Masters of the Universe: have you even drink-drived?

[sufcintheprem]

The thing that really grabs me about the drink-driving condemnation is the proportion of people who have broken the speed limit. You're legally permitted to go a certain speed on certain roads as a safety precaution in teh same way you are not legally permitted to drink and drive.

The most telling part of this was when someone posed the question, "How would you feel if a drunk driver killed a love one?" Well, the same argument stands for speeding - how would you feel if a speeding driver killed a loved one? They don't just make those stats up for the benefits of road safety adverts you know.

I suppose he without sin should cast the first stone.

As for myself, I don't drive (in spite of many lessons, I am untested) but I hope I'm not as quick as others to judge people who commit certain misdemeanours. I've been in cars with people the night after a heavy night fully aware that the previous night would impair their judgement but I've never felt in any danger in this situation.

 

[chaco27saf]

I'll admit to having driven a bit drunk also, I might have been under the legal limit, and as is usually the case when drinking I felt I had a good excuse, but I felt like a complete idiot the next morning. Luckily I didn't hurt anyone or get caught, and I've definitely learned my lesson and won't make that moronic decision again.

When it comes to the morning after a night of drinking most people probably don't realize how much they can be affected. There was an incident a few years back where a man was driving over a mountain pass at about noon and collided with another car head on, killing the people in the other car. Despite not drinking since the night before his BAC was .2%, with the legal limit being .08% in Colorado.

Out of curiosity what is the BAC limit in England?

 

[Mr. Benedict]

Out of curiosity what is the BAC limit in England?

80mg in 100ml I believe, which equates to 0.08% I reckon.

 

[fatshrimp]

I've not driven whilst directly under the influence of alchohol, but when I had to drive to the station, there were many times when I couldn't remember parking my car the morning after the night before. That's quite a worrying thought.

Fortunately, I am now within walking distance of the station.

 

[Benfleet A1]

Mate of mine had a night out at the pub and drunk enough to sink a battleship. Went to the pub to pick his car up the next day fully 12 hours after his last drink and was tugged as he pulled out the carpark. Was still over the limit and copped a 18 month ban and £200 fine. Im as guilty as the rest of the confessers on here but be warned chaps, you could still be well over even in the morning.

 

[Ron Manager]

Exactly the reason why I'm in two minds about driving to Gillingham on Boxing Day. Christmas Day with my family normally involves getting ****ed (no mad drinking games of course, just the slow and steady consumption of alcohol over the whole course of the day and into the small hours) and I know I'd still be over the limit the next day.

So it's either cut down on my Christmas drinking or go to Gillingham...decisions, decisions....

 

[Southminster_Shrimper]

I shall be on the coach for the Gills game. For the sake of a little extra time travelling its just not worth the grief.

Having said that, there is a possibility I maybe oncall on Xmas Day.....no rest for the IT world.

IT.....only missing a SH on the front!

 

[* ORM *]

Maybe I'm wrong, but ORM and MK seem to both be suggesting their offences were in a day when DD wasn't really that challenged.

Not my intention - I did say in the Hughes thread that 30 years ago few thought twice about drink-driving. I'd say around 20 years ago there was nowhere near the moral outrage there is now but it was starting to get that way and anti-drink drive campaigns were everywhere and a zero-tolerance approach was in place from Mr Plod - rightly so.

Society and morals are always changing so I wouldn't condemn anyone that drunk-drove regularly in the 70s (particularly as that would include my old man who can still pack a mean punch :D )

 

[Southminster_Shrimper]

Agreed. Its very much against the society norm to DD now as it was say more than 10 years ago. Thats not to say it was right then, its more that people have turned against the thought of doing it. Its half the battle sometimes.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I don't drink drive but I will admit to cyling from Benfleet to old Leigh (along the bike track that follows the creek and emerges at two tree island) sneaking in a quick pint at the Barge Gladys and a good few at the Billet.

I have had some nasty accidents (involving ditches, stingers, cows, fences I haven't seen because it's dark etc.) but because I don't cycle on the road at any point I am only endangering myself.

