Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community (https://thetfp.com/tfp/)
-   General Discussion (https://thetfp.com/tfp/general-discussion/)
-   -   Drunk Drivers - Do you report them? (https://thetfp.com/tfp/general-discussion/76654-drunk-drivers-do-you-report-them.html)

bermuDa 11-22-2004 11:41 AM

I never know who to call. I've seen some dangerous drivers out there, only a couple who i suspected were drunk, and debated whether i should call them in. 911 is reseved for emergencies, and I was scolded by the operator before for calling in when my house was burgled.

I suspect the problem is there needs to be a phone number like 911 for non-emergency situations. Of course, a drunk driver can become an emergency situation in a hurry, but I was never sure whether to call 911 or the police department... and really, who knows the phone number for the police department off the top of their head?

xda 11-22-2004 11:47 AM

Have done and would do so again. That being said, on the two occasions that I reported someone, they were in a really bad state, one guy was weaving all over the road, crossing the center line, and had already glanced off of a parked car.

The other guy I saw trying to get into his car, he spent 10 minutes trying to get the key into the ignition and then pulled off. As soon as he started the engine I rang the local police.

XDA

Gustoferson 11-22-2004 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bermuDa
I never know who to call. I've seen some dangerous drivers out there, only a couple who i suspected were drunk, and debated whether i should call them in. 911 is reseved for emergencies, and I was scolded by the operator before for calling in when my house was burgled.

I suspect the problem is there needs to be a phone number like 911 for non-emergency situations. Of course, a drunk driver can become an emergency situation in a hurry, but I was never sure whether to call 911 or the police department... and really, who knows the phone number for the police department off the top of their head?

Exactly what I was wondering about. I would worry about taking up a 911 line if its something that you just should call a regular number for. So for those who have done it, was it 911 or another police number? Do they ever get upset at you for using up a 911 line for calling something like that in?

Zeraph 11-22-2004 02:11 PM

Yes. Havn't seen one yet though.

timalkin 11-22-2004 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stompy
No, because it's pointless to call and report other drivers.

The cops never do anything about it anyway.

In my years of driving 60+ miles a day to and from work on the freeway, I've reported TONS of idiots with road rage. I bet you not a single thing was done about em.

What is a police officer supposed to do with a report of road rage? You would have to be one stupid son of a bitch to display road rage when you get pulled over. It's your word against his.

If you call in a drunk driver, at least try to make an effort to stay behind the person and give up-to-date information to the dispatcher. It makes an officer's job so much easier.

arf 11-22-2004 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avhg1
How are you going to feel when he injures or kills someone? What if it was your wife or child that he killed?

Probably very vey bad and i'll probably regret it for the rest of my life, but as I said he is a mate I couldn't bring myself to call the cops on him. We try to deter him as much as we can and he has gotten a bit better by not driving home drunk but we can't always keep and eye on his comings and goings.

MSD 11-22-2004 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gustoferson
Exactly what I was wondering about. I would worry about taking up a 911 line if its something that you just should call a regular number for. So for those who have done it, was it 911 or another police number? Do they ever get upset at you for using up a 911 line for calling something like that in?

If someone is driving while drunk, it's an emergency because they can take out another car, a pedestrian, or anything in the general vicinity of the road at any time. They won't get pissed off if you're reporting a crime.

wolfpack0102 11-22-2004 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJRousseau
I know we've all (most of us anyway) had a drink or two before getting behind the steering wheel, but I don't have much time for drunk drivers. I was driving home a 7PM on Friday when I noticed the car in front of me wasn't staying in his lane. I debated whether to call the cops and report him but it seems so drastic so instead I just followed home home to make sure he survived - which, after a few sidewalk encounters, he did.

Later I was thinking how badly I would have felt if he had hit someone when I could have stopped him.

So my question is: Do you pick up your cell phone and report drunk drivers?

no i do not phone them in unless you see some one driving VERY erracticly.

