New Year's Reminder

[Stonewall]

I would guess all the weirdos will and do come out for holidays.  Watch out for the drunks everyone!  And don't be one of them.  Designate a driver!

Don't be stupid!!!!!

You never ever think it's going to be you, but the more times you don't get busted the more likely the next time you will.  Make sense?  I didn't think so.  But you catch my drift.

Christmas Eve night I got 3 DUIs.  One, a 19 y/o coming from the ON BASE bar.  He swore up and down he was not drunk and was more than willing to take the Field Sobriety Exercise for me.  Immediately during the HGN (horizontal gaze nystagmus) I knew he was toast.  When attempting to do the "walk and turn" he fell on the ground so I ended the test so he wouldn't hurt himself.  He agreed to take the breath test and blew a .18.

Here is what I witnessed:

A car without a tag light speeding (unknown rate of speed) past where he needed to turn.  Does an illegal u-turn and then flies down a neighborhood street at 35 MPH in a posted 15 MPH zone.  While pulling out to pursuit, he swerves to miss trashcans that were ON SOMEONE's DRIVEWAY.  My lights on, he continues to speed, not using his blinker and blows through a stop sign until I sounded my siren, only after taking 2 turns.  I tried not to use my siren as it was 2330 in a residential neighborhood.

During the search of his vehicle I found a half-full glass of beer.  The other half was all over the passenger's pants.  She was a female spouse of a sailor who was out to sea.  She was 27, driver was 19.  No relation.

This is what alcohol can do to you.  That's not including the 2 other DUIs I got.  It was Christmas Eve, I was being very lenient and didn't plan to stroke tickets, just give warnings.  But when you're stupid and could possibly kill someone.  I have to do what I have to do.

DON'T DO IT!!!! 

Best thing to do is get dropped off at the party or bar so you have to take a taxi home.  And don't let your drunk friend drive so he gets in trouble instead of you.  Who cares about jail, tickets, fines, court or losing your license.  It's the whole death and/or guilt thing that kills you.  In fact, last Friday, less than a mile from my house, a woman was drunk and hit an Excursion killing her passenger.  Well Merry friggin Christmas.  How's that conscience of yours doing?

[Cobra1597]

One of my tricks:

Make sure you can sleep where ever you are going if you think you may get to drunk, if you can help it. I'm going to a sci-fi/new years party that starts on the 30th and will end on either the 1st or the 2nd (during the day, not immediately after the bell drops on the 1st). I'll be sleeping there the whole time. Snacks and everything are all there, movies are all there, no reason whatsoever to need to drive somewhere. Hell, I'll probably even turn over my keys or something. I'm not going to need to worry about me driving, or my driver being sober. No driving, period.

Thank you Stonewall for the work you do to try to keep the drunks off the road. It isn't enough for most of us to drive sober, sadly, as a drunk can ruin it for us even if we are being careful/trying to avoid them.

[JCJ]

Excellent post Stonewall

For my day job I am a surgeon.  I am on call new year's eve.  If you drink and drive and make it past Stonewall or one of his associates, you (or someone you've hurt) may have to see me or one of my associates.  I can promise you it's not worth it.

Great idea to celebrate where you can spend the night.  Or have a designated driver.  The price to not do so is just too high - for you, your family & those around you.

[SJFedor]

Nashville and some other cities are doing a "Tow to Go" program.

http://nashville.about.com/b/2007/12/10/tow-to-go.htm

Saw it on the news a few weeks ago, and they were talking about it at work. Really good idea.

[smj58501]

^^ Cool idea. Some enterprising individuals and/or towing companies may even be able to make a few bucks in cities where this is not offered.

Quote from my Officer Basic Course Small Group Instructor too many years ago- "Gentlemen, don't drink and drive... you may hit a bump and spill"

[star1151]

Who cares about jail, tickets, fines, court or losing your license.  It's the whole death and/or guilt thing that kills you.

I care, personally.  Doesn't matter what causes someone to not drink and drive, just the fact that SOMETHING does is enough.  If someone's has the reason of not wanting to go to jail keep him from drinking and driving, who am I to call him selfish?

[CadetProgramGuy]

Here is my New Year's reminder for you all.....

don't forget to write 2008...........

[flyerthom]

Nashville and some other cities are doing a "Tow to Go" program.

http://nashville.about.com/b/2007/12/10/tow-to-go.htm

Saw it on the news a few weeks ago, and they were talking about it at work. Really good idea.

Vegas has an outfit that sends two folks out to get you, they drive you home in your own car and the other guy then gets that person to the next call. All for about the same or less than cab fare.

[drcomm]

In the Tulsa area,  AAA provides a program called "Tipsy Tow".  If you have had too much to drink you call them and they will tow your car and take you home free of charge.  This has been a popular program over the last few years.

[ColonelJack]

I won't have to worry.  I'm staying home and having a glass of wine at midnight, then hitting the sack.

Happy New Year to you all!!!!!

Jack

[W3ZR]

Department confidentiality rules prohibit me from saying much,
but I would NOT want to be working our DUI Processing
center this evening here if you get my drift !