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So why is it ok for them to continue to drive as long as they pay up?
Government is basically saying, what you did was wrong, so pay us, but you can still drive.
BS, like most things in life and in politics, it's about money, simple and plain, it's usually about money
It's not necessarily about money. It's about looking at each case individually.
First of all, it depends upon how drunk your friend was. If he blew .08 or .081 in the breathalyzer and this was his first offense, then that's probably why they dropped it down. With no accident, it was a costly mistake for him, and hopefully, he's learned his lesson because most people who get caught once for DUI never drink and drive again. Not only is it expensive to deal with a DUI, it could cost a person his/her job if one of the requirements is "no DUIs within x years". That might very well be why the court reduced your friend's charge.
Keep in mind that your friend's MV record will probably remain in the state's MV database forever (at least in NYS that's how it works), so his DUI arrest will be available if he gets caught again. He won't get a second chance to plead to a lesser charge. He might even face jail time depending upon the state. In some states, if you are involved in a personal injury accident while under the influence, jail time is automatic. That happened to a friend of mine.
Because the possible consequence of that risky behavior. Drunks kill a lot more people than distracted drivers.
If people are going to drink alcohol or do other forms of recreational drugs (legal or otherwise) they should not use any object that has the potential of killing someone. That not only includes vehicles, but also includes firearms, and should include knives, or any other object that has the potential of killing someone else. While under the influence of their drug of choice they are both physically and mentally impaired, and therefore a potential threat to others.
We can mitigate that threat by prohibiting them from operating a motorized vehicle while physically and mentally impaired. In Alaska it is "Misconduct Involving a Weapon" in the fourth degree if you are drunk and in possession of a firearm, for the exact same reason it is illegal to operate a motorized vehicle while intoxicated. The risk of causing someone else harm is too great.
This is what we hear .... all of these alleged deaths from drunk drivers, but it's a fraud at face value, just like so much other propagandist lies. First, the vast majority of automobile accidents occur in the mornings during rush hour ... these accidents are unlikely to be the result of alcohol, but are just typical of the lamebrains that I see all of the time doing incredibly stupid maneuvers on the road. There are simply a lot of people that are poor drivers ... poor attention spans, poor reactions, etc. If you just pay attention, you're likely to recognize that you cannot drive 10 miles without witnessing someone doing something incredibly stupid. Now, we have this epidemic of cell phone zombies trying to text message each other while driving. The morons cannot remove their noses from their cell phones for 5 minutes ... they're like crack addicts. Even in the grocery store, they'll be mindlessly walking and texting. This poses a much greater danger on the road .... so for those who think laws are the answer ... then make "stupidity" a crime, but be prepared to lock up half the population .... and I think that's a generous estimate!
But stop buying into these phony statistics ... you know the old saying ... "there are lies, damned lies, and statistics. You can be sitting at a red light, and some idiot can crash into you. If you have had a couple of beers, police will lock YOU up, mark the accident as alcohol involved, and let the idiot who hit you go on his merry way.
I don't know why so many people want to live in a world where they are at risk of getting face planted into the hoods of their cars by jackboot bounty hunters for the "crime" of having a couple glasses of wine with dinner at a resturant. And this is exactly the scenario created by thi hysteria over DUI.
Want to know some REAL numbers nobody talks about? Try 200,000 people dying annually from pharmaceutical drugs prescribed by their doctors and taken as directed! You won't see any media blitz about that!!!
Do the math ... that equates to 22 deaths, every hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. This means your doctor poses a greater threat to you ... exponentially greater than all the drunks in the world. The statistics are even worse for hospitals ... so if you are injurred in a traffic accident and require medical attention, the hospital is a greater threat to your healrh than the accident was.
How do you like them apples? Of course there will be no hysteria over this ... no "mothers against doctors" ... no calls for increasing the penalties for pharmaceutical companies pumping out poison drugs ... no penalty at all really ... as your fine and caring government has granted liability exemptions to the pushers of legal drugs that kill more Americans each year than any war has managed to kill.
Oh yes ... they really love and really care ... this is why it is now standard practice in Texas that if a police officer even suspects you've been drinking, he can arrest you, take you to jail, where they will strap you down and FORCIBLY take your blood, if you choose not to let them jab you willingly.
Oh yeah baby ... the new United Soviet States of America where you now have a right to shut up and do as you are commanded, or we'll do it any way ... like it or not. All because we love you sooooo much ... really we do. Sometimes love has to be tough.
Secondly, how do they know? How many people drive home from the bar or a restaurant every day and have a drink are, "legally" over the limit but drive home just fine? Way more then are caught by the police.
And cars are self driving now. They stop themselves automatically before Hitting children and other cars, a complete stop. GM will have a self driving auto in 2 years. So will other companies.
The times they are a changing. End stupid laws that punish people for what they might do.
Here's the link about how the average person has actually driven drunk 80 times (not a typo) before getting arrested:
Want to know some REAL numbers nobody talks about? Try 200,000 people dying annually from pharmaceutical drugs prescribed by their doctors and taken as directed! You won't see any media blitz about that!!!
Do the math ... that equates to 22 deaths, every hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. This means your doctor poses a greater threat to you ... exponentially greater than all the drunks in the world. The statistics are even worse for hospitals ... so if you are injurred in a traffic accident and require medical attention, the hospital is a greater threat to your healrh than the accident was.
