DUI

[MEKer]

OK, folks, drinking and driving is a crime (if you're over the limit). Over half of all fatal traffic accidents involve drivers under the influence of alcohol. It is a stupid behavior. I support any and all means law enforcement uses to get drunk drivers off the road. I don't care if it's "fair" or not. As one who spent five months in the hospital at the hands of a drunk driver, I have zero compassion for anyone who gets caught, and whatever punishment they receive is not enough.

A perfect example is the singer from my last band. He had a crappy job doing sound for a hotel in town. He interviewed for a job as head of AV for another well-known hotel, and got the job. It was a great step in turning his life around. After our band broke up, he, the lead guitarist, and I jammed with a new drummer to see about putting something together. After our first jam, we tried to set up the next one, but he wouldn't respond to emails or phone messages. It turns out he's in jail for his second DUI. He had his young daughter with him this time ... it was 4:00 on a Sunday afternoon, the day after the first jam. He's been in jail for a month and a half, and he'll get out in a couple weeks. I'm sure he lost his new job, and probably has no place to stay now. I won't be working with him in the future. Who needs it?

Also, the state can't possibly make any money on these crimes. The cost of enforcement and incarceration far exceeds any fines they may collect.

bingo!

In El Salvador, you kill someone cuz of DUI = death penalty. OK by me. If you are that stupid---you deserved your fate.

 

[Floyd Eye]

Usually the email says "Only in Texas".

 

[ssbass]

So the crux of your argument is you think DUI laws are a sham because there are bad sober drivers out there. Am I understanding you clearly?

There are more accidents caused every year by people talking/texting on there phone, than drunk driving.

 

[ssbass]

Please explain how they are a racket? I dont understand...

Driving under the influence is really dangerous. Sure, maybe someone at a .08 can drive alright enough (and that is the max as far as legal limit goes). But to see someone swerving across lanes, or passing out as theyre driving on the freeway? That just aint safe.

So is texting/talking on your phone while driving.

 

[Floyd Eye]

There are more accidents caused every year by people talking/texting on there phone, than drunk driving.

And both should be illegal and punishable by serious fines and/or jail time.

 

[BrianVengeance]

I don't think that there can be an apples to apples comparison made between drunk driving and texting... I've never met anyone who has gone out on a texting binge and thought it was safe to drive afterwards.

 

[Floyd Eye]

I don't think that there can be an apples to apples comparison made between drunk driving and texting... I've never met anyone who has gone out on a texting binge and thought it was safe to drive afterwards.

No, but I know many currently dead people thanks to texting while driving. If the issue is highway safety it is an apt comparison.

 

[ssbass]

ok- yes... it is going to multiple entities, but i will firmly stand by the fact that the legal system is not a money maker. that would be ****ed up.

You would be wrong

 

[Blort]

So you like the idea of helping people drive drunk?

Seeing how much people can get screwed by the system, yes.

 

[Relic]

Seeing how much people can get screwed by the system, yes.

Hmmm..not a popular stance I'd imagine.

 

[electracoyote]

I'm in the Denver area, there's a very strange trend here:

People don't close bars anymore.

When I was growing up in Ohio, in the 1980s, bars were packed until 2AM, and then the drunks spilled out into their cars, and on the way home I ALWAYS saw two or three people pulled over, and I don't think they were tail light violations.

Now, when I leave the bar after the last set, the streets are empty. And I never see people getting pulled over around the 11PM hour. Cops staking out bars has become a thing of the past.

I suspect people drink less, don't stay out as late, and use designated drivers more. The crack down has made a huge difference in drinking/driving trends from what I can tell.

 

[Blort]

I know it's not a popular stance.

I'm glad we don't have those DUI road blocks here in Michigan. Guilty until proven innocent seems to be the norm these days.

I can't believe people aren't gathering at city halls in their state throwing batteries at whoever thought up that idea.

 

[Relic]

I'm in the Denver area, there's a very strange trend here:

People don't close bars anymore.

When I was growing up in Ohio, in the 1980s, bars were packed until 2AM, and then the drunks spilled out into their cars, and on the way home I ALWAYS saw two or three people pulled over, and I don't think they were tail light violations.

