personally (actually more than one) who has switched to grass even though they still go to bars. They feel much less likely to be stopped or prosecuted when they are high than if they were drunk. And following them while driving is interesting. " Can anybody possibly drive that slow".

Has their ever been any studies done on the level of imparement between alcohol and grass as it relates to driving? BTW, I dont use grass because I can't do much of anything except eat while stoned, especially driving.

oops that post was in response to troutly and not srobak. i type slow

Are u sure u weight only 130lbs at 6'1" damn what are they
feeding you boy:D :D :D

Oops, 230. My bad.:rolleyes:

DWI
 

All I know,is in NY with a cdl,its .04 and im not gonna loose my lisence :eek: :eek: :eek: tripps

Troutly, how do you choke down them donuts without coffee? :D :D :D

You left yourself wide open for that one.

Troutly, your no fun to argue with at all. LOL

I just remembered, I have a class a cdl. I don't ever think of it because I don't use it. I believe in Fl, even if you're not driving commercially, the lower limit and stiffer penalties apply. I have often thought of giving it up for that reason.

I hope with my numerous posts here, nobody picks up the wrong impression and thinks I am some low life out there drunk as hell weaving all over the road waiting to kill an innocent family. My concerns here are having a few drinks with some buddies and going home. I am very cautious not to brake any laws to avoid being stopped. With the number of old people around here that can'nt drive anymore, I am affraid someone may hit me and I will be charged with a DUI. Even worse an accident caused by another person with a death or serious injury. Guess who gets the DUI manslaughter?