The biggest mistake of my life...

[Impressive]

Alright, so last night I was at Montanas at Erin Mills with a group of people (8-10). I had a couple of drinks with my friends (nothing too ridiculous), then I was asked to drive one person who lived just down the road home. She said she'd greatly appreaciate it and throw me $20 for gas (which realistically would've been like a buck or two.) So I accepted the offer and began to drive her home, with my other friend who was just along for the ride with me. I was almost at her house as I was driving down The Collegeway when I drove by an intersection with a cop waiting at the lights. I was going probably about 15-20 over and instantly began to get worried. Sure enough, the cop pulls behind me, follows me for a good 20 seconds then puts on his sirens at the intersection of The Collegeway/Erin Mills pkwy. He comes over and asks for the usual insurance, license and ownership. I provide him with all three and he asks us if we've been drinking. My drunk friend beside me immediately blurts out that we have not at all consumed alcohol. I guess judging by the smell of my friends breath, the cop immediately realized/assumed we did. I had committed no other infractions other than slight speeding and I'd shown no marks of a drunk driver (swerving, random motions, etc). He took me out of the car, searched me and put me under arrest to take back to the station. At the station I ended up blowing slightly over on both of the readings. Now after a night in jail I'm facing 2 charges (impaired driving, over 80) and a 90 day license suspension effective either immediately, or monday once the paperwork is filed according to the cops.

I know I'm most likely gonna get bashed for this, & rightfully so, nobody should be drinking and driving AT ALL. I've lost friends to drunk drivers before and I don't know what I'd do if I had someone's life on my own all because of driving drunk but there's absolutely no way I would've used my vehicle if I did not feel 100% fit to drive. I deserve any bashing I get on this, but what's done is done and all I can do now is learn from my mistakes in the past, apply the knowledge I'll take from this and use it to become a better and more aware person in the future. Hopefully there will be some of you aswell who will find it in your hearts to forgive me, as D&D is something that isn't just bad for the individuals involved, but it puts all of society at risk as well. This next few months is going to be really tough with court, trying to finish up school and also trying to work as much as possible to be able to afford University next year, all without the use of my car....which will now be taken out on a weekly basis for maintinence purposes only.

Even though I most likely won't be able to make it to any meets for a LONG time (including the NextMod BBQ, which is HEARTBROKEN about missing), I'll still be an active member on the forums as I've come to realize over the last couple of months how great these forums are and how cool all the users are as well. Things are gonna be really difficult now but I have only myself to blame for this & most importantly, I need to stick strongly to my belief that once you've hit absolute rock bottom, the only way to go from there is up. With that in mind, as well as hopefully the support of my friends and family these 3 months will hopefully go by quick and will have minimal effect on what I'm trying to accomplish as far as my future's concerned.

Once again, I'm sorry to everyone here for my actions last night...I feel as if I let the entire community down by doing something so stupid ina TM3 plated vehicle. Believe me when I say nobody regrets this more than I do but now all I can do is begin to pick up the pieces and try to get myself back on track.

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae140/hustletrees8/iPhone%20Photos/3ca42f3a.jpg
One last photo of my 3. It'll be nice and cozy in my garage...hopefully.

Thanks all for reading.

[Dan Da Man]

So you didn't think you were drunk but you blew over...

[shu5892001]

That's sad to hear, but yeah.. everyone make mistakes in life, we just have to learn from our mistakes and straighten up ourselves and move on. Good luck with court and university!

[Impressive]

well I didn't eat anything yesterday really I was busy with school 8-3 & work 5-9...I thought I was gonna be fine until they read me my readings and I was in shock after that

[DumpInfo]

That's sad to hear, but yeah.. everyone make mistakes in life, we just have to learn from our mistakes and straighten up ourselves and move on. Good luck with court and university!

+1 - considering you're age it'll be a tuff one for you in court but GL as shu stated.

[McGuyver_3]

this is somewhat odd as when they give you a breathalizer and you blow some what over they are allowed to give you 3 attempts spaced out within 15 mins each try. Mind you every person handles their alchohol differently depending on size weight etc etc. IMO this is a BS cash grab

[Impressive]

I was told that my readings were barely over and that it wouldn't be a miracle for me to be able to convince the judge to offer me a conditional discharge if I present a decent case. To be honest my biggest worry is going to be transportation to/from work for 3 months.

[Impressive]

They did not do a roadside, instead they took me back and did two readings with a 20 minute interval in between

[DruidB]

Did you demand a blood test?

[Impressive]

Did you demand a blood test?

How would that have helped? Like I said, I was seemingly convinced I was fine.