 

[Uncle Leo]

I have had some nasty accidents (involving ditches, stingers, cows, fences I haven't seen because it's dark etc.) but because I don't cycle on the road at any point I am only endangering myself...

...and the cows.

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

I don't drink drive but I will admit to cyling from Benfleet to old Leigh (along the bike track that follows the creek and emerges at two tree island) sneaking in a quick pint at the Barge Gladys and a good few at the Billet.

I have had some nasty accidents (involving ditches, stingers, cows, fences I haven't seen because it's dark etc.) but because I don't cycle on the road at any point I am only endangering myself.

A few years ago, me and few mates used to cycle over to The Bull in Hockley every other Sunday evening during the summer, primarily to avoid the temptation of drink-driving but also to get ourselves a bit of exercise. The evening always ended after last orders with a mad scramble through Hockley Woods in the dark; at least half of us would forget / not have our lights and some poor soul would be nominated to navigate through the woods, to be our 'point man'. Bearing in mind we all lived in the Leigh-on-Sea / Westcliff area, it was a real adventure, passing through Hockley Woods, navigating along a very dark Gusted Hall Lane and emerging into Eastwood before crossing the A127 and then traversing through Belfairs Wood to London Road and home. Quite how we managed it without serious injury remains a mystery - especially as I have very little recollection of any of the return trips and we must have done it about two dozen times. My only clear memory remains of us trying to jump en masse (and in the darkness) over one of the bunkers of Belfairs Golf Course and a dozen of us lying in a sand-covered crumpled mass of legs, arms and metal bike parts. Monday morning at work used to be a mixture of hangover and limps.

 

[londonblue]

Been driving for 13 years and I've never driven whilst under the influence, and it's not something that I intend to do either.

I do however have 6 points for a speeding conviction which I'm not particularly proud of.

Same here, except i've been driving for 20 years. Up until June 2004 I hadn't had any points on my license at all. Then I got caught twice in a year. Once on the M11 where it slows to 50 before the Redbridge Roundabout (I was slowing, but not quick enough) and once on my way to Grimsby the following May for the match that relegated us to the play offs. I blame my brother for that, I was trying to catch him and got caught by those annoying camera's that point towards you.

If, as some people have mentioned, you're including drugs in this, then I can honestly say I haven't ever touched them (i've never even had one drag of a cigarette in my life) so there's no way I could have driven under their influence.

 

[sufcintheprem]

My only clear memory remains of us trying to jump en masse (and in the darkness) over one of the bunkers of Belfairs Golf Course and a dozen of us lying in a sand-covered crumpled mass of legs, arms and metal bike parts. Monday morning at work used to be a mixture of hangover and limps.

Haha! Maybe drink-cycling should be encouraged.

We used to lvie about a mile and a half from the Union in Loughborough and our regular trick on a Wednesday night (pound a pint night) was to cycle in. As in the story above, I have no idea how we escaped serious injury but as with another story, we kept out of the way of cars and people (surprisingly quiet at half two in the morning).

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

Once on the M11 where it slows to 50 before the Redbridge Roundabout (I was slowing, but not quick enough)

...which is the most profitable and productive speed camera in the country, I believe.

:thump:

You can just imagine the planning meeting:

"Hey chaps, I've got a great wheeze. Let's stick a speed camera at the end of a motorway."

For the uninitiated, there are some really nasty hidden speed cameras in similar motorway situations on the M8 as you come into Edinburgh... be warned!

Matt

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

For the uninitiated, there are some really nasty hidden speed cameras in similar motorway situations on the M8 as you come into Edinburgh... be warned!

Are there, where specifically?
I take it these are the new Big Brother average speed ones also used up here on the A77 going to Prestwick Airport.

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

Are there, where specifically?

Can't remember if it's the M8 or the A8, but I think it's the M8 - just after the junction with the M9 (which is the road we always come into Edinburgh on, coming from C'nauld). Once onto the M9, it becomes a 50 mph zone, you then go down a dip - and at the bottom of the dip is a GATSO style speed camera. Very nasty - and very well hidden - if I had been going any faster the first time I drove through there I wouldn't have had time to tread on the breaks in order to slow down.

:thump: