2-star popped for DUI

[Butters]

Jesus, you guys are once again forgeting that more sober people kill people on the highway than drunk people. Also, many accidents caused buy what MADD says are drunk people (>.1) probably would have gotten in the same accident if they were sober. Sometimes shit happens on the road drunk or not. If that were not true sober pepople would never get in accidents. "Oh, but your reaction time is reduced when you are drunk!" So what, maybee he had no time to react so a reduced reaction time makes no difference.

So, I am DUI on highway. If you want to do the speed limit, get the fuck out of my way!

Edited April 30, 2010 by Butters

[discus]

I'm gonna have to agree with Snow on this one. I'm sure Rainman can remember the days when once you got to base, you were "safe". The cops at the gate would stop you and make you walk to your house/dorm. Your supervisor was called, and you got a good 'ol wood shed whooping for being stupid the next day. I'm not saying this was right, but that's the way it was.

I think anyone caught operating a motor vehicle while impaired should be hung by the balls/labia and then made to clean the tomb stones of every person who was ever killed by a drunk driver with a toothbrush. His whole point was that the random checks, road blocks, arrests for opening your trunk thing has gotten way out of hand. We as a country have given way too much latitude to law enforcement to deal with the DUI problem. It falls in the same area as listening devices and the John Birch Society era of rules. I had a friend of mine who got "busted" for getting a rain coat out of his trunk to give to his girlfriend so they could stand outside and get a cab home. He is still a 1LT after three years, and will remain a co-pilot for the foreseeable future with no chance of upgrade.

Is this right? I sure as hell don't think so. The example at the beginning of this post was from the days when the USAF took care of its own. We can't change the world and stop the cops from arresting guys sleeping in their cars, but we can take care of our own problems internally without losing good people to a "Zero Tolerance" standard that gives no room for the assinine or constitutionally questionable laws that society deems "appropriate".

[Gravedigger]

may also get some of the bat shit crazy old people off the road.

Now, I think we can all drink to that.

But walk home of course.

[Guest Snow]

Indeed Digger Indeed *Tips his freshly purchased Beer Ration 7.0% ABV Trophy* time to walk back to my API.

[SPiF]

When you are giving people DUI's for sleeping booze off in their car or getting shit out their trunk things have gone too far. I know quite a few people who got DUI's without ever starting and driving their vehicles.

2. I know here in OKC we've had people getting popped for sleeping it off in the backseat of their car. As far as the cops were concerned if you were in possession of your keys in the car (who sleeps in the back of their car and hands their keys to someone else? really?), then you were going to drive drunk. It's actually become a commander's call briefing item on base.

Don't get me wrong, if you drive drunk you deserve to get punished, and there are plenty of programs out there to help those who don't want to sleep in their cars get home (cabs, AADD, wingman system, etc.) But being retarded about enforcing the laws and passing retarded laws will only make the problem worse. I know the trend in our group has been if you get busted for a DUI then it's thanks for your service, here's the door.

[Guest Okawner]

If you want to be just adopt a response time based test that measures one ability to react and is field administrable.

Uh, maybe you've heard of this little thing called a (say it with me) "field sobriety test". I'm pretty sure it is standardized (at least among departments) and it is the first order of business for a cop that suspects DWI...unless maybe you're so obviously wasted that it is unnecessary. Great idea, though.

[Guest]

But being retarded about enforcing the laws and passing retarded laws will only make the problem worse.

Hey Snow and SPiF...speaking of retarded, try this. No offense but your posts are so difficult to read I don't know if I should agree or disagree with you.

For the crowd...

There are good reasons the cops don't want drunk people sleeping it off in their cars and everyone here knows it. You know the rules, don't do it. Problem solved.

On the other hand...

I wonder what the rules are for RVs...can you be hammered in one of those? Maybe that's the answer! Buy an RV to go out boozin' so you have a place to "sleep it off" legally. Unfortunately, it would seem that people who are sleeping it off in their cars must not be able to afford a cab...in which case they probably can't afford an RV. Nevermind.

I have never been stopped at a DUI checkpoint so it seems like a non-issue to me. Are there some places where DUI checkpoints or a major issue and/or inconvenience?

I'm hearing all this civil liberty squawk but the truth is nothing in the Constitution says we have the right to do whatever we want on public roadways. You have to comply with the laws or stay off the roads. This is super simple.

FWIW, the fourth amendment simply says you have the right against unreasonable search and the police must have probable cause. They smell booze or weed and it's field sobriety test plus pop the trunk time.

I love the anecdotal stories like the Lt getting smoked for trying to get a raincoat out of the trunk so he could catch a cab. I'm thinking there is more to the raincoat story or the Lt had a shitty lawyer.

[M2]

I invite everyone down to the DUI/DWI capital of the country, San Antonio. Drive around here late any weekend night and chances are one out of very three cars is being driven by someone under the influence. Hell, even the cops get busted driving drunk in this town, in their police cruisers (it happened a few months ago). About a year ago, a drunk driver killed several people in a car when she went the wrong way down a road, and it turned out the driver of the second car was drunk as well!

It is not uncommon to see people popped for their second, third or even forth DWI. Hell, my wife sat on a jury for a guy who was on his seventh DUI!

