# Drunk Driving: When a drunk person sits in the driver's seat? Or, key in the ignition? Or, car turned on? Or, car put in gear to move? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 21, 2022, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-when-a-drunk-person-sits-in-the-drivers-seat-or-key-in-the-ignition-or-car-turned-on-or-car-put-in-gear-to-move/958183 "2022-01-21T17:57:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 31
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2022, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-when-a-drunk-person-sits-in-the-drivers-seat-or-key-in-the-ignition-or-car-turned-on-or-car-put-in-gear-to-move/958183/31 "2022-01-21T18:30:14Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > The thing that’s shitty and stupid is cops not using their discretion if someone is clearly intending to sleep it off in their car - something we surely want to _encourage_ at least as a last resort if we inadvertently have one too many. of course, all it takes is using your discretion wrongly once, and there’s a bad outcome and a huge hue and cry against the cop who gave them the benefit of the doubt. So some will become real rule sticklers to avoid being in that situation. Observe the hue and cry noted in the thread [Van lifer goes missing on cross country trip with fiancee](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/1371) about the cops who didn’t do more to prevent the murder. They exercised discretion. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-when-a-drunk-person-sits-in-the-drivers-seat-or-key-in-the-ignition-or-car-turned-on-or-car-put-in-gear-to-move/958183)._