USVI-On-Line

Most of you know that we had a family member get a DUI this year. Trust me that you never want this to happen to anyone. Even though it got reduced to a DWAI, it is an amazing eye opening experience and extremely expensive and time consuming, which is probably a good thing.

Did you know that most DUI's occur during the lunch hour? Amazing, isn't it?

Well, we are looking to purchase a breathalizer. Our State is one of the more strick ones and 2 large full glasses of wine can put you over the limit. Over the limit here as of 6/1 is mandatory jail time of more that one day.

Has anyone purchased one? There are tons of them out there and we want one that is the most calibrated and accurate. If I or hubby blow over,we're calling a cab. We actually have talked to several couples here who practice this.

Thanks for your feedback.


No more chances being taken here.

I use one at work, and can take a look at your choices, if you need a second opinion. The calibrating gas is pretty expensive. We only calibrate monthly.

Did you know that most DUI's occur during the lunch hour? Amazing, isn't it?

I didn't know that.

I don't know where to get on but I think it is a great idea. Please report back after you get it.

xoxo

I like the ole standby; if you drink don't drive! Safe for everyone.

Dave,
That is living in a perfect world. You are on the road with drunks and texters everyday.

There has to be a way to help this situation. How many of you drink and drive home and think that you're okay to do so? Trust me, I really don't want to know, but just think about it.

It's a hidden secret. I did a poll in our HR office and found out that 40% of folks in our 12 person office had a DUI at some point in their life. Pretty amazing. It's more common than you would ever think....and you're on the road with them.

Since no one talks about it, if they have had a DUI, they don't share the information that would scare the sh__t out of anyone to ever make that mistake in their life. It's a hidden topic...an embarrassment. And a DUI or DWAI remains on your record for the REST OF YOUR LIFE! Even when you're 90 and pulled over...it's there.

Maybe it needs to be a more open topic. Why hide it?

Got questions? I'd be happy to share our personal experience. In our case it was our oldest daughter, a brighter college graduate that made a wrong decision on one night coming home from a work party at a local bowling alley. Anyone had an office party and had a few too many?

Think about that this holiday season.

I think these devices could be useful for some--people might not realize that they have had a bit too much and this could be a wakeup call. Especially college aged kids--they just don't always know how impaired they are. There are drinks marketed to that age group that are just terrible--alcohol-caffiene mixes that do a terrible number on a young person.

That said, I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for folks who drive under the influence. Many years ago John and I were slammed from behind by a drunk person who threw beer cans out the window as he drove away. Our car was totalled, he turned out to be the nephew of the Chief of Police for the town next to ours, and he had four previous DUIs on his record. We were told to take a hike and because we were young and inexperienced we did. If that same accident happened to us now, we'd never let it go--we'd go after him with everything we could.

This has been a topic in BC this past year. Our drinking & driving laws have been tightened up. Blowing .05 puts you over the legal limit. Everyone got real scared when it went to .05 (from .08). It changed people's drinking habits so much that the restaurants were up in arms as people were too afraid to have a glass of wine with dinner and it really hit their bottom line (along with the 12% HST tax implemented on July 1, 2010). It used to be if you blew .08 you got a fine. Now, at .05 you get an automatic driving suspension, impoundment of your car and a fine.

Well because the restauranteurs are up in arms, the Gov't which brought in the .05 limit have now actually come out and said that it's okay to have a glass (or 2) of wine with dinner and drive! Can you believe that? They said they didn't want the public to think they couldn't enjoy a glass of wine with dinner and the whole thing has been blown out of proportion.

Of course the police have come out and said that we should not trust breathalyzers we can buy on line as we don't know how they are calibrated.

I agree, texters scare the bajeezus out of me. I'm certain they're far more dangerous and prolific than drinking drivers in this day and age (at least up here in BC).

I nearly got pinched last year around the holidays. I blew juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust under the limit and was mostly horrified by the experience.

As a result, even when it pains me to be not drinking while in the company of my parents, I make sure to make up for it when I get home...not before I leave.

Texters, people on the phone, drunks, whatever... drivers are scary these days. Driving down here is like playing Calvinball. You never know what the rules are.