Now, when I leave the bar after the last set, the streets are empty. And I never see people getting pulled over around the 11PM hour. Cops staking out bars has become a thing of the past.

a few years ago, my band used to play in a place that closed at 3AM. Normally the bars in this state overwhelmingly close at 2, but since this place had attached hotel, some sort of local ordinance allowed it that extra hour - people would come streaming in from around the area to get in that last hour of drinking.
At the end of the night as we were loading our gear into the van, you would literally see about 5-7 cops cars lined up in a nearby parking lot waiting for folks to leave. It's as though that was a giant elaborate trap to catch drunk drivers.
Crazy. They would pull out and follow cars one by one as they left, and start pulling people over. I often wondered about the legality of that.

 

[BrianVengeance]

No, but I know many currently dead people thanks to texting while driving. If the issue is highway safety it is an apt comparison.

Of course, any life lost is a tragedy... certainly not arguing against that one bit. But honestly, what is the next step to safer highways? Banning car stereos? Making it illegal to drop things into the floorboard? Prohibiting driving altogether in inclement weather? Sure, I'm being a little facetious with some of those examples, but there is a bit of a slippery slope involved here.

TBH, I commute between 2-4 hours a day on a motorcycle in DC / MD rush hour traffic. These are certainly not places to be timid or distracted, and as someone who is hyper-aware of traffic from simply being outweighed (at best 4:1 for a light car, 10:1 for an SUV) I can safely say that bad driving is the problem. Texting and cell phones simply make it worse.

 

[Relic]

I know it's not a popular stance.

I'm glad we don't have those DUI road blocks here in Michigan. Guilty until proven innocent seems to be the norm these days.

I can't believe people aren't gathering at city halls in their state throwing batteries at whoever thought up that idea.

I've been through a few here in Jersey in years past. They're no big deal. I don't drink and drive so it's a moot point for me. YMMV

 

[Touchez]

Hahahahahaha, now that was funny.

I'm curious if people actually do this when there is a cop sitting across from the bar or within distance to see how people are driving when they leave.

 

[aborgman]

You don't think the laws are just a racket to generate revenue? Seriously?

Based on the massive reduction in drunk driving deaths, no.

Drunk driving related deaths 1982: 21,113
Drunk driving related deaths 2009: 10,839

In 1982 the drunk driving fatality rate was: 128/1,000,000 vehicles.

In 2009 the drunk driving fatality rate was: 46/1,000,000 vehicles

1982 the drunk driving fatality rate was: 91/1,000,000 population
2009 the drunk driving fatality rate was: 39/1,000,000 population

Miles traveled have gone up (~90%), number of drivers has gone up (~35%), and drunk driving fatalities have dropped precipitously (-50%).

 

[Blort]

I've been through a few here in Jersey in years past. They're no big deal. I don't drink and drive so it's a moot point for me. YMMV

I don't drink and drive either, and I still think it's a big deal. I haven't done anything wrong, so I don't want some cop snooping into my business for no reason.

If I do something wrong, then they can pull me over and do their thing.

 

[Floyd Eye]

Of course, any life lost is a tragedy... certainly not arguing against that one bit. But honestly, what is the next step to safer highways? Banning car stereos? Making it illegal to drop things into the floorboard? Prohibiting driving altogether in inclement weather? Sure, I'm being a little facetious with some of those examples, but there is a bit of a slippery slope involved here.

TBH, I commute between 2-4 hours a day on a motorcycle in DC / MD rush hour traffic. These are certainly not places to be timid or distracted, and as someone who is hyper-aware of traffic from simply being outweighed (at best 4:1 for a light car, 10:1 for an SUV) I can safely say that bad driving is the problem. Texting and cell phones simply make it worse.

I drive approximately 100 miles a day, every day. A significant amount of the morons I encounter ( and there are a lot of them) have a phone in their hand or on their ear. We ban drinking and driving, we ban drug use, we ban trucks with high bumpers, we ban firearms in school zones, how much of a slippery slope is it really?

 

[dj150888]

I know this crazy technique to avoid getting a DUI. Don't drink and drive.

I don't see why anyone who doesn't drink and drive would have a problem with those who do being punished. There is no way in hell you can justify drinking and driving. I'm all for taking these people off the roads. If I had my way, they'd be removed from the gene pool too.