[McGuyver_3]

i hear ya on the transportation part been there done that before and its not fun at all.

as for the court case they just recently dropped the rates of the legal limit. Just use that as a thing to go by. Had they not changed the law this wouldnt have happened. Obviously you knew you were sober enough to drive. When you say that they "told you" your level was JUST slightly higher, did they even show you the results? I am sure there is something there that you could use against them aswell. If it was JUST over they could have been so kind to just let it slide

[Thrizzl3]

everything happens for a reason. hopefully you learn from this mistake.

[BlackIce]

Thats bad bro! just lucky no one got hurt. you are still young and young people always make stupid choices but "If you want to be old and wise, first you must be young and stupid!" I for one am glad nothing happened to you seeing as you are the first friend ive made on this forum. I have a rule for myself, you can apply it to your own rulebook as well. If i go out to have fun with friends, i never have more then 1 bottle of beer and i always drink on a satisfied/full stomach just so the alcohol doesnt take any sort of effect on me. But if i do drink, i wait about an hour or 2 and try to sober up as much as possible (even if i barely drank) before i start my car.

I think you should still find a way to the NextMod meet, if you can get a ride to the West End pre-meet, you can ride shotgun with me, donno how you would get back home, maybe find someone who lives in that area to take you back.

The fact that you admitted to everyone your mistake was reckless and that you regret it, could allow everyone to forgive you. Just dont let it happen again. Glad to see you, your Mazda, and your friends are ok.

[SKYMP3]

Most of the time after you drink, you are still very capable to drive, just make sure you drive like a turtle (under speed limit) to avoid pull over for any stupid reasons, once you get pull over and you did drink. You are SOL.

[crystal8484]

Most of the time after you drink, you are still very capable to drive, just make sure you drive like a turtle (under speed limit) to avoid pull over for any stupid reasons, once you get pull over and you did drink. You are SOL.

Driving under the speed limit is something the cops take notice of as well unfortunately. If you touch either line in the road more than once, speeding, etc etc. It sucks about what happened but I'm happy he is owning up to it. That's very responsible, contrary to what happened which may not have been. And yes, BAC is calculated differently in all people so it's hard to accurately assess the situation from one person to another. All I can say is good luck my dear, you'll get through it. :)

[stevenma188]

Well best of luck with the court proceedings, and I think it's good that at least you own up to your mistake.

[ZeroChalk]

Good luck and like everyone has said it's great your owning up to your actions. It really sucks how such a small judgment error can mess up your life and have you paying for it years to come. Hopefully the judge will show some leniency.

[BlackIce]

how much did you drink btw? and what did you drink?

[Jeff-TheBiz]

Live and learn..

Be thankful it didnt end with you misjudging a corner and killing someone

[mazdabetty]

awww shitty... That sucks, sorry to hear... :(

Like you said though, lesson learned. It could have been a lot worse, there could have been an accident, (whether it was you that caused it or someone else) and because you had been drinking the consequences would have been much worse.

And by the way, as blackice mentioned, if you really wanted to go to the AA meet I'm sure someone in your area could give you a lift! Don't get yourself down over this, you have a lot ahead of you and it appears you've come out of this a smarter person :)

[starscream]

You drank, you drove, you're an idiot. Being straight up here, you learn from your mistakes granted, but also to the point if you lost friends to drinking and driving, why the hell would you do it? If you have blown over the limit on the breathalyzer, whether its .01 over the limit or 100 over, its still over the limit and you got caught. Could it have been an error on the machine, possibly so, BUT the onus is still on you to be on the side of safety NOT on the side of risk, which from what it looks like you were.

Hate me for being blunt, but I hope you seriously realize that its never worth it. I say this because I also know a person lost to a drunk driver, so it kinda hits home. Go out, drink, have fun just make sure you plan your route home (public transportation, friends that are DD's, or hell call up your family...I am sure they would all appreciate you in 1 piece).

[m_bisson]

For the record, alcohol effects everyone differently. Just because you blew over a certain limit that doesn't mean you're "drunk". There are alcoholics who walk around the entire day with a BAC over 100 and they seem completely sober. A small young teen with no alcohol experience can get drunk off one beer, but they'd blow under 50. See what I'm getting at? I'm glad you were stopped and arrested. You'll never do it again now :)

[Gods Son]

Damn dude, a mistake is a mistake and I'm glad to hear you've learned from it. And despite the odd person here who would want to hang you from your mistake, alot of us will think twice and learn from you. So in that regards thank you for sharing your story and keep your head up.

[starscream]

For the record, alcohol effects everyone differently. Just because you blew over a certain limit that doesn't mean you're "drunk". There are alcoholics who walk around the entire day with a BAC over 100 and they seem completely sober. A small young teen with no alcohol experience can get drunk off one beer, but they'd blow under 50. See what I'm getting at?

