Pulled over and tested for drunk driving

[manlymatt83]

First and foremost, I don't drink. I might have a beer or two a week, maybe. I didn't drink at all today.

Pulled over on the side of the road because my check engine light came on, and a cop immediately pulled up. After I was done looking under my hood, the cop asked me to step behind the car, asked if I had had anything to drink (which I replied no), and he did a drunk test on me anyway. Walk the line, follow the pen.

Was this a quota thing? I'm not pissed, because I'm sure cops catch random people like this all the time. But curious.

 

[Scouzer]

...so you passed...and the cop was doing his job to ensure safety of the road...without violating your rights or privacy....

what is the problem

 

[Baked]

You should've refused to take the test, make a scene out of it, get rodney king repeatedly, then sue the city for millions.

 

[Goosemaster]

dude...it was fvking Halloween a few hours ago...have any idea how many damn DUIs there are going to be in the morning.


jsut let the man do his job....and save a life or two if he can


poor ace

 

[RbSX]

With the death of acemcmac this week after getting hit by a drunk driver I'm pretty sure you won't get any sympathy from anyone here regarding active prevention.

I've also never understood the need to have JUST one or two beers if you're driving either.

 

[doze]

If you do not want to take the field sobriety test simply refuse. They cannot force you to take the test even if you are blatantly drunk, although they can take you to jail.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: doze
If you do not want to take the field sobriety test simply refuse. They cannot force you to take the test even if you are blatantly drunk, although they can take you to jail.

which is why it is recommended that you comply:laugh:

 

[manlymatt83]

Originally posted by: RyanSengara
With the death of acemcmac this week after getting hit by a drunk driver I'm pretty sure you won't get any sympathy from anyone here regarding active prevention.

I've also never understood the need to have JUST one or two beers if you're driving either.

OK I should clarify. First of all, I am not complaining about the test in the slightest. I simply wanted to know the reason for it. Hence the last sentence: "I'm not pissed.... but curious". I want to basically know if this is a normal thing they do to random people they pull over, or if it was because of some other reason.

And I fully support active checking of drunk driving, especially with what happened to ace, and what also happened to a friend of mine a few years ago. Which is why I didn't refuse the test.

-MJ

 

[jpeyton]

Well, one of two things happened:

1) You are leaving something out of your story; something that would have led the cop to suspect you had been drinking.

2) The cop is an idiot for asking you to complete a sobriety test with no cause to believe you had been drinking.

Which one is it OP?

 

[manlymatt83]

Originally posted by: jpeyton
Well, one of two things happened:

1) You are leaving something out of your story; something that would have led the cop to suspect you had been drinking.

2) The cop is an idiot for asking you to complete a sobriety test with no cause to believe you had been drinking.

Which one is it OP?

I have no idea. I was adding oil to my car because my check engine light was on, and when I pulled over and checked my oil I was down a quart and a half. He pulled over just as I was closing my trunk. He asked me what the problem was, and I approached him on foot and we talked for a minute. After that, he radio'd in, while i started my car, and then he asked me to take the test before I left. Maybe I sounded tired or something.

Anyway, I think its time for /thread. I really just wanted an opinion on why it happened but I don't want to start a debate, especially with the recent events.

-MJ

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster

Originally posted by: doze
If you do not want to take the field sobriety test simply refuse. They cannot force you to take the test even if you are blatantly drunk, although they can take you to jail.

which is why it is recommended that you comply:laugh:

Meh... avoid the embarrassment... Tell him you haven't been drinking, you don't want to do the road-side gymnastics and you want to blow the machine. Thirty seconds later you're back on the road and nobody you know drove by while you were touching your nose.

 

[DarkKnight69]

If you have a drink dont drive...Dont matter if you THINK you are ok, or if you had JUST one...you should not be risking everyone elses life.

And I dont have issue with any cop doing preventative, any drunks they can find this way, thumbs up!

 

[compuwiz1]

I'm glad those cops are out there. It's more important to me now, with Ace's passing.

As unfortunate as this event was, it was probably one of the best examples that could be reinforced in the minds of a community of over 150,000 people, like AnandTech.