This is one subject in society that is far too over rated. People should shut up about it. Christ, people get more time in jail for a drunk driving charge then they dof ror beating the shit out of some one.

godzilla23 11-22-2004 09:17 PM

I call them in from my job - I work nights at a gas station, if they come in drunk, I call the police. The drunks usually let me call them a cab before I follow through with my verbal threat of calling the police, though. I'm nice, I park their cars in our employee lot, and leave them there. Most people are greatful.

Evil Milkman 11-22-2004 09:20 PM

Yep, I have called the cops once so far because the kids in the car were obviously sloshed.

maleficent 11-22-2004 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolfpack0102
This is one subject in society that is far too over rated. People should shut up about it. Christ, people get more time in jail for a drunk driving charge then they do for beating the shit out of some one.

They should get more time in jail for drunk driving, it's a crime that's not taken seriously enough, otherwise people wouldn't so readily do it. You think getting behind the wheel of a car, when you are in no condition to drive, and potentially kill someone else, or yourself is overrated?

The punishement for drunk drivers, especially drunk drivers who kill someone is pitifully low. Not overrated at all

freeload 11-23-2004 04:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bermuDa
... and really, who knows the phone number for the police department off the top of their head?

In Norway you can call 02800 - and get in touch with the local policedepartment. (It's not an emergency number, but suitable for most calls)

raeanna74 11-23-2004 06:32 AM

I only reported one drunk driver. That's partly because I don't carry or even own a cell phone. The one time I reported it is when I saw someone leaving a bar and he couldn't even find the driveway. He just drove over the curb and swerved onto the road in front of me and even bumped over the opposite curb. I KNEW he was totally drunk. I was almost home so I grabbed his liscense plate number and called the cops as soon as I got home. Don't know if he got nabbed or not but I never saw a report in the paper the next day of an accident the night before. I'd like to think it's cause I got a drunk off the road.

Also I have not driven while drunk ever. If hubby and I ever have anything to drink, he and I take turns and one of us is always the "designated driver". Neither one of us are crazy about the feeling that alcohol gives us so we rarely drink. Even if we go to a bar with friends often both of us will have soda or I will get an energy drink. I like the feeling an energy drink gives me much more than alcohol.

cheebsteralpha 11-23-2004 11:21 AM

I feel responsible to call, I mean, what if they got into an accident and nuked somebody I loved. I dont personally like to get totally trashed, but I have nothing against it, just so long as they dont get behind the wheel. I have a buddy who is a volunteer fireman, hes seen some real nasty accidents, some of them casued by drunk drivers (all though the worst one was a one car accident, car v. big 'ol tree)

wolfpack0102 11-23-2004 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maleficent
They should get more time in jail for drunk driving, it's a crime that's not taken seriously enough, otherwise people wouldn't so readily do it. You think getting behind the wheel of a car, when you are in no condition to drive, and potentially kill someone else, or yourself is overrated?

The punishement for drunk drivers, especially drunk drivers who kill someone is pitifully low. Not overrated at all

why should one be able to beat teh daylights out of some one and go away for 10 days and if you get caught with a DUI you get 30 days? No one injured in teh DUI at all and yet the guy that gets beat up gets a broken nose and is off work for a month.

EXPLAIN!

ibis 11-23-2004 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by animosity
People are driving while having sex.

I''d have to agree with this one, there's nothing more distracting than a good BJ on the highway. ;)

11-24-2004 02:04 PM

Even as a person who at one point in time went through being charged with a DUI i think it's really important. Mine was a bunch of nonsense (i blew less than .01 but was under 21), but it really is dangerous, and although i think it's a cop out to blame your own stupidity on booze, it really does impair your ability to reason properly and react as quickly.

Baldylocks2 11-24-2004 04:13 PM

I consider drunk driving as nothing less than attempted manslaughter, so I would definitely report the guy. I would hate to not do anything and then have him kill or main some innocent person later on.