See


BUT the onus is still on you to be on the side of safety NOT on the side of risk, which from what it looks like you were.

Agreed that it can affect everyone differently, and theres body weight, tolerance and all of that too look into, into deciding if you were drunk or not...BUT heres a thing to think about, IF you werent drunk (and the machine registered you that you were) then you errored in judgement knowing that there is a possibility you can get caught. IF you were drunk and didnt think correctly, well then you were caught correctly. In either ease the onus is in YOU, regardless if your drunk or not, you drank and drove. Theres always a possibliity that you can get caught doing that, and it may or may not register on the machine as being over or not, but in anycase thats a risk you take. Its just like when people run BOV's in vent to atmosphere, you can get an emissions ticket. Will you? Not likely, BUT the possibility is there that you could, you take that risk. Catch my drift?

[McGuyver_3]

For the record, alcohol effects everyone differently. Just because you blew over a certain limit that doesn't mean you're "drunk". There are alcoholics who walk around the entire day with a BAC over 100 and they seem completely sober. A small young teen with no alcohol experience can get drunk off one beer, but they'd blow under 50. See what I'm getting at? I'm glad you were stopped and arrested. You'll never do it again now :)

How can you be glad he was arrested? I think this is absoloutely rediculous. Yes i know drinking and driving isnt right. He stated he was at a restaurant had a few and felt fine. He was speeding so what? Had his passenger not yelled out NO WE HAD NOTHING TO DRINK, the whole situation could have ended for the better. It would have taught him a lesson to never underestimate how far a distance is to drop someone off, and that yes he can get pulled over for something stupid like speeding which could and has lead to something far worse. i am not by any means promoting drinking and driving but I am saying that a scare could easily stop you from doing that just like when you have a phobia of something and you have had a bad experience with it

[Mazda3X2]

+1 to owning up to your mistake, props to you for that. It takes a big man to do this and I don't read many posts like this where the person doesn't try to misplace the blame onto someone else.

I'm not going to preach to you here, I think you know already. Look forward and good luck with everything.

[TheMAN]

I think he shouldn't have even agreed to a breath test and to call his lawyer immediately... sure that'll put him in jail right away, etc but it would've bought him time

and if I were him, I'd smack the s*** out of his friend

[m_bisson]

How can you be glad he was arrested? I think this is absoloutely rediculous. Yes i know drinking and driving isnt right. He stated he was at a restaurant had a few and felt fine. He was speeding so what? Had his passenger not yelled out NO WE HAD NOTHING TO DRINK, the whole situation could have ended for the better. It would have taught him a lesson to never underestimate how far a distance is to drop someone off, and that yes he can get pulled over for something stupid like speeding which could and has lead to something far worse. i am not by any means promoting drinking and driving but I am saying that a scare could easily stop you from doing that just like when you have a phobia of something and you have had a bad experience with it

It's not just a driving offence, it's a Criminal Code offence. He will carry a criminal record with him. That's different than getting a speeding ticket. Look at another "minor" crime: theft. If someone stole from your store you'd want them arrested and held responsible for their crime, right? Same thing applies here. When someone drives drunk anyone else on that road could be the victim. The fact that the cop caught him means he was doing his job.
You can follow almost any car out there and find a reason to pull it over within 2-3 km. The reason cops pull people over isn't just to give out tickets; pulling people over basically gives them an excuse to check IDs and make sure the people in the car are not committing any crimes. Drugs dealers, for example, are not going to walk 50 minutes to sell some drugs when they can drive there in 5. Everyone drives, including the bad guys.

[Trinidad]

Sorry to hear about your situation. But as stated it takes a lot of courage to own up to your mistake. I am sure you did not mean any harm and that you're fully aware of the dangers of drinking and driving. But even with bad things in life, I believe everything happens for a reason (although we may not like or understand it). Just wanted to wish you the best of luck in the coming months with court etc.

[McGuyver_3]

It's not just a driving offence, it's a Criminal Code offence. He will carry a criminal record with him. That's different than getting a speeding ticket. Look at another "minor" crime: theft. If someone stole from your store you'd want them arrested and held responsible for their crime, right? Same thing applies here. When someone drives drunk anyone else on that road could be the victim. The fact that the cop caught him means he was doing his job.
You can follow almost any car out there and find a reason to pull it over within 2-3 km. The reason cops pull people over isn't just to give out tickets; pulling people over basically gives them an excuse to check IDs and make sure the people in the car are not committing any crimes. Drugs dealers, for example, are not going to walk 50 minutes to sell some drugs when they can drive there in 5. Everyone drives, including the bad guys.