 

[Kaervak]

Anyway, I think its time for /thread. I really just wanted an opinion on why it happened but I don't want to start a debate, especially with the recent events.

Too late for that, anything involving cops will degenerate into a clusterfvck. With that said, I've been checked at sobriety checkpoints before and it doesn't bother me in the slightest. With the stupid sh!t my father used to do, I'm ok with checkpoints.

 

[jpeyton]

Originally posted by: DarkKnight69
If you have a drink dont drive...Dont matter if you THINK you are ok, or if you had JUST one...you should not be risking everyone elses life.

And I dont have issue with any cop doing preventative, any drunks they can find this way, thumbs up!

The OP didn't drink at all tonight.

This isn't preventative at all, it's just random and useless. Preventative would be stopping cars leaving a pub, or sobriety checkpoints in targeted problem areas. If I pull over, change a flat, check my oil, whatever, and give an officer no reason to believe I'm drunk, I don't want to be hassled with a completely random sobriety test.

And there is a reason we have a legal limit for responsible adults. In most states, it is .08 BAL. It exists because people don't want their laws dumbed down for the lowest common denominator. Having a beer or a glass of wine with dinner at a restaurant and driving home is perfectly okay.

 

[compuwiz1]

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: DarkKnight69
If you have a drink dont drive...Dont matter if you THINK you are ok, or if you had JUST one...you should not be risking everyone elses life.

And I dont have issue with any cop doing preventative, any drunks they can find this way, thumbs up!

The OP didn't drink at all tonight.

This isn't preventative at all, it's just random and useless. Preventative would be stopping cars leaving a pub, or sobriety checkpoints in targeted problem areas. If I pull over, change a flat, check my oil, whatever, and give an officer no reason to believe I'm drunk, I don't want to be hassled with a completely random sobriety test.

And there is a reason we have a legal limit for responsible adults. In most states, it is .08 BAL. It exists because people don't want their laws dumbed down for the lowest common denominator. Having a beer or a glass of wine with dinner at a restaurant and driving home is perfectly okay.

Is it now, really? I know a couple of small framed women, who get quite tipsy on just one glass of wine.

The better thought, is don't drink anything, before driving, period.

 

[jpeyton]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: DarkKnight69
If you have a drink dont drive...Dont matter if you THINK you are ok, or if you had JUST one...you should not be risking everyone elses life.

And I dont have issue with any cop doing preventative, any drunks they can find this way, thumbs up!

The OP didn't drink at all tonight.

This isn't preventative at all, it's just random and useless. Preventative would be stopping cars leaving a pub, or sobriety checkpoints in targeted problem areas. If I pull over, change a flat, check my oil, whatever, and give an officer no reason to believe I'm drunk, I don't want to be hassled with a completely random sobriety test.

And there is a reason we have a legal limit for responsible adults. In most states, it is .08 BAL. It exists because people don't want their laws dumbed down for the lowest common denominator. Having a beer or a glass of wine with dinner at a restaurant and driving home is perfectly okay.

Is it now, really? I know a couple of small framed women, who get quite tipsy on just one glass of wine.

The better thought, is don't drink anything, before driving, period.

Legally, .08 BAL. I can't speak for your small-framed women friends, but I know what is and what isn't within my legal right to consume before driving. It's also worth noting:

However, it is important to recognize that the legal limit does not define a level below which it is safe to operate a vehicle or engage in some other activity rather, the legal limit is intended to define a level at or above which an individual is subject to legal action under a specific set of circumstances. Therefore, decisions about the appropriate level of alcohol consumption in a particular situation should begin with a careful assessment of whether it?s appropriate to be drinking at all.

And it seems our lawmakers gave us the right to make appropriate decisions ourselves. If they didn't, we would have strict zero-tolerance policies in every state.

 

[Syringer]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: DarkKnight69
If you have a drink dont drive...Dont matter if you THINK you are ok, or if you had JUST one...you should not be risking everyone elses life.

And I dont have issue with any cop doing preventative, any drunks they can find this way, thumbs up!

