I here ya there, there are alot of hardcore cops out there, but all my teachers and friends who are cops are pretty cool. One cop friend even got a ticket when we went to Warm springs, 50 in a 35.. (can you beleve the hiway was a 35 zone?) The Oregon state officer that pulled us over was a complete jerk and said my friend knew better being a cop.. my friend told him that 50MPH was easly the basic rule being a hiway and so on..

 

Just as anything in the world you are going to have good cops and bad cops. I have seen great cops and I have seen terrible cops.
I see roller blading and lawn mower drunks and petty and I have never heard of someone getting an OUI for roller blading but I have heard of a person getting one on a lawn mower.
If I pull a person over I judge everything on how the person acts. If they are pleasant and cooperate I will be more leanant on them, If they don't cooperate and let me do my job I'm sure as hell not going to help them out.
For example I pulled a guy over a couple of weeks ago for speeding he was goinng like 15mph over, I walked up to his car and before I even said a word he starts in "Je$us Chri$t, don't stupid cops have anything better to do than pull me over for driving a little fast," I asked him for his license and registration walked back to my cruiser and proceeded to wrote him a ticket that cost him $175.00. I vary easily could have giving him a warning or knocked a couple of mph off fo of the ticket but he was very rude.
I generally give a driver 10mph over the limit anything over that they know they are taking a risk.
I'm not the kind of cop that acts like I'm 10ft tall and bullet proof just because I have a 45 on my hip. I enforce laws. People need to remember laws are not made to make lives hard they are made to make them safer.
I have a family and I love them very much and I want to do my part to keep drunk drivers off of the road to keep them that much safer and I do the same for your families also.
The "code of silence" you talk about does happen, unfortunatly, but luckily all the people I work with abide buy the law.
Ride safe, we all love this sport, do your part to keep it alive we're under enough scrunity already.

 

Bill, technically, I don't believe all the devices you mention are motor VEHICLES, thus I wouldn't expect them to be covered under the motor vehicle code (although some conveyances used on publis roads might be, whether they have motors or not (like the Amish horses & buggies (street-legal buggies in PA must have lights, turn signals, and orange triangle "slow-moving-vehicle" signs), bicycles, etc.).

No matter; I'm willing to include equipment other than motor vehicles in our discussion regarding whether drinking increases the risk of accidents or not. You're certainly entitled to your opinion that driving, boating, riding ATV's, operating lawn mowers, chain saws, weed whackers, airplanes, firearms, and dynamite magnetos while under the influence of alcohol is o.k. I disagree.

Further, you're entitled to your opinion that cops conspire to arrest drunks merely as oppression and abuse of police power. I doubt that also.

Facts influencing my opinion; since MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) activism and toughening of DUI laws and their enforcement nationwide, raising of the legal drinking age, etc., alcohol-related accidents and fatalaties have dropped dramatically.

Further, in Germany, folks REFUSE to drive after drinking, because of the rigid enforcement of drunk driving laws and their penalties there (like losing your driving license FOREVER); alcohol-related accidents are rare there.

You believe YOU can drink and drive (or ride or whatever) safely; maybe you're right, most drunks (not that you're a drunk) think so. However, maybe you're in denial. Maybe you're only justifying your own drinking.

I ride with a friend whose legs are paralyzed; he must ride an Odyssey-type vehicle instead of a regular ATV because of his disability, caused by a drunk driver who ran him down (I expect the perpetrator shared your opinion that alcohol did not impair his performance).

As I said before, what is the risk-to-gain ratio? If operating potentially dangerous equipment while drinking may lead to accidents, the risk consequences could be pretty high. The gain? "Cool" or "macho" image, temporary personal pleasure? Only you can decide for yourself if drinking and (fill in the blank, driving, flying, diving, riding, etc.) is worth it.

I enjoy drinking myself, but AFTER shooting on the range or the ATV ride or crimping the blasting caps. While you must disagree, I'm glad the airlines I fly on feel the same way I do about their pilots' drinking habits.

Diogenes

 

Snowshark,

Right on. I don't wont some idiot killing one of my children. I drink the 4hit out of my Beam on the weekends at home but i wouldn't touch my quad while drinking. I know you used to boat also. If people think whine heads are bad on land, they should see them on water.

 

Diogenes,
Im not in disagreement of whether drinking increases the risk of accidents.Im in disagreement with the BOC laws [blood alcohol contant] in regards to differant folks size's,weight's,and tollerance's.I simple dont agree that .08 is what EVERY person should be legally established DWI at.Example below,

I've played slow pitch softball in the same league for about 12yrs.I live about 3 miles from the field.It is common practice each game for 2 selected ball players[usually 15 of us at a game] to each bring in a case of beer to drink for the game.I would probably consume a 6 pack in a little more than about an hrs time.There has never been NO question in my mind that I could drive myself home safely after that hr.But guess what?According to todays laws,if I got stopped for a tailight out on the way home and the officer smells booze on my breath,IM LEGALLY DRUNK if he makes me blow into the breatalizer.I risk going to jail.

