# So what happens if I can't say my alphabet backwards? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 2, 2003, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happens-if-i-cant-say-my-alphabet-backwards/199046 "2003-09-02T01:30:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ElectroSunDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@ElectroSunDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElectroSunDog)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happens-if-i-cant-say-my-alphabet-backwards/199046/21 "2003-09-02T12:19:29Z")
Does it help if you say it in French? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happens-if-i-cant-say-my-alphabet-backwards/199046/22 "2003-09-02T12:35:05Z")
That’s so sad, hlanelee. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happens-if-i-cant-say-my-alphabet-backwards/199046/23 "2003-09-02T13:22:49Z")
I avoid saying things backwards, for I just might be forced to return to the fifth dimension. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happens-if-i-cant-say-my-alphabet-backwards/199046/24 "2003-09-02T14:20:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by aaslatten \* > Not really. Of course it varies from state to state, but in Texas, this is pretty much what every lawyer who’s ever proferred an opinion to me has said. Without the tests, they don’t have the evidence to make a case, apparently. > \*\* In New Jersey and (probably New York and Connecticut), they don’t need the test to build a case against you. Permission to take the test is implied as soon as you get behind the wheel of the car. Refusing the test is 6-month suspended license and possibly fines as well. Essentially the same punishment for DUI. AFAIK, only the breathalyzer or blood or urine samples are used. I have never heard of any of the “walk a straight line” or “say the Chinese alphabet backwards” tests being used (which of course does not mean they are or aren’t). IANAL but I would think you would have a better chance in court defending against the inherant inaccuracies of such field tests then to take the default punishment for refusing to take them. You can’t beat the system by refusing the tests otherwise no one would ever get a DUI. For reference: > [@](#): > > New Jersey Municipal Statutes > 39:4-50.2. Consent to taking of samples of breath; record of test; independent test; prohibition of use of force; informing accused > (a) **Any person who operates a motor vehicle on any public road, street or highway or quasi-public area in this State shall be deemed to have given his consent to the taking of samples of his breath for the purpose of making chemical tests to determine the content of alcohol in his blood** ; provided, however, that the taking of samples is made in accordance with the provisions of this act and at the request of a police officer who has reasonable grounds to believe that such person has been operating a motor vehicle in violation of the provisions of R.S. 39:4-50. > 39:4-50.4a. Revocation for refusal to submit to breath test; penalties > … > > … > 2. a. Except as provided in subsection b. of this section, **the municipal court shall revoke the right to operate a motor vehicle of any operator who, after being arrested for a violation of R.S.39:4-50, shall refuse to submit to a test provided for in section 2 of P.L.1966, c.142 (C.39:4-50.2) when requested to do so, for six months unless the refusal was in connection with a second offense under this section, in which case the revocation period shall be for two years or unless the refusal was in connection with a third or subsequent offense under this section in which case the revocation shall be for ten years**. A conviction or administrative determination of a violation of a law of a substantially similar nature in another jurisdiction, regardless of whether that jurisdiction is a signatory to the Interstate Driver License Compact pursuant to P.L.1966, c.73 (C.39:5D-1 et seq.), shall constitute a prior conviction under this section. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happens-if-i-cant-say-my-alphabet-backwards/199046/25 "2003-09-03T04:55:48Z")
Hey, they use the same test we use in the ICU to see if a patient is brain-injured… count backwards from 100 by 7’s. You think you can’t say the alphabet backwards… ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happens-if-i-cant-say-my-alphabet-backwards/199046/26 "2003-09-03T09:38:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hoboonmoto \* > > 1. IF YOU ARE UNDER THE INFLUENCE, EVEN QUESTIONABLY \*\* DO NOT TAKE THE TEST\*\*, at least not the ones open to interpitation. the breathalizer is ALL if you know you are cool. What the hell does “interpitation” mean? ---
**Author:** ![Tomcat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Tomcat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tomcat)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happens-if-i-cant-say-my-alphabet-backwards/199046/27 "2003-09-03T10:10:46Z")
When I was a pilot learning the phonetic alphabet I practiced saying it backwards…Zulu, Yankee, X-ray…I can still do it on the fly with no errors 12 years later. -Tcat ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happens-if-i-cant-say-my-alphabet-backwards/199046/28 "2003-09-03T10:20:03Z")
**sailor** , we’re not all as smart as you. What’s up with you harping on spelling lately, of all things? 😉 I think **David Simmons** has it right; the officers already have a damn good idea that you’re drunk. The alphabet test is just to see how bad you are. It’s not a question of whether you can say the alphabet backwards, it’s a question of how badly you’re going to mess up. They don’t ask you, I would think, if you appear to be sotally tober. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happens-if-i-cant-say-my-alphabet-backwards/199046/29 "2003-09-03T10:47:35Z")
In first grade we learned the alphabet backwards as well as forward even to this day I can recite it backwards just as fast. ZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA “singing” twenty-six letters…little keys soon we learn are ABCs. A very geeky skill. ---
