Drunk Drivers - my rant for the day, week, month and probably year

[pea_soup]

So my Wife and I have had some unfortunate luck. Very unfortunate. Our suv has been hit twice in a matter of a month. Goes in this week for the repair. First time I got hit, literally got rammed in to. Screwd my back up, could barely lift my arms, etc. Oh how sweet it was.

Then our car is involved in a hit and run. Thankfully the person left us a note. We couldn't believe it.

Then last night, I'm driving home on glenmore trail and this guy turns onto glenmore going 100 km/h or higher while turning and nearly slams into me. I have to drive my car up the median to avoid it.

I start noticing the guy has not headlights on, is slowing