How do you like them apples? Of course there will be no hysteria over this ... no "mothers against doctors" ... no calls for increasing the penalties for pharmaceutical companies pumping out poison drugs ... no penalty at all really ... as your fine and caring government has granted liability exemptions to the pushers of legal drugs that kill more Americans each year than any war has managed to kill.
Oh yes ... they really love and really care ... this is why it is now standard practice in Texas that if a police officer even suspects you've been drinking, he can arrest you, take you to jail, where they will strap you down and FORCIBLY take your blood, if you choose not to let them jab you willingly.
Oh yeah baby ... the new United Soviet States of America where you now have a right to shut up and do as you are commanded, or we'll do it any way ... like it or not. All because we love you sooooo much ... really we do. Sometimes love has to be tough.
When I served on a Grand Jury, some of the felony DUIs we got were mind-blowing. Our record was 0.347 But we had multiple cases of people who were on the third DUI, in an accident and blowing 0.2 or more. One case was a guy who nearly hit some school kids (it was reported by their teacher) and who was found passed out in his car and having urinated on himself. Another case was a guy who had driven 400 miles drinking beer all the way, drove off the road into a closed rest area, smashing through a fence on the way in, rear-ended a cop car and kept on going. They found 20 empty beer cans in his vehicle when he was finally apprehended.
Drinking and driving simply don't mix. When I go out I drink water or soda. If I want wine or beer with my meal I stay home.
Good question. I've done it. We all have . He thought he could do it, like an ass clown, and blew it. Whats sad is this happens every night, in every city, many times. And its awesome, big $$$ being brought in. Not even the $$$ issue to me, more the fact he could have killed an entire family.
Easy to think you're bulletproof until you're nailed I guess.
Nice lesson for me,I've done it. Most of us here have, right? Seeing what he's going thru, the social stigma, the fines, having to blow into that stupid thing in his car before he starts it(imagine doing that before you give your kid a ride to school, with her watching you?)Guess thats the point of this thread, maybe a few of us will think twice and not get into that DUI ****, at the least, or not kill some innocents, at the worst.Just a wake up call, complain if you want.
This post isnt about the $$$ my friend will have to spend, its about not realizing the damage you can do driving drunk.
Please, dont do it.
Full time job for me now keeping my friend convinced a DUI isnt the end of the world.
No, "we all have" NOT. I do not drink and drive and I have NEVER drove drunk or under the influence. I'm not an ahole. Driving drunk is not a joke, it's not something to pass off as, "oh, whatever, everyone does it, he didn't hurt anyone..." that's BS! Drivers put other people in jeopardy when they get behind the wheel after having drinks.
You talk about social stigma, but unfortunately, in too many places, these idiots think it's funny, or cool, or no big deal. "I didn't kill anyone, why am I being arrested? Why do I have to pay fines? I didn't hurt anyone! I was just driving home!" Morons.
There should be zero tolerance, and it should be fines, jail time, loss of license, etc. the FIRST time you get caught.
Your friend should be THANKFUL that he got pulled over before he plowed in to anyone and killed them. He thinks it's hard now? Tell him to think about what his life would be like had he injured or killed someone. First of all, he would have that on his conscious for the rest of his life, and second, he'd be in prison right now. Getting off with a fine is a slap on the wrist, as far as I'm concerned.
Good question. I've done it. We all have . He thought he could do it, like an ass clown, and blew it. Whats sad is this happens every night, in every city, many times. And its awesome, big $$$ being brought in. Not even the $$$ issue to me, more the fact he could have killed an entire family.
Easy to think you're bulletproof until you're nailed I guess.
Nice lesson for me,I've done it. Most of us here have, right? Seeing what he's going thru, the social stigma, the fines, having to blow into that stupid thing in his car before he starts it(imagine doing that before you give your kid a ride to school, with her watching you?)Guess thats the point of this thread, maybe a few of us will think twice and not get into that DUI ****, at the least, or not kill some innocents, at the worst.Just a wake up call, complain if you want.
This post isnt about the $$$ my friend will have to spend, its about not realizing the damage you can do driving drunk.
Please, dont do it.
Full time job for me now keeping my friend convinced a DUI isnt the end of the world.
Um, no, we have NOT all done it. Your friend needs to get on his knees and thank God that he didn't hurt or kill anyone. What he is going through is temporary, and necessary. And if his child asks him why he needs to blow into a breathalyzer before he can start his car, then he should say "Daddy did something really really stupid, and this is his punishment".
The $$$ is secondary, and I hope he realizes that, and learns his lesson.
I promise you if he had been a repeat offender, he would not have gotten a reduced sentence. Hopefully, he learned his lesson.
20yrisnBranson
Branson, I wish this were true. The guy down the road from me managed to rack up three in one year, and he's still out there weaving up and down the road on his way to the drug clinic -- every day.
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But we had multiple cases of people who were on the third DUI, in an accident and blowing 0.2 or more. One case was a guy who nearly hit some school kids (it was reported by their teacher) and who was found passed out in his car and having urinated on himself. Another case was a guy who had driven 400 miles drinking beer all the way, drove off the road into a closed rest area, smashing through a fence on the way in, rear-ended a cop car and kept on going. They found 20 empty beer cans in his vehicle when he was finally apprehended.