I am all for drunk driving = automatic 2-week jail term or more (and I LOVE to drink, but it's not that hard to keep them separate).

ShaniFaye 11-24-2004 04:58 PM

I havent been in that situation....a few times before cell phones came about...but not since that I have noticed...but I definately would if I suspected it. When Dave and I go out one of us is always the DD...we take turns...

on another note about cell phones and out of state....Me and him were driving up to Ashville one weekend and we'd left after work on a Friday...we were driving on the main road (I know it well but cant remember the hwy #) and a truck had dropped a container (a HUGE container, heavy plastic not metal) in the middle of the road...I didnt see it happen but it was dark grey so I didnt see it until I was almost on it, FORTUNATELY I could swerve into the emergency lane to go around it...I dialed 911 and the operator knew which road I was on...I just narrowed down which exit I was near.

wolfpack0102 11-24-2004 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baldylocks2
I consider drunk driving as nothing less than attempted manslaughter, so I would definitely report the guy. I would hate to not do anything and then have him kill or main some innocent person later on.

I am all for drunk driving = automatic 2-week jail term or more (and I LOVE to drink, but it's not that hard to keep them separate).

so you are saying that this is worht more time behind bars then assault ?

lpj8 11-24-2004 09:53 PM

I have twice had the opportunity to inform authorities about drunk drivers. Once, I called from my cell phone and described all of the information.
Another time I was driving on a two lane road and the person in front of me was swerving all over the road. After a few miles, he slammed on his brakes to a complete stop in the middle of the road for a few seconds, and then peeled out and accelerated forward. I can't say with 100% accuracy if the driver was actually drunk, but I would have put money on it. We eventually passed two cops on the side of the road, so I pulled over, and informed the officers of the driver's behavior. Then, they both began pursuing the car, and after a few miles, the car pulled over.
I have, and always will report drunk drivers to authorities, just like I would report bad posts to moderators if I was in the position.

thingstodo 11-25-2004 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrSelfDestruct
I don't think it's right to set the limit so low that you have to wait an hour after a glass of wine with dinner before you can drive home. The almost universal .08 limit, and the more restrictive .06 limit worked fine for years, and drunk drivers would always be over that limit when caught. It's fairly obvious to me that if offenders are always over the current limit, that a more restrictive limit is not the answer. I'd hardly consider .02 drunk. At .08, I'd say you're intoxicated, but still not really drunk. I think the answer is to step up the punishment for DUI. I'm not a big fan of mandatory sentencing limits, but I think that anyone found to be drinking and driving should be punished by a 30-day license revocation and mandatory AA meetings in that time. I'm not saying that anyone who drinks and drives is an alcoholic, but it's the same idea as taking delinquent kids to visit a prison to give them a dose of reality and show them why they have to shape up.

I also have issues with field sobriety tests. I can pass a field sobriety test (did it just for fun, didn't go anywhere near a car,) after over 15 drinks. I have a high natural alcohol tolerance. I don't register on a breathylizer (once again, just for fun, didn't go near a car,) until my third or fourth drink. I don't drive for at least 6 horus after drinking, even if I've only had a few, just in case something happens.

I have to say something here. And everything I say will be based on a .01% limit sine that’s the basis for my education. .008 is only 20% less, so multiply everything I say with .8 and you will be close.

I tip the scales at 220. Based on that and the fact that I am a male and the math works out to 6 drinks in a 2 hour time period for me to be at .01%. That’s using a 4 oz. Glass of wine, a 12 oz. Regular beer or a 1.5 oz. Shot of 80 proof liquor. Dark beer, 100 proof liquor, etc. change the math. And women have a lower thresh hold due to their body fat composition.

I’ve seen the tests. A group of people learns a test track for an entire day, practicing over and over. The next day they drink until they are at .01% and then drive the track. They suck. Part of the reason is that they feel so confident but don’t understand their level of impairment. It is amazing how this works. .008% is very close to .01%, close enough that the impairment and false confidence is apparent. And yes, there are exceptions and some people can handle more, but not the majority. And remember when you get behind the wheel of an average car, you are operating a 3-ton missile that can travel in excess of 100 mph. The terrorists figured that out with planes and 9/11. We were too naive to think you could use a commercial jet as a weapon of mass destruction!

Your body processes alcohol two ways – through the lungs and through the kidneys. It does so at the relative rate of a drink per hour. It would take a few drinks to register on a Breathalyzer test because you have to get enough in your system and your system has to begin processing. Field sobriety tests are pretty lame and used only to determine if someone should be held for a legal test. These include a Breathalyzer or a blood test, your choice.

All that said, I strongly agree with you that we need to step up the consequences of drunk driving. Most states suspend your license for a short period of time, hit you with a hefty fine and send you to an educational program, a whole weekend in Michigan. That works for many. For the second offenders I say toss the book at them. They have obviously not learned or forgotten that driving is a privilege.

So you don't have to limit yourself to one drink unless the math works out. And then, well, you just have to face the facts!

rfra3645 11-25-2004 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thingstodo
I have to say something here. And everything I say will be based on a .01% limit sine that’s the basis for my education. .008 is only 20% less, so multiply everything I say with .8 and you will be close.

I tip the scales at 220. Based on that and the fact that I am a male and the math works out to 6 drinks in a 2 hour time period for me to be at .01%. That’s using a 4 oz. Glass of wine, a 12 oz. Regular beer or a 1.5 oz. Shot of 80 proof liquor. Dark beer, 100 proof liquor, etc. change the math. And women have a lower thresh hold due to their body fat composition.

I’ve seen the tests. A group of people learns a test track for an entire day, practicing over and over. The next day they drink until they are at .01% and then drive the track. They suck. Part of the reason is that they feel so confident but don’t understand their level of impairment. It is amazing how this works. .008% is very close to .01%, close enough that the impairment and false confidence is apparent. And yes, there are exceptions and some people can handle more, but not the majority. And remember when you get behind the wheel of an average car, you are operating a 3-ton missile that can travel in excess of 100 mph. The terrorists figured that out with planes and 9/11. We were too naive to think you could use a commercial jet as a weapon of mass destruction!

Your body processes alcohol two ways – through the lungs and through the kidneys. It does so at the relative rate of a drink per hour. It would take a few drinks to register on a Breathalyzer test because you have to get enough in your system and your system has to begin processing. Field sobriety tests are pretty lame and used only to determine if someone should be held for a legal test. These include a Breathalyzer or a blood test, your choice.

All that said, I strongly agree with you that we need to step up the consequences of drunk driving. Most states suspend your license for a short period of time, hit you with a hefty fine and send you to an educational program, a whole weekend in Michigan. That works for many. For the second offenders I say toss the book at them. They have obviously not learned or forgotten that driving is a privilege.

So you don't have to limit yourself to one drink unless the math works out. And then, well, you just have to face the facts!



i ceartainly dont try to judge a bac.....

but if some dumb ass cant drive or is in fornt of me and driving eraticly in front of me and therefor could hurt me if somthing did go wrong i have no problem calling 911 and saying yeah im behind a drunk driver... i usually try and follow till the law shows up...

i have called a couple times for verry young kids not being seatbelted.. or in car seats... crawling all in the backwindow haging out the windows crawling on the drivers lap..

nothing happened to the seat belt guys..

punx1325 11-25-2004 11:39 AM

I've done it twice, I probably wouldn't have ever noticed except for the fact that they tried to run me off the ROAD! I have no problem calling the cops, there is always that fear I will see a drunk driver one night, do nothing about it, and wake up to a news story of that drunk driver killing some innocent victim. The thought of me being able to help out and not doing shit about it, would really drive me insane.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 03:53 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2
© 2002-2012 Tilted Forum Project


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360