Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

The BBQ Pit
1

I just got busted for speeding. I was clocked at 49.6 in a 25 MPH zone, 4 blocks from my house. What a fucking idiot! To top off my lapse in judgement, I did so after spending some time at a bar for a softball meeting. So not only did I get the ticket for $150, I had the pleasure of having to heel-toe 9 steps back and forth, and stand on 1 leg, holding my other heel 6" off the ground. Stupid!

I passed, easily, and by my own admission I was pretty cooperative. I pulled over as soon as I saw the lights, I turned the car off, had both hands in view when the officer approached, told him when I was going to reach into my back pocket for my license, registration, and proof of insurance, and admitted to having 3-4 beers in the last 2 or so hours. That last fact was pretty hard to hide, since my breath reeked of alcohol. (Note to self—ALTOIDS!)

Damn, how could I be so stupid?!

I know I’m going to get a bunch of drinking and driving lectures, and yeah, I shouldn’t have done that. Not that it’s an excuse, but 3-4 beers in 2 hour is nothing for me. My metabolism is pretty good, and I in no way felt impaired. It was a short drive, 2-3 miles, tops, on a road I have travelled for 30+ years. I could almost drive it blindfolded. Certainly, if I had my son with me, I would not have driven. I would have turned my keys over to my wife. I suppose I should exercise that sort of caution daily, but like I said, I in no way felt impaired.

The road was clear, and I guess I just got lost in the radio. I was blasting Tool, and I tend to get heavy footed when that happens. Again, I’m not making excuses (at least I hope I’m not). I know better than this. I’m just upset at my own stupidity, and my wife is asleep, so I can’t vent to her.

Son of a bitch…WHY??? I had a few beers. I should have been more careful.

I guess I should just go to bed, and be thankful that it’s my bed and not one provided by the city or county, and deal with it in the morning. I’ll just have to swallow the punishment pill that was handed to me and wise up.

Shit.

2

Well.

My 16 year old cousin was killed by a drunk driver 14 days before Christmas last year.

I bet he thought his metabolism was pretty good too.

3

:frowning:
I am sorry. Point received, loud and clear.

4

If you were drinking you got what you needed. I’m sorry, but if I was driving (out of bad judgement), pulled over and had just had a few beers I would demand they keep me from driving.

People die from mistakes like that, just don’t make them. Pay the fines and be glad you’re not hearing about a funural.

5

Before the pile-on begins, I jsut want to say that I respect that fact that you recognize your mistake. Nexst time you;re in that situation, I bet you will excercise more caution. Consider $150 as an education expense.

Maybe you can write it off.

6

How many you had, CC? :smiley:

7

A scary lesson, but at least the cost wasn’t greater. Just keep remembering that.

8

Although you passed the field sobriety tests, and you say you weren’t impaired, you had a big lapse in judgment. At least you recognize it. Go forth and sin no more.

9

Well, that’s interesting. I applaud Casey’s recognition that this problem was self-inflicted, but what really impresses me is that Casey pitted himself.

It ain’t everybody c’n say that.

10

I don’t listen to music whilst driving because I tend to “drive to the music.” So, I’m stuck with talk radio or all news stations.

11

I don’t see the big deal with driving after 2-4 beers, especially for a larger guy. I wonder what your BAC would be after 4 beers, enough to fail a breathalizer?

12

Well Indygrrl, apparently it was high enough that Casey was driving in an unsafe manner.

Really, I don’t think it’s necessary to start splitting hairs. Driving after drinking is a really, really stupid thing to do. Period.

13

In my experience, “3-4” beers always means at least “4” if not “5”. According to this calculator 4 12 oz. 3.2% beers over 2 hours for a 250 pound man would result in BAC of .01, presumably well under the legal limit. On the other hand, if those were pint glasses and it was 5 or 6% beer then we are talking more like 0.07 BAC.

The lesson: more than one drink an hour and you shouldn’t drive. Ideally, don’t drive after drinking at all.

14

I agree with alice that DUI is a serious issue. I have been hit by a guy who couldn’t even stand up enough to submit to the field test. I’ve been a victim of stupid people before.

However, in my own defense, weak that it may be…

  1. I passed the sobriety test.
  2. I am 6’3", 220 lbs. 4 pints in 2-2.5 hours is not an unreasonable pace, or an ungodly amount of alcohol, IMO. (Elvis, while previewing this, I noticed your post. It was 4 pints of Yeungling Lager, same alcohol content as, say, Bud or Coors. And it was from 8:30-11:00 when the meeting ended, then I made small talk outside near my car for about 15-20 minutes. Then on home. BAC appx 0.01 by your calculator)
  3. The road was a road that I was on was straight, well lit, and slightly down hill. I have travelled that road for well over 30 years, so I am quite familiar with any hazards which may be on the road (dips, potholes, etc.) and around the road (child areas, schools, etc.). It is wide, and divided by a double yellow line. That’s considered a highway in some places.
  4. 25MPH is a ridiculously low speed limit for a downhill slope. 30-35MPH is more reasonable. Yes, I was still speeding even with the higher speed limit, so this may be a moot point.
  5. “Unsafe” is relative. I was in complete control of my vehicle. Both hands were on the wheel, and I was driving in a straight line (not swerving, not talking on a cell phone, not eating a burger…). At 24MPH over the speed limit, I am still more in control of my vehicle than some people are at 10MPH under.
  6. The road was clear and dry. No other traffic, no pedestrians, no pets.
    Yeah, I deserved the ticket. I don’t deny that. I had a lapse in judgement, I admit to that, and I’ve vowed to learn from it. At least to work and on an errand I ran so far today, I observed posted speed limits. Generally, I run about 10 over.

I failed to excercise due caution. I made a stupid mistake, and I realize that I was lucky that a fine was all that happened.

15

Oh for fuck’s sake. You’re directly attributing Casey’s bad judgment to his alcohol consumption. That’s an incredibly stupid conclusion. Sober folks are perfectly capable of making bad decisions.

16

Why can’t I conclude that it was the beer consumed that led to the speeding?

The OP certainly hasn’t indicated that it wasn’t, in his first post or any subsequent posts. He also hasn’t indicated that he gets a tonne of speeding tickets even when sober. In fact, the whole point of the OP seemed to me that he was speeding because he had beer.

So for fuck’s sake yourself.

17

I can’t believe cops in your country go through ridiculous “hold your left foot behind your ass while twisting counterclockwise and singing “Hey-o the Rushes-o” with a pencil clamped between your teeth” field sobriety tests. Is it just to get a laugh out of pathetic drunks falling over and pissing themselves? Sounds funny, I guess, but it’s a pretty big timewaster when you could just apply a breathalyser straight up, then test blood for BAC if the breath-test is positive.

18

Um, Casey, it sounds like you consider the safety of your own family more important than the safety of other people around you:
**

Maybe you need to re-visit your feelings on driving after drinking. If it’s not safe for your son, it’s not safe for other people that might come in contact with you either.

19

Woah, dude, that’s some complicated relationship you’ve got going there. I’d love to hear that story.

20

Actually, this comment:

implies (to me, at least) that the OP was speeding because he just plain wasn’t paying attention. And that can happen to sober drivers plenty.

And just because one doesn’t acquire a bunch of speeding tickets doesn’t mean one doesn’t regular speed. It just means one doesn’t get caught speeding.

I have only ever gotten one speeding ticket, but that doesn’t mean I’ve only exceeded the speed limit once.