Drunk driving laws

woodworkingboy

TreeHouser
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Aug 16, 2008
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Yesterday after a dead Pine removal, my mate and I were driving home, I was following him on some new to me roads. It had been a blistering hot day. He pulls over at this kind of inconspicuous place, gets out and walks back to my truck. I only work with him on occasion. He says, "I like to stop here for a drink on my way home, what do you say"? I had to think about it for a minute, pretty much have a policy now about not drinking and driving, but I joined. A cool little place, a liquor store that serves and also dishes to go along with it. Some locals were sitting around, the only people that would go in there, and the proprietor and his old mom. Anyway, it was great, the two dishes, one a kind of smoked fish and the other what they call motsu, a chicken thing served with eggs that I love. Beer was real cold and the folks were very nice, we both could cool down. We each had a can of beer and a half. I could drive perfectly fine, and I've no doubt my friend could as well. Likely over the limit of breathalyzered.

I used to do the kind of thing regularly with the tree workers that took me on in the beginning, it was pretty much a given during an earlier time. The boss always paid. Now, you get your ass nailed for it as things have severely tightened up. I'd forgotten how it made for some comfort on the way home, I can really miss it. I guess I understand about drinking and driving laws, why they are in place, or maybe I don't. Just got to know when to stop.
 
With my class b cdl, my legal limit is.04 anytime, not just on the clock. Pretty messed up if you ask me! On the plus side, I'm never the one to drive home from dinner if drinks were had.

Something awfully nice about having a beer after work/before getting home
 
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  • #3
Sean, how much drink will take you up to .04? Is that like a beer or a glass of wine right after?
 
I'm glad we have tough drinking and driving laws here. I don't think it's a call I wish to trust most people to make on their own.
 
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Yeah, that's the problem like with about anything else. The people that ruin things for the others with some sense about it. It doesn't have to be seen as such a bad thing really, like Oh God they drank and got into their cars...everybody pull over now! Of course you get the people that think they can drive just fine and they are totally messed up.
 
It's easy for me to see the other side. As I was about seven or eight when a drunk driver t boned my mom. Totaling our car and injuring her.

I get it's nice to have a drink or two out and about. But irresponsible people ruin it for us all.
 
Youse guys should try living in the middle of nowhere.

You would not be able to do anything if the cops decided to round everybody up.

I dont want to say its part of the culture up here........but its part of the culture up here.
 
^ umm you ever been to Wisconsin?
Drinking after a job is almost par for the course more so just south of the boarder, but a man has to know his limits.
 
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  • #9
People can't mind their own restrictions, so they passed a law here where everyone in the vehicle of someone arrested for drunk driving has to pay a hefty fine too. I think like 5000 bucks. Thirty grand for the authorities in one pop isn't unheard of. All kinds of drinking places had to shut down from lack of business after the new laws. It used to be that if you closed your eyes and walked through an unknown door in certain parts of town it was likely a drinking establishment. Like ghost towns now. Lots of cool mom's and pop's once, cheap for a drink and accompaniment, at ease locals just hanging out shooting the shit for the most part. Bars aren't usually dark so private places, unless you go into a hotel or something, maybe some dumb nightclub.
 
Imma big chicken, I rarely have anything any way but when I do, it is at home generally. CDL or not, I don't need that on my record. I used to ride back to camp in the crummy, they always stopped and bought 6 or 12 bottles on the way back to camp, tossing bottles at signs all the way. I never have understood why they "needed" it so often. Side rod drove his own truck that he kept a cooler of MGD in, soon as the quitting whistle blew, he was cracking a beer on the landing.
 
I used to have a few drinks after work, the problem starts when just as you're leaving an old mate walks in, so you stop for a couple with him.

I just got out of the habit, too much money at stake now to blow my licence lightly.
 
In the good old days we measured everything by beer.

Go to the shops, a one can trip. Into town a six pack. Melbourne, 24. Brisbane 30. It was another life and world then.

My truck license is .0 limit, so I haven't had a beer and driven anywhere since '95. It was really '85 when I stopped, but did call in to the pub sometimes, it was just a few minutes away but still not worth it.

It'd be crazy to do it now with the traffic but people still do. Drink, don't drive. That's all there is to it.
 
I have in the past on a couple of occasions (like less than the fingers on my left hand).

These days never. Got kids and need my ability to get to job sites. I don't like hangovers these days so not drinking in the first place is a great place to start.

I was also ran over by a drink driver in the French Alps in 2003. Hit me from behind, i went over the roof and landed in a snow drift at the side of the road. the twat then drove off and left me there, if he even realised he had hit something. In a way the snow caused it and save me from further injury. The driver hadn't cleared the recent dump of snow of his windscreen apart from his side. so he couldn't see me but he definitely head my head and elbow crack hi wind screen. The snow also provided for a nice soft landing.

It also prevented me catching up with the bastard as I couldn't keep my legs under me as after I realised I was ok and he hadn't stopped. I sprinted after the car ready to beat the crap outta that POS and leave him bleeding at the side of the road like I could have been.

For me drink driving is a big no - no!!!
 
Last week I read that the Czech republic has a 0,0 law, like Sweden does.
That means you can't drink anything and drive, also don't get too drunk at night and drive the next day.

Man, I didn't know.
When Richard and I visited last year, we'd stop for a beer once in a while.
Guess we were real lucky not to be pulled over.
 
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