The OP didn't drink at all tonight.

This isn't preventative at all, it's just random and useless. Preventative would be stopping cars leaving a pub, or sobriety checkpoints in targeted problem areas. If I pull over, change a flat, check my oil, whatever, and give an officer no reason to believe I'm drunk, I don't want to be hassled with a completely random sobriety test.

And there is a reason we have a legal limit for responsible adults. In most states, it is .08 BAL. It exists because people don't want their laws dumbed down for the lowest common denominator. Having a beer or a glass of wine with dinner at a restaurant and driving home is perfectly okay.

Is it now, really? I know a couple of small framed women, who get quite tipsy on just one glass of wine.

The better thought, is don't drink anything, before driving, period.

..because AT is full of small framed women..

 

[compuwiz1]

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: DarkKnight69
If you have a drink dont drive...Dont matter if you THINK you are ok, or if you had JUST one...you should not be risking everyone elses life.

And I dont have issue with any cop doing preventative, any drunks they can find this way, thumbs up!

The OP didn't drink at all tonight.

This isn't preventative at all, it's just random and useless. Preventative would be stopping cars leaving a pub, or sobriety checkpoints in targeted problem areas. If I pull over, change a flat, check my oil, whatever, and give an officer no reason to believe I'm drunk, I don't want to be hassled with a completely random sobriety test.

And there is a reason we have a legal limit for responsible adults. In most states, it is .08 BAL. It exists because people don't want their laws dumbed down for the lowest common denominator. Having a beer or a glass of wine with dinner at a restaurant and driving home is perfectly okay.

Is it now, really? I know a couple of small framed women, who get quite tipsy on just one glass of wine.

The better thought, is don't drink anything, before driving, period.

Legally, .08 BAL. I can't speak for your small-framed women friends, but I know what is and what isn't within my legal right to consume before driving.

I'm not going to sit here and argue about whats within your legal right to consume alcohol before driving. My point is, some people, no matter how much, or little alcohol consumed, should not be driving.

I have personally chose, that if I consume one drink, with dinner, or anywhere, I will let someone who drank nothing drive, and if I don't have that pre-planned, then I won't have the drink with dinner.

 

[lyssword]

Too many ppl get killed by drunk drivers

 

[akshatp]

Damn OP.. You certainly get into a lot of crap. Didnt you post a few weeks ago about a cop that was pacing you and then passed you by?

What kind of car are you driving anyway? Low oil shouldn't cause the check engine light to come on, it might be something else. Low oil should only trigger your low pressure light, and 1.5 qts is not enough to lose that much oil pressure.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: mjuszczak
OK I should clarify. First of all, I am not complaining about the test in the slightest. I simply wanted to know the reason for it.

I am not a cop, lawyer, judge, doctor, member of MADD, famed philosopher, respected logician, or keen student of the human condition, but I would imagine that they gave you a drunk driving test to determine if you were driving drunk.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Saying you can only drink 1 or 2 or 0 drinks before driving is kinda silly. Its all on the person. People obvioulsy have diffrent levels of tollerance. I know I can have a beer or two with dinner at a pub...have a nice conversatino with my friends and then drive home. I DONT drive drunk but I know when I am ok. I just wish they would put a damn breathe tester thing outside the door of resturants....then maybe I could just test to see if i get pulled over I will get arrested...


Now obviously..there are some people out there that have one drink and are gone.

Telling me I shouldnt drive after having one beer is just absurd in my eyes. Its like trying to force someone not to drive in the morning if they havnt gotten over 6 hours of sleep the night before....cause the effects are a lot less then that.

 

[Kadarin]

I was once pulled over after leaving a bar and tested.. However, I had not been drinking at all. The officer was concerned that the pupils in my eyes were very dilated, however, and my heartrate was very high. But, that's normal for me.

 

[otispunkmeyer]

its like 5 mins of your time and you were stopped anyway

no harm in him testing you, especially if u know you've done nothing wrong

though i can see that it would make u feel awkward because of the usual way US cops conduct them selves.... power trip style (i will admit this view is formed from the way cops act towards gumball/bull run participants)