I no longer drink anything except Diet Coke after games now,[not even one drink]it has something to do with what you said about risk-to-gain ratio.There is NOTHING to gain and the risks are far to high today.

You mentioned maybe im in denial?Well im 43 yrs old,I have NEVER seen the inside of a jail cell for ANYTHING,EVER.I do have COMMON sense.One thing I wont deny,I do like to enjoy myself,but im not going to risk it at mine or anyone elses expense.Some folks know their limits,I like to think I do to.But according to TODAYS laws,my limit is to much,so I DONT drink and drive.

Certain over the counter drugs[just like booze] make a persons reactions to driving differant to,you never hear of anyone being pulled over for having to many antihistamines in him.Same differance as the .08 content to me.

In closing,im in TOTAL agreement that there needed to be something done about DWI.Im in disagreement that .08 needs to be the established number for EVERY driver,instead,I favor what NORTHERN EDGE says,if someone he pulls over seems polite and not intoxicated,he acts accordingly.I wished all cops were like that.I am in favor of giving the field sobriety tests first.If you pass that,then well,????''MAYBE'' forget the Breatalizer???I dont know???
Bill

 

Exactly, one thing though. I got the flu up hunting years ago and was driveing home and had to pull over a few times to puke.. someone called the cops thinking I was wasted because I missed a shift as my hand slipped off the **** due to snot and 20 miles down the road I got pulled over and the officer informed me that I could get a DUI ticket for driving under the influence of ANYTHING that makes me react slow such as allergy pills, nyquil, pot, overly tired, or even really sick.

 

Ranchersmoke,

You bet! I like to party down but thats whith my butt at home or with my wife driving coming from a party. We take turns being the designated driver. Usually she drives more than I.

You are right about people on boats. That was one of the reasons I sold my personnal water craft to get into quads. There were numerous times where people on boats & jet skis had little run ins.

The one thing I miss about about riding jetskis is the nudity or topless babes on the boats.

Ahhhhhhhh, a flash back...................

 

It is possible to be legally impared and not feel it. Blood-Alcohol Content (B.A.C.) is the same for every person. It depends on how many drinks in a hours time. How it affects your motor skills, speech depends on your tollerance and size (weight) but you still have the same B.A.C. as a smaller person. This goes for everyone: B.A.C of 0.05 is 1 drink for a female in 1hr, 1.5 drinks for a male in 1hr. B.A.C of 0.10 is 2 drinks for female in 1hr, 4 drinks for male in 1hr. B.A.C of 0.20 is 5 drinks for female in 1hr, 8 drinks for male in 1 hr. With a B.A.C. of 0.35 is like surgical anesthetic and at 0.40 half of the people die if they don't get their stomach pumped or throw up and at 0.50 you will surely loose consciousness and most die at this level.

 

RigBoy,
Your theory is incorrect. A person that is 250lbs will not have the same BAC as a person that weighs 150lbs after three beers. One drink is not .05 on the average one beer is .02-.03.
Obviously a person that weighs 250lbs has more blood in their body then a person that weighs 150lbs.
Basically what you are saying is if a person drinks 15 beers he will blow a .75 and a person would be dead at that kind of a BAC.
These things listed below will affect BAC
How much alcohol you drink.
How fast you drink. The quicker you drink, the higher your peak BAC will be. The liver gets rid of alcohol at the average rate of one drink per hour (12 oz. beer, 5 oz. wine, 1 shot of distilled liquor). If a person drinks faster than this, the r emainder will circulate in the blood stream until the liver can get rid of it.
Body weight. Heavier people will be less affected by the same amount of alcohol than lighter people. They have more blood and water in their bodies in which to dilute the alcohol.
Food in the stomach. When there is food in the stomach, alcohol is absorbed slower into the blood stream. The BAC rises more rapidly in those who drink on an empty stomack, because there is no food in which to dilute the alcohol.
The type of alcohol you drink. The stronger a drink is (the higher the alcohol concentration, distilled alcohol first, wine second, beer third) the more quickly it is absorbed. This partially explains why hard liquor has more of an apparent “ kick” than wine or beer.
Type of mixer used. Water and fruit juices mixed with alcohol slow the absorption process, while carbonated beverages will speed it up. Carbon dioxide speeds the alcohol through the stomack and intestine into the bloodstream, creating a rapid rise in BAC.
Temperature of the drink. Warm alcohol is absorbed quicker than cold alcohol.
If you are male or female. Women reach higher BAC’s faster because they have less water in their bodies and more adipose tissue (fat), which is not easily penetrated by alcohol. Therefore, a man and woman, with all other factors being equal, both drinking the same amount of alcohol will have different BAC levels. Hers will be higher. A woman’s menstrual cycle will also affect her rate of absorption. They will experience their highest BAC’s premenstrually. In addition, there is a lso evidence that a woman taking birth control pills, will absorb alcohol faster, resulting in higher BAC levels.

 

That would be a TUI I think?