i know it will be a criminal offence but put yourself in his shoes now. Say he goes job hunting and everything looks A+, then the employer sees a criminal charge, all of a sudden this whole A+ persona turns in to hmmmm this wont look good. If the employer is nice enough to consider to ask what the charge is and the OP explains his case, it could go in a good way or a bad way. But normally employers see the conviction (which we have no idea if he is yet or not. Innocent until proven guilty) and turn them away because of it. OP states he was "just above" the legal limit. Being at a restaurant he would have most likely eaten which would have absorbed quite a bit of alchohal and he seemed up for the task of driving. i dont beleive OP posted how much or what he drank but thats all a factor aswell.
As for if someone stole from me sure I would want them to be held responsible but that case is different, because i have the right to either charge the offender or to let them off. Also comes down to what they stole. If they steal a chocolate bar, then I see no need to charge them for that lets be reasonable. If they stole my car Yeah more then likely i would charge the person

[Burner]

I think he shouldn't have even agreed to a breath test and to call his lawyer immediately... sure that'll put him in jail right away, etc but it would've bought him time

and if I were him, I'd smack the s*** out of his friend

Actually the best way to avoid an impaired charge/conviction is to immediately step out of the car, crack open a bottle of liquor, and start chugging.

Breath test refusal is on par with an impaired charge.

[m_bisson]

i know it will be a criminal offence but put yourself in his shoes now. Say he goes job hunting and everything looks A+, then the employer sees a criminal charge, all of a sudden this whole A+ persona turns in to hmmmm this wont look good. If the employer is nice enough to consider to ask what the charge is and the OP explains his case, it could go in a good way or a bad way. But normally employers see the conviction (which we have no idea if he is yet or not. Innocent until proven guilty) and turn them away because of it. OP states he was "just above" the legal limit. Being at a restaurant he would have most likely eaten which would have absorbed quite a bit of alchohal and he seemed up for the task of driving. i dont beleive OP posted how much or what he drank but thats all a factor aswell.
As for if someone stole from me sure I would want them to be held responsible but that case is different, because i have the right to either charge the offender or to let them off. Also comes down to what they stole. If they steal a chocolate bar, then I see no need to charge them for that lets be reasonable. If they stole my car Yeah more then likely i would charge the person

So it's okay that he broke a law that protects innocent people from bodily harm and/or death, but if someone stole your car (a crime against property, no danger to any lives) you'd want THAT person charged?

[hatthi]

I'm all for drinking and driving laws. But I think the amount of influence that the whole MADD organization has on the govt has gone overboard. They're just like PETA now.

[m_a_t_r_i_x]

charged it to experience, that's life ....sometimes we learn things the hard way and it could have been worst........
arranged for carpool with your buddies at university, thats an option for you....
one more thing, come renewal time of your car insurance, its gonna be ugly.

[McGuyver_3]

So it's okay that he broke a law that protects innocent people from bodily harm and/or death, but if someone stole your car (a crime against property, no danger to any lives) you'd want THAT person charged?


In this case and scenario he broke the law because he was feeling fine and he even stated his breath was just over the limit. Should he be charge with a crininal record? No at worst he should be considered a form of wreckless driving. The stolen car I have had my car stolen before and i didi not charge the person that did it. I look back at it now and really think i should have but whats done is done and cannot be changed. That at most is a theft charge and should not be considered a criminal charge. Even though with a stolen car bodily harm can still be caused by a high speed chase of a thief who does not want to give up

[gretzky]

i forgive you, just dont do it again :) :)

[Kappa]

i get drunk off a beer cap... this is why i dont drink... also it costs moneys lol i like mods more :)

crap happens man live learn just know that you havnt hit rock bottom yet... what if you hit someone... this you really hit it lol.. it could always be worse.. i just hope all goes well for you!

[Nextmod]

sorry to hear bro.

hope everything will be okay =)

[Nextmod]

i get drunk off a beer cap... this is why i dont drink... also it costs moneys lol i like mods more :)

crap happens man live learn just know that you havnt hit rock bottom yet... what if you hit someone... this you really hit it lol.. it could always be worse.. i just hope all goes well for you!

+1 I am the cheapest drunk ever lol

[Kappa]

+1 I am the cheapest drunk ever lol

people used to make fun of me in high school.... then they needed a drive home when i stopped drinking and became the DD... to bad im a push over :( should have made them walk beside the car home lol

[taz4432]

As others have mentioned, alcohol affects everyone differently. The BAC is even lower now than it was before (it was never 'high' to begin with, but it was within reason) and again as mentioned, that little change may have cost you.
I have tremendous respect for being able to 'man up' and admit to what you've done and to make yourself the target at the shooting range.

30 years ago it was an everyday occurrence, but there were a fraction as many cars on the road and it was a lot more 'accepted'. Nowadays there's a pedestrian on every corner at any time of day and one little slip up could've got you in a whole lot more trouble than you're already in. It's unfortunate that it happened but it's one mistake that I am willing to put a lot of money on that you will never, ever even consider making again.

For the record, I am against drinking and driving (as it seems we all are). I have an extremely high tolerance and am a 'tank' yet I try avoid driving even after having 1 drink unless I have to or unless there's been at least an hour or two in between. I can have 15 drinks and you'd never know the difference - I'd need a lot more than that for it to affect me but would I ever even consider getting in a car after consuming that much? Hell no.
I will admit, though, that it's something I did once. I was 16 at the time, it was late May '06 and I had my G1. It was my aunt's wedding that night and I had probably had about a dozen drinks over the course of 8 hours. All of those were within the first 6 of those 8 or so hours and going by the 'drink an hour' rate I wasn't terribly far off, especially given my extremely high tolerance.
Fast forward to the end of the night, my dad throws me the keys to the van and tells me to go get it from the parking lot. I end up driving myself and my family home that night. The route home wasn't too, too far and it was mainly straight (and at that time) country roads and it was probably around 2:30 am so traffic wasn't really an issue. Did I feel fine? Other than sore feet from dancing, yup. Was I actually fine? More than likely. Was it a stupid thing to do? I didn't really think about it at the time but pretty much every moment after that night I regretted it - fine or not. If something had happened that night...well...it's not something I like to think about.

That little story is one of the main reasons I try to avoid driving after drinking (anything, even 1 measly drink) at all. Besides, it's just plain stupid.
It's also one of the main reasons I usually designate myself as the DD. (Forget about the fact that I don't particularly enjoy nor have the money to waste on alcohol, particularly the amount necessary to get a 'buzz' and it's a boatload of extra calories that I'll just have to work off over the next week). The last thing I want to get is a call saying that my friends just got into an accident because they decide to let one of them drive home impaired.

Edit: I thought I might add - I don't think I've ever stayed so perfectly between the lines or maintained a speed with as little variance as I did that night. I don't think I've ever been more cautious driving than I was that night (I was alert enough to realize that I needed to pay extra attention just in case.)

[bman13]

Most of the time after you drink, you are still very capable to drive, just make sure you drive like a turtle (under speed limit) to avoid pull over for any stupid reasons, once you get pull over and you did drink. You are SOL.


Driving under the speed limit is something the cops take notice of as well unfortunately. If you touch either line in the road more than once, speeding, etc etc. It sucks about what happened but I'm happy he is owning up to it. That's very responsible, contrary to what happened which may not have been. And yes, BAC is calculated differently in all people so it's hard to accurately assess the situation from one person to another. All I can say is good luck my dear, you'll get through it. :)


sorry to hear bro.

hope everything will be okay =)

Your story is realllllllllllllllllllllllly shitty. I feel real bad for ya honestly....anytime I have driven after consumption, I have ALWAYS driven a hair below or just about the speed limit. If your in a situation where you dont get to eat a lot then you do eat plus drink, you MUSTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT have something that is very starchy/sodium rich. I tell people Corn chips. If your at a restaurant like one of the typical Boston Pizza, Caseys, etc............Order Nachos and eat nothing else...that or something hearty like a big bowl of pasta...

REALLY shittttttttttty what happened to ya man. Hope everything works out for ya.

[6strings]

you'll bounce back. don't worry.

[Default User]

You drank...you drove...you're a ****ing idiot.
Sorry man..but IMHO, the only reason this post even started is because you got caught.
I also doubt that you honestly thought that you weren't drunk if you blew over twice.

Most people think that they can handle their booze and drive. Bunch of Macho BS!
Be a man and own up to it. Don't play with other peoples lives just so you can save face.

I know it sounds harsh, but people will never learn until something bad happens.
And when that happens - all they can do is say "Sorry" and think everything's gonna be alright.

[fu5ion]

two of my best friends were killed in highschool by a drunk driver, he claimed that he didnt feel drunk..... gonna bite my tongue on this one....

just ****ing selfish.

[Lummix]

Actually the best way to avoid an impaired charge/conviction is to immediately step out of the car, crack open a bottle of liquor, and start chugging.

An acquaintance of mine actually pulled this stunt and got away with it. He was in an accident after he had a few drinks. After making sure everyone involved was OK and calling the cops, knowing he was over the legal limit, he proceeded to down 6 beers as fast as possible. When the cops arrived, he claimed that the accident had shook him up, and being an alcoholic he needed a couple of drinks to calm his nerves. Because they couldn't prove where he had actually consumed enough alcohol to put him over the limit, he was able to get away without an impaired charge. I believe he ended up with a fail to yield charge and something else.

The same acquaintance, (notice how i don't refer to him as a friend?) also got away from an impaired charge a few years later. After blowing just over on a roadside stop, he was taken to a station for his second test. The cops made the mistake of waiting too long between tests and allowing him to contact his lawyer right away. His lawyer realizing that the timing was off and that he had only blown slightly over, kept him on the phone long enough to ensure that he would have been well under the limit by the time they were able to complete the second test. This allowed them to claim the first test may have been askew and essentially allowed him to get off by the skin of his teeth.

[Burner]

An acquaintance of mine actually pulled this stunt and got away with it. He was in an accident after he had a few drinks. After making sure everyone involved was OK and calling the cops, knowing he was over the legal limit, he proceeded to down 6 beers as fast as possible. When the cops arrived, he claimed that the accident had shook him up, and being an alcoholic he needed a couple of drinks to calm his nerves. Because they couldn't prove where he had actually consumed enough alcohol to put him over the limit, he was able to get away without an impaired charge. I believe he ended up with a fail to yield charge and something else.

The same acquaintance, (notice how i don't refer to him as a friend?) also got away from an impaired charge a few years later. After blowing just over on a roadside stop, he was taken to a station for his second test. The cops made the mistake of waiting too long between tests and allowing him to contact his lawyer right away. His lawyer realizing that the timing was off and that he had only blown slightly over, kept him on the phone long enough to ensure that he would have been well under the limit by the time they were able to complete the second test. This allowed them to claim the first test may have been askew and essentially allowed him to get off by the skin of his teeth.

Yep.

I'd just like to say that I'm hesitant getting behind the wheel even after one beer. However I've seen career drunk drivers get away with this over and over again. When these new warning range laws came into place in Ontario, I contemplated keeping a mickey in the glove compartment just in case.

I wont throw a leg over my bike if I've had anything at all to drink though...

[Impressive]

I appreaciate the support and shared knowledge everyone! I feel almost "naked" without having a car to drive, but it's rightfully deserved...the thought of not driving is almost forcing me to buy a calender so i can start X'ing off days.

@ Default User
Obviously this post was started because I was caught...It's not something I'd brag about and I'm not a frequent abuser of D&D anyways. Just being able to admit my failure here on the forums has been a tremedous moral boost for me. I don't view myself as a bad person & doing this has really openned my eyes to how dangerous it can be. I obviously don't view myself as the type of person who'd be really drunk one night and speed through a red killing someone, but then again, does anyone? This event has really openned my eyes to not only the severity of the crime, but the label that comes with it on an indivdual. A lot of my friend know I really take pride in my car and I'm going to feel embarrassed the first time somebody brings up my car while I'm catching up with them. Regardless, it's been a much-needed learning experience and I think we can agree that the best thing for me to do would be to never do it again, which I can assure I won't be doing.

My first court appearence will be April 23rd so it gives me a bit of time to prepare for it. I've never been to this style of court before so I'll take it day by day but I think I'll be able to represent myself and do just fine. The criminal record isn't a big worry for me, to be honest. The hardest part is really just not having a vehcile that I can access anytime (or Photo ID at the moment :( )

[DruidB]

How would that have helped? Like I said, I was seemingly convinced I was fine.

In some cases depending on how long it had been since your last drink you can blow over the limit and still not have a blood alcohol level above the limit.... for example if you gargle mouthwash and get a breathalyzer 15 minutes later you will blow over(tested and confirmed personally at school) yet your blood alcohol levell is actually 0 at that point.

A blood test is more accurate. Your actual blood alcohol level might have been just under the limit.

[TheMAN]

anyone can say they can handle their booze all they want in this thread, but I find it funny that the cop just stuffed him in the back seat of the cruiser without even doing any sort of road side tests (like walking down a straight line, counting backwards, etc)... to me, this is where the OP slipped up... agreeing to a breath test and basically falling right into their trap... the only reasonable suspicion was based on circumstances that the cop saw (his stupid friend blurting out stuff... now remember that chris rock vid "how not to get your ass kicked by the police"? one of the things in it was to tell your friend to STFU)... I'm not saying what he's done was right, I'm just saying that there was no due process for him and that his rights were violated

one thing is for sure though... don't even bother going to court by yourself... with something as serious as this, you'll sound like a complete fool and get yourself in deep shit without a lawyer... get a lawyer fast and hope for the best!

[blackm3]

heres is what you did wrong.

1) you drank and drove( everyone has there opinion)
2)you were speeding ( this is were things start to get really dangerous, other than starting the car)
3)i personally don't like having stupid friends in my car( i don't know your friend, but that could of been intentional on his part, given you can't really blame him because no one held a gun to your head)

[ericssonfan]

Sorry to hear what happened to you. It's very good that you've admitted your mistake as that opens the window to correct past mistakes and bad habits. Everybody gets caught up in bad things once in a while and without acceptance and forgiveness from loved ones and friends, nobody would be able to change. One thing that really bothers me about D&D are all the ppl under the impression that they are still ok to drive when they are clearly not. The difference between arriving alive and not may come down to something like reaction just a few seconds too slow at a red light or a stop sign..

Good luck with everything in court. Hopefully you can convince the judge you are a decent person with ambitious goals with a relatively clean record and just made a bad judgement call.

[FONZ]

You drank, you drove, you're an idiot. Being straight up here, you learn from your mistakes granted, but also to the point if you lost friends to drinking and driving, why the hell would you do it? If you have blown over the limit on the breathalyzer, whether its .01 over the limit or 100 over, its still over the limit and you got caught. Could it have been an error on the machine, possibly so, BUT the onus is still on you to be on the side of safety NOT on the side of risk, which from what it looks like you were.

Hate me for being blunt, but I hope you seriously realize that its never worth it. I say this because I also know a person lost to a drunk driver, so it kinda hits home. Go out, drink, have fun just make sure you plan your route home (public transportation, friends that are DD's, or hell call up your family...I am sure they would all appreciate you in 1 piece).


I see where ur coming from.


to Dan - sorry to hear man, hopefully we will see you out in future meets.

[FONZ]

You drank...you drove...you're a ****ing idiot.
Sorry man..but IMHO, the only reason this post even started is because you got caught.
I also doubt that you honestly thought that you weren't drunk if you blew over twice.

Most people think that they can handle their booze and drive. Bunch of Macho BS!
Be a man and own up to it. Don't play with other peoples lives just so you can save face.

I know it sounds harsh, but people will never learn until something bad happens.
And when that happens - all they can do is say "Sorry" and think everything's gonna be alright.


You're a plug. Did you not read his first post?

[Dan Da Man]

Did they tell you your readings?

[07m3gt]

That sucks man sorry to hear. u had some bad luck really bad but at least everyone is okay including da Mazda.
Hopefully u beat up in court

[Default User]

You're a plug. Did you not read his first post?

Which part, FONZ?
The part where he had a few drinks and started driving about 15-20km/hr over the speed limit. Or the part where he failed both tests so bad that they kept him over night?
I'm not a judge or jury...but I still think it's F'd up that people still think it's okay to have a few drinks and still drive. After all the horror stories, media ads, laws, etc, people still don't try to understand that it's a deadly game their playing with Other Peoples lives

I'm sorry man, if anyone feels I'm being harsh. But in all honesty, people don't stop until they get caught. Just lucky as hell nobody got hurt.

I'm glad that you're remorseful, and that you probably learned your lesson. But it's still a ****ed up move, that couldve been lethal.

[FONZ]

Which part, FONZ?
The part where he had a few drinks and started driving about 15-20km/hr over the speed limit. Or the part where he failed both tests so bad that they kept him over night?
I'm not a judge or jury...but I still think it's F'd up that people still think it's okay to have a few drinks and still drive. After all the horror stories, media ads, laws, etc, people still don't try to understand that it's a deadly game their playing with Other Peoples lives



I'm sorry man, if anyone feels I'm being harsh. But in all honesty, people don't stop until they get caught. Just lucky as hell nobody got hurt.

I'm glad that you're remorseful, and that you probably learned your lesson. But it's still a ****ed up move, that couldve been lethal.


wow, he drove over 15-20km, big deal. We all go over the speed limit do we not?

I have to agree with what he said, if he knew he was incapable of driving, he wouldn't of driven the person home at all.

I understand that yeah, he drank, but he didn't cost no one losing their life. He wasn't driving like an idiot.

Wrong place at the wrong time.

[bman13]

wow, he drove over 15-20km, big deal. We all go over the speed limit do we not?

I have to agree with what he said, if he knew he was incapable of driving, he wouldn't of driven the person home at all.

I understand that yeah, he drank, but he didn't cost no one losing their life. He wasn't driving like an idiot.

Wrong place at the wrong time.

Just pure shitty luck.

OP, what did you eat at the restaurant? just curious.

[Dave_The_BMXER]

Guys, it's not shitty luck it's great luck that he didn't kill anyone.

Drinking and driving is serious business.

[FONZ]

Guys, it's not shitty luck it's great luck that he didn't kill anyone.

Drinking and driving is serious business.

as mentioned before. I'm pretty sure he would know if he's capable of driving a vehicle or not.


Like I understand what you guys are saying, but there's no need for it.


Look at some of the meets that we have on here, other members have a couple of drinks, and they drive home do they not? They're putting themselves at danger as well to society.

There are members who drive 130km + on the high way, Are they not putting themselves at danger as well?


People don't talk about these things, but god for bid, once a member owns up to his mistake, everyone likes to ripp on him.


Face it, if you're driving a vehicle, you can end up killing someone, whether it be wreckless, DUI , being high behind the wheel. etc etc.

[Dan Da Man]

The problem FONZ is he didnt... hence the IMPAIRED driving... You think your capable but your not, because your thinking is IMPAIRED.

Driving is a privilege not a right, obviously when you drive your car there's a chance you can kill someone.. but when you drive your car impaired.. there's a much greater chance.

[Dave_The_BMXER]

I'm not ripping on the OP, or not trying to anyway I am just saying he is lucky that getting a DUI charge and speeding is all that happened.

He manned up admitted he was wrong but that does not change the fact he was still wrong.

He will live to learn from his mistakes and we should all be happy about that.

[McGuyver_3]

as mentioned before. I'm pretty sure he would know if he's capable of driving a vehicle or not.


Like I understand what you guys are saying, but there's no need for it.


Look at some of the meets that we have on here, other members have a couple of drinks, and they drive home do they not? They're putting themselves at danger as well to society.

There are members who drive 130km + on the high way, Are they not putting themselves at danger as well?


People don't talk about these things, but god for bid, once a member owns up to his mistake, everyone likes to ripp on him.


Face it, if you're driving a vehicle, you can end up killing someone, whether it be wreckless, DUI , being high behind the wheel. etc etc.

Thank you someone understands what I am trying to come thorugh with here


The problem FONZ is he didnt... hence the IMPAIRED driving... You think your capable but your not, because your thinking is IMPAIRED.

Driving is a privilege not a right, obviously when you drive your car there's a chance you can kill someone.. but when you drive your car impaired.. there's a much greater chance.

He was impaired BUT he was "JUST" over the limit. That doesnt mean he was making impaired decisions. Had this law not changed and lowered the legal limit he would have passed the test to normal standards. So explain to me how this would have been an impaired decisions? the law was simply changed to get some monkeys off the governments back plain and simple yeah its harsh but deal with it

[Dan Da Man]

How do you know that? what were his results?

[McGuyver_3]

quoted from OP's first post

"At the station I ended up blowing slightly over on both of the readings"

[bman13]

I dont get why everyone is railing on the OP........he OWNED UP and is admitting his fault/mistake and is sharing it with everyone. A lot of people would probably say it was all the drunk in the back's fault and not his.

GL OP.

[Thrizzl3]

this thread should be locked...

[TheMAN]

Guys, it's not shitty luck it's great luck that he didn't kill anyone.

Drinking and driving is serious business.

http://lamelas.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/internetseriousbusiness.jpg

[TheMAN]

How do you know that? what were his results?

exactly, no one knows... it seems that the cops failed to do any sort of impairment test other than a breath test... which isn't the end of all be thing!

[m3zoomzoom]

the most important thing is no one got hurt and you learned your lesson before anything bad happened...

that being said i think the current laws are way too strict... a few years ago when the legal limit was 0.08 i got pulled over at a ride check and told the officer i had one beer about 30 mins ago (which was the truth) for which they immediately asked me to do a breathalyzer test... I was more than confident i'd be fine and wasn't scared or nervous (infact i was annoyed at all the people staring at me as if i was a criminal) what happened next just shocked me.... my breathalyzer reading was 0.10.. just ONE beer put me at 0.10... fortunately they just let me go - I'm assuming because I seemed 100% sober AND it was very slightly over and by the time I got to the station I would've probably blown under the limit

i'm also assuming that you blew well over 0.08 and not between the 0.05 and 0.08 (new laws)... because u can only get arrested and kept there for that long and be worried about criminal charges if u blew 0.08 or above.. and ur first reading must have been WELL over or else by the last reading your bac would have been below the legal limit if you were REALLY just SLIGHTLY over

i think it's great that you've owned up to this and realize your mistakes but do yourself a favor and GET A LAWYER... you're not gonna win this on your own

[kevcol74]

OP, kudos to you for owning up and admitting the mistake. And good on the cop for pulling your ass off the road. I don't give a rats ass if you blew just under or just over. I don't care if people react different to alcohol. You drank, don't drive. Its simple. How many people that killed other people, got into accidents and what not that "thought they were fine". Once you drink, its no longer up to you to decide, you forfeited that judgement when you started to drink. There is no reason for it, you can take a bus, cab, or have a DD there. I was the DD for YEARS for friends. I could care less if they were drunk and obnoxious, I wasn't, and I was driving! OP, you should be thanking the cop for stopping you, not telling your story out here looking for reassurance it wasn't all that bad. It was. But thanks for owning up to it!

And for the others that are defending the situation and calling it a cash grab, grow up.

[S.F.W.]

ok, everyone has put their .02 in, and now lock time.