While you have little to no control over the other drivers on the road who may be drunk, texting, upset, or any number of other things going on that may affect their driving, I agree with Dave on this one.

The one driver that you do have control over is yourself. If you really want to be as safe as you can be, don't drink and drive.

I nearly had a DUI the night before my college graduation (17 years ago) and like Pip, was horrified by the experience. Never in a million years did I think I was anywhere close to the legal limit but in reality, I was one point away from being over the limit.

The right-or-wrongness of using such a device or driving after a drink or two aside - I would never rely on one of those to make the call.

A person could down a couple drinks in quick succession, blow under the limit, get in the car and drive down the road before the full punch of the alcohol hits their system.

For example, a 0.05 leaving the party can turn into a 0.10 a couple miles down the road.

How do I know such information? I spent a summer serving on 5 juries, all of which were DUI cases. Four of the five were defended by "real" attorneys with all sorts of interesting expert witnesses.

Try getting into Canada with an over 25 year old DUI. My husband was recently denied entry while traveling to Victoria on business. Several people were pulled out of the gate, with very old offenses. It was ridiculous. It is costing thousands of dollars to basically get forgiveness from the Canadian govt. Right now his passport is flagged and it is like a felony...as if he he robbed a bank. He HAS to go to Canada on a regular basis and it is a huge disruption.

If you don't believe this is true, Google it. He has been to Toronto without incident countless times, then he goes to Victoria and this happens.

So in my opinion, not worth it. If you need a breathalyzer, it means you should just save the last drink for home, and when you get home, have another drink!

Very good points. Our States limit is .05. If you blow over that, you're doomed.

Djmom, I hear'ya. Customs and Immigration is super, super strict on this side of the country. Even immigration applications are more likely to get bounced in BC than they are in Ontario which is why businesses send their overseas employees to Ontario to be processed instead of processing them in BC where their chances of being denied are greater.

However, the 25-yr-old convictions work both ways. Just try to get into the US with a pot possession charge that is 20-30 years old. Impossible. But I digress... I absolutely agree with Augie's last sentence.

PA Girl wrote:A person could down a couple drinks in quick succession, blow under the limit, get in the car and drive down the road before the full punch of the alcohol hits their system.

For example, a 0.05 leaving the party can turn into a 0.10 a couple miles down the road.

Not quite funny aspect of my story...when I got stopped, I did the whole routine and was told I was under the limit. They didn't let me go. they made me go sit for 20 minutes in my car. the whole time I was thinking...am I on the way up or the way down right now?

I was on the way down as it turned out, but it was a lesson learned "almost" the hard way.

This was a DWI checkpoint...the guy in the lane next to me got arrested. Of course, when the cop stopped him, he was actually drinking from a can of beer...at a DWI checkpoint.

pipanale wrote:

PA Girl wrote:A person could down a couple drinks in quick succession, blow under the limit, get in the car and drive down the road before the full punch of the alcohol hits their system.

For example, a 0.05 leaving the party can turn into a 0.10 a couple miles down the road.

Not quite funny aspect of my story...when I got stopped, I did the whole routine and was told I was under the limit. They didn't let me go. they made me go sit for 20 minutes in my car. the whole time I was thinking...am I on the way up or the way down right now?

I was on the way down as it turned out, but it was a lesson learned "almost" the hard way.

This was a DWI checkpoint...the guy in the lane next to me got arrested. Of course, when the cop stopped him, he was actually drinking from a can of beer...at a DWI checkpoint.

What you describe is just like one of the trials I served on. The defendent was stopped blocks from his house and the attorney argued that he would have been home "under the limit" had the state cops not detained him for 30 minutes.

Concerning the can of beer, a typical entry in the local paper's police blotter - Suspect was stopped at a sobriety checkpoint. Suspect was cited with 1.) driving under a suspended license 2) open container of alcohol in the car 3) driving without insurance 4) possession of a controlled substance 5) driving under the influence.

Makes GREAT Friday night happy hour reading.

My cousin is a retired state trooper. He said there is no limit to human stupidity.