Drinking / Driving

[Wayne Goodwin]

Does Law Enforcement Go Far Enough To Cut Down On Drinking & Driving In Your State ?

[Lifesighs]

Yes, the law is fierce here it's a real deterrent because they have checkpoints at least twice a week all around the county, it is posted that there will be a checkpoint but not where. If a person is caught driving while impaired the fine plus the increased insurance price, getting the car out of impound is typically over 10 thousand dollars. It is very common here to have designated drivers or renting a limo for wine tasting tours.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say they won't even drink a beer when they are going to be driving even if the driving will be a few hours later.

[Snagg]

Apparently not - I've been the designated driver in my crowd for the last 30 years...

[frenchy]

well thats debatable .. i'm sure some places use it like a revenue tap .. you need more money setup a roadblock and pick everybody up .. when you have enough money turn off the tap till you need money again .. its like its a big business for the cities, towns, and counties .. don't misunderstand me here tho i do think they should stop the drunks from drivin no question about that .. but sometimes they set up them checkpoints like a fisherman fishin for tuna and if they get a few dolphins in the net ?? so what .. i'm talkin about the guy who drinks a beer or two every 6 months or somethin and he just barely blows the limit .. sometimes i think they abuse them checkpoints .. on the other hand the dude who blows in the terrible 2's sometimes gets another chance .. if i was a judge ( and i'm not ) the first thing i'd wanna know would be so .. what did this shithead blow ?? cause if he's way high you gotta know this is not an isolated incident .. its just the incident where he got caught .. of course i'd ask the guy if somebody just died and if he was commin from a wake .. or did his wife just leave him ?? was there some kinda thing that was goin on in his life at that time to spur him to get that drunk ?? of course if there wasn't then i'd throw the book at his ass .. if there was i'd recommend councilin and have the fine rely on how his councilin was doin .. and for the really drunk guy who had no particular reason i'd make councilin mandatory before he even got close to drivin again.. after he did his time and had his license lifted for quite awhile .. and if the councilor said he was a stone cold alcoholic i'd make AA or some sort of help progam mandatory before he ever drove again .. the county probably wouldn't make as much money cause you don't get to charge the same guy 4 times for dui .. but you keep them drunks off the road .. and thats the important thing .. you wanna drink ?? call a cab or stay home .. but you don't want them drunks on the road playin dui roulette every nite cause if you're a rummy you ain't gonna quit drinkin or drivin .    

[Wayne Goodwin]

Charlotte had a Check Point last Saturday  night and Got 11 for drunk driving . More than that driving without License ...

[P.A.]

I think that around here they have gone too far. If you walk past a bar you are probably considered over the limit. If you have had one beer and a sober person rearends you it is an alcohol related accident on your record. And the dumbest law here is that if you are drunk and asleep in your parked car you can be charged with DUI. I guess they would rather you drive home so you might hit somebody and they could charge you with a more serious crime.

[ProblemAgain]

this just happened near houston...and now they are going after the person who served her in the bar for a felony and prison time...

Nicole Nadra Baukus was sentenced to 38 years in state prison Friday for the vehicular deaths of Nicole Adams and Travis Saunders, and the injuries to David Porras.

The nine-woman, three-man jury deliberated a little more than two hours before assessing 15 years on each count of intoxicated manslaughter, and eight years for intoxicated assault.

After meeting with the jurors, 435th state District Court Judge Michael Seiler announced the prison terms would be served consecutively, rather than concurrently. By “stacking” the sentences, Baukus will be required to serve 34 years before she can become eligible for parole, Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Warren Diepraam said.Drunken wrong-way driver sentenced to 38 years in prisonDrunken wrong-way driver sentenced to 38 years in prisonDrunken wrong-way driver sentenced to 38 years in prisonDrunken wrong-way driver sentenced to 38 years in prison

Baukus, 24, of Spring, pleaded guilty to two counts of intoxication manslaughter and one count of intoxication assault Thursday, after three days of testimony in her trial for driving her Ford F-150 pickup truck the wrong way on Interstate 45.

Baukus’ truck collided with a Chevy Aveo driven by 19-year-old Nicole Adams, at 3 a.m. June 29, 2012. Adams and passenger Travis Ryan Saunders, 18, died at the scene, while David Porras, 23, of The Woodlands, survived the crash with multiple surgeries.

[frenchy]

thats a good point luvy .. i don't think they're doin enough about textin and drivin .. yet .. but i think they're gonna start .. lets see the democrats and republicans disagree on this one .. 

[Wayne Goodwin]

Do any of ya think more women are drinking today than the past times ?

[frenchy]

thats a good question wayne .. i'd say probably more now .. i think with all this womens lib and equality of the sexes comes all the other vices too .. women don't stay home like good little girls waitin for the phone to ring or to go on a date with a guy like they did in the 50's and 60's .. they get out and mingle more be it an art gallery or a wine tastin or a book club or whatever .. but along with all this freedom comes the trappins of that freedom and some women fall prey to the same things that men do .. alcohol and tobacco bein high up on that list .. i'm not sure if women drink as much as men do yet but the line is gettin closer all the time .. plus women are different than men in that most of them probably wouldn't go to a bar on a saturday afternoon and just slam em down all day .. women are more of what i'd call a closet drinker .. some of em know they have a problem with it but will try to hide it .. and others don't think they have a problem with it but don't feel like doin it out in public cause for some drinkin still ain't all that ladylike .. and not everyone who drinks becomes an alcoholic .. but if you think you might be drinkin too much ?? thats a good place to start reevaluatin your own drinkin .. male or female 

[Lifesighs]

It would be hard to know if more are, it seems the last year of high school and the early college years 90% of the students are drinking and hitting the bars, we did it when we were that age.

Most everyone stopped as they got serious about life and started families, booze was never a big budget item for me or my friends. When divorces started and I was single again we were weekend drinkers.

Now I seldom ever drink at home, if out socializing I have one drink usually at the most two.

When I was working there were a few women who seemed to over indulge and were secret drinkers but I think that was alcoholism.

[Merry]

Honestly, no idea. I did help the town have a taxi. Ollie drove on all kinds of painkillers when he had cancer and I called the cops and told them once that he was driving over curbs and over the median lines in the road and please take away his license cause he was being very stubborn about staying behind the wheel. He did turn the driving over to me after I blew up about it. But it was FOOKIN scary and I HATE being in a car with someone who's drinking and driving. Or buzzed and driving.

[Merry]

Just to clarify, he was a walking pharmacy. My darling had more drugs in his system than Cod's got liver pills. Oxy codone/ hydro codone/ fentanyl / clonezepam/morphine. Fine but his driving was truly impaired.