Honestly, it's much easier in Europe when you can walk to the pub/gasthaus and back home; but if you get caught behind the wheel with a BAC over the limit, you should spend time in jail, period.

Oh, and Rain, I believe RVs are classified as domiciles if they are not on the road, so "sleeping it off" in one is legal as long as it is not on a public road...

[Smokin]

Sounds like Lt raincoat got scared and plea bargained. There was a guy in my college who got a DUI for riding a bike around his back yard during a party that got busted. He lawyer'ed up and the charge was quickly thrown out.

One thing I dislike about our current DUI laws (and AF policy) is there seems to be little difference in the repercussions between someone who has a little stronger drink than he realizes and has a .01 BAC over the limit and someone who has been drinking all night and has a .25 BAC.

[pawnman]

Sounds like Lt raincoat got scared and plea bargained. There was a guy in my college who got a DUI for riding a bike around his back yard during a party that got busted. He lawyer'ed up and the charge was quickly thrown out.

One thing I dislike about our current DUI laws (and AF policy) is there seems to be little difference in the repercussions between someone who has a little stronger drink than he realizes and has a .01 BAC over the limit and someone who has been drinking all night and has a .25 BAC.

Are you implying that there should be a difference? Over the limit is over the limit, and if you're impaired, it's still DUI even if you're only at a .01 BAC.

[Smokin]

Yes, there should be a difference. If I punch you, it is assault. If I keep attacking you until you go into a coma, is it still just assault? Shouldn't the punishment be different?

[Butters]

Are you implying that there should be a difference? Over the limit is over the limit, and if you're impaired, it's still DUI even if you're only at a .01 BAC.

I have said it once and I will say it again. Yes, there is a difference. Sober people kill more people than drunk drivers so back off. My uncle was killed by a sober driver so I hate all of you damn sober driver out there.

[pawnman]

Yes, there should be a difference. If I punch you, it is assault. If I keep attacking you until you go into a coma, is it still just assault? Shouldn't the punishment be different?

Got it. If I steal one flatscreen from the squadron, I should get a stern talking to from the commander, but four flat screens is a dishonorable discharge.

So how over the limit do you have to be before you think someone deserves punishment? And on a related note...isn't that why the limit IS the limit?

[Smokin]

Yes, you extrapolated my example perfectly. If I apply the same logic to your argument then speeding is the same as genocide. If you stole a pen from your squadron you would expect a different punishment than if you stole a flatscreen.

I never said that .01 over should not be punished; I am saying that all DUIs are not the same. For example, when I was stationed in Europe there was a woman who got a DUI for .01 BAC. Not .01 over, .01 period. There is a difference between having a slightly slower reaction time and not realizing that you're driving on the sidewalk. Punishment should fit the crime. A woman who has two beers during a dinner and then drives home (who would be over the legal limit in most of Europe) should be looked at differently than someone who was drinking all night and can barely walk to the car.

All of this is a rather minute issue and has been a sidetrack from the initial conversation. I was just trying to point out that often the military goes overboard with all of the alcohol stuff. I realize that it is a serious crime that often kills people but the manner in which the laws and regulations are enforced is often illogical, especially in the Air Force.

[Dupe]

What if the person charged with a DUI is not some MXG or SFS airmen who quite literally is not yet mature. What if, instead, the offender is a person of such extreme rank that they have no doubt handed out or concurred with hundreds of DUI punishments over the years. Does that make it any different?

[pawnman]

What if the person charged with a DUI is not some MXG or SFS airmen who quite literally is not yet mature. What if, instead, the offender is a person of such extreme rank that they have no doubt handed out or concurred with hundreds of DUI punishments over the years. Does that make it any different?

I think it should.

I have said it once and I will say it again. Yes, there is a difference. Sober people kill more people than drunk drivers so back off. My uncle was killed by a sober driver so I hate all of you damn sober driver out there.

Got it. I'll be sure to liquor up before I hit the road. Just for your benefit. At my DUI hearing, I'll be sure to quote your statistic in my defense.

[Spoo]

Got it. If I steal one flatscreen from the squadron, I should get a stern talking to from the commander, but four flat screens is a dishonorable discharge.

Got it. I'll be sure to liquor up before I hit the road. Just for your benefit. At my DUI hearing, I'll be sure to quote your statistic in my defense.

Got it. You like to say "Got it" when you use sarcasm to express disdain for someone else's opinion.

EDIT: Why does it have to say "This post was edited by Spoo..." so everybody knows I screwed up my little jab at Pawnman the first time?

Edited May 2, 2010 by Spoo

[Guest Rubber_Side_Down]

"Got it" = "Noted"

Works great because nobody can ever prove that you're silently giving them the finger.

Side note--can you really get a DUI for getting something out of the trunk of your car (while said vehicle is not running?) Which state is that? I gotta be more careful.

[Guest Crew Report]

You can get a DUI in Oklahoma if you are drunk in your vehicle with the keys with you. They don't have to be in the ignition.

[capt4fans]

You can get a DUI in Oklahoma if you are drunk in your vehicle with the keys with you. They don't have to be in the ignition.

Only if they catch you.

[Guest]

Only if they catch you.

That's what these guys said.