**Author:** ![Badge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Badge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badge)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happens-if-i-cant-say-my-alphabet-backwards/199046/30 "2003-09-03T11:16:00Z")
Speaking with 17 years experience as a cop, here. The **Standard Field Sobriety Tests** (the ones that have been most studied and analyzed) are the Walk and Turn test (walking a straight line), the One Leg Stand test, and the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test (looking for tell-tale movements of the eyeballs). With these three tests (especially the Gaze Nystagmus), I can estimate a driver’s BAC level within a couple of hundredths. While the first two tests do include balance, one of the main things we are looking for is the ability to pay attention and follow instructions. The alphabet test is one of a few others that are also used, but aren’t preferred. The test is **not** to recite the alphabet backwards - just recite it normally without singing. The purpose of this test is to listen for slurring (particularly on l,m,n,o,p,q) and for skipping letters. Giving this test can often be entertaining - you would be amazed at how badly some people do on this, but they honestly don’t realize it. **hoboonmoto** is right, you do not have to submit to the field sobriety tests (at least not in my state, and I don’t believe you do anywhere else). Refusing the breath test is another matter. In Washington, you can refuse the breath test, but your license will be suspended for one or two years, depending on your record. The penalties if you are convicted are more harsh if you refused the test, and the refusal can be used against you in court (and every juror I’ve talked to considered refusing to be pretty much an admission of guilt). I strongly advise anyone in the situation to talk to an attorney before deciding. Here, attorneys always advise people to not answer any questions but to submit to the breath test. One last thing: The easiest way to avoid all this is just don’t drink and drive! When will people learn this?? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happens-if-i-cant-say-my-alphabet-backwards/199046/31 "2003-09-03T11:44:01Z")
Okay, so you you have the right to consult an attorney before you submit to a breath analysis test? That seems like either (1) your BAC would still be rising by time you took the test giving a bad measurement of the time you were driving, or (2) time for the alcohol to wear off a bit. ---
**Author:** ![sunfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@sunfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunfish)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happens-if-i-cant-say-my-alphabet-backwards/199046/32 "2003-09-03T13:47:03Z")
Just FYI, from a [NYS guide to DWI laws:](http://www.nysdmv.com/broch/c39.htm) > [@](#): > > WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ME IF I AM STOPPED BY THE POLICE? > > If you are stopped by a police officer who believes you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, **you may be required to take a “field sobriety test” which may include a breath-screening test for the presence of alcohol. If you are arrested, you will be asked to take a “chemical test” for BAC.** You may also be fingerprinted. Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) is a crime. If you are convicted, you will face a substantial fine, a mandatory license revocation, higher insurance premiums, and a possible jail sentence. > WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I REFUSE TO TAKE THE CHEMICAL TEST? > > If you refuse a chemical test for BAC (Blood Alcohol Content), your license will be suspended at arraignment in court, and revoked for at least six months (second offense, one year) at a Department of Motor Vehicles hearing. You will also be subject to a civil penalty of $300 (second offense, $750). A driver under 21 years old who refuses to take a chemical test under the Zero Tolerance Law is subject to a 1-year license revocation and a $300 civil penalty. The penalties and fines for refusing to submit to a chemical test are separate from, and in addition to, the penalties and fines for alcohol or drug-related convictions. Bolding mine. In the defensive driving course I took here recently, the instructor said that refusal to take the field test would likely result in arrest, after which the above rules regarding the chemical test would apply. He also said that NYS troopers now have nifty flashlights with alcohol sniffers (like the bomb chemical sniffers used at airports) built into the light end of the flashlight; while the trooper shines the light in your face, they can look at a gauge at their end and get a sense of your degree of intoxication. Personally, I would not want to run the risk of seeing this new technology in action. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happens-if-i-cant-say-my-alphabet-backwards/199046/33 "2003-09-03T15:20:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > **sailor** , we’re not all as smart as you. That _has_ to be true unless I happen to be the dumbest person on the planet which is unlikely. > [@](#): > > What’s up with you harping on spelling lately, of all things? 😉 Spelling is one thing and I usually do not _harp_ on what are obviously typos or mispellings but this is egregious. Would you take advice from someone who thought “interpitation” is a real word? I have difficulty “interpitating” such language. Maybe I am just not a good “interpitater”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happens-if-i-cant-say-my-alphabet-backwards/199046/34 "2003-09-03T15:26:00Z")
I would gladly take advice from someone who couldn’t spell “interpretation,” so long as said advice derived from hands-on experience and not learned fact. An auto mechanic who can’t spell “carburetor” is no less the mechanic for his supposed failing; his knowledge of what the carburator is, what it does, and where it is located is more important. ---
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happens-if-i-cant-say-my-alphabet-backwards/199046/35 "2003-09-04T02:25:39Z")
I remember reading the story of a man telling of his drunk driving event. He had been pulled over, and the cop had him do a couple of the tests, which he flunked. The other cop behind him said, “Aw Sarge, this guy’s all right, give him another chance.” So Sarge said, “OK, sir, can you find your butt with both hands?” So he grabbed his two butt cheeks, and felt a Click as the cop behind him snapped the cuffs on. I like this so much it’s probably an urban legend ---
**Author:** ![DreamWorks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DreamWorks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreamWorks)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happens-if-i-cant-say-my-alphabet-backwards/199046/36 "2003-09-04T03:27:34Z")
Okay, as a cop let me weigh in. Refuse, refuse, refuse the tests. Yes you will have your license suspended and lots of other scary stuff, but you can get out of jail time depending on how you react. Also, a lot of boneheads will refuse the breath and agility tests, which are both recorded. However they will be singing or fall out of their chair or some other drunken antics which the judge sees and knows you are drunk, test or no. We don’t use speaking tests. In the NYPD we use breath and motor skills, and we always do it back at the station in front of a camera, never in the field. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happens-if-i-cant-say-my-alphabet-backwards/199046.md?page=1)