# This guy might, I repeat might, have a drinking problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 22, 2003, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guy-might-i-repeat-might-have-a-drinking-problem/170340 "2003-04-22T16:16:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lord\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecccb3/32.png) [@Lord\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guy-might-i-repeat-might-have-a-drinking-problem/170340/1 "2003-04-22T16:16:31Z")
**[Alleged Drunken Pilot Forced Off American Plane](http://www.nbc5i.com/news/2149867/detail.html).** A pilot getting ready to fly a commercial plane that blows a .12 on a Breathalyzer at 6 **am** , just might need a little help. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guy-might-i-repeat-might-have-a-drinking-problem/170340/2 "2003-04-22T16:36:35Z")
Wonder why he’s in the custody of American and not the authorities. Blowing a .12 should constitute public intoxication. ---
**Author:** ![roadrunner70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@roadrunner70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roadrunner70)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guy-might-i-repeat-might-have-a-drinking-problem/170340/3 "2003-04-22T16:43:10Z")
> [@](#): > > …which inicated a positive reading and came up .12 percent, three times the legal limit allowed by the Federal Aviation Administration… So, blowing .04 is OK??? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Zenham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a5b964/32.png) [@Zenham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenham)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guy-might-i-repeat-might-have-a-drinking-problem/170340/4 "2003-04-22T16:51:46Z")
You can have several beers the night before, and still have a .04 the next morning, so, yeah. I’d bet he got really hammered until late, late at night. In any case, you’re right, this guy needs help. Help walking, help finding his plane, help with the seatbelt… ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecccb3/32.png) [@Lord\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guy-might-i-repeat-might-have-a-drinking-problem/170340/5 "2003-04-22T17:08:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Vanilla Toast \* > In any case, you’re right, this guy needs help. Help walking, help finding his plane, help with the seatbelt… Finding Dallas… ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guy-might-i-repeat-might-have-a-drinking-problem/170340/6 "2003-04-22T17:23:19Z")
Huh. Wouldn’t have expected WOOD-TV to be a news station. Anyways. Looks like the Cap’n pulled a bit of a party night prior to flying out. Good thing the passengers were paying attention. Even though passenger planes pretty much fly themselves these days, and there’s always a co-pilot, it’s still extremely disconcerting to think about what may have happened if the captain made an error in his intoxicated state. I’m assuming he’ll lose his job over this. Right? ---
**Author:** ![Marine\_One](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marine_one/32/3461_2.png) [@Marine\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marine_One)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guy-might-i-repeat-might-have-a-drinking-problem/170340/7 "2003-04-22T17:28:24Z")
Send him to the next White Sox, Royals game. He’ll be right at home. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guy-might-i-repeat-might-have-a-drinking-problem/170340/8 "2003-04-22T18:44:27Z")
Man, I can’t _count_ how many times I’ve woken up and looked on the tarmac, just to see if my plane is there. ---
**Author:** ![Zenham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a5b964/32.png) [@Zenham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenham)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guy-might-i-repeat-might-have-a-drinking-problem/170340/9 "2003-04-22T19:22:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NurseCarmen \* > \*\*Man, I can’t _count_ how many times I’ve woken up and looked on the tarmac, just to see if my plane is there. \*\* Hahhhhahhahhahh!!! It’s such a pain when you go home with another airline and can’t remember where you left the jet… ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guy-might-i-repeat-might-have-a-drinking-problem/170340/10 "2003-04-22T19:56:32Z")
The shocking part is this was not in Souith Florida! ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guy-might-i-repeat-might-have-a-drinking-problem/170340/11 "2003-04-22T21:40:23Z")
“You are now free to stagger randomly about the country.” ---
**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guy-might-i-repeat-might-have-a-drinking-problem/170340/12 "2003-04-23T13:33:34Z")
There was a documentary on British TV about a year ago on the subject of drunk pilots. Partying well into the night and getting up to fly a plane after a couple of hours sleep seemed to be the name of the game for some of these folk. I am damned if I can remember which channel showed the documentary. There were hidden cameras, and journalists posed as off-duty pilots. There was a flight simulator test where test subjects had to drink a certain amount of vodka and orange and then try to land. All caused a bit of a furore. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guy-might-i-repeat-might-have-a-drinking-problem/170340/13 "2003-04-23T13:36:56Z")
Years ago, before they gave pilots random breathalyzer tests, I heard a former pilot once talk about routinely flying coast to coast in a blackout. That really helped THIS nervous flyer’s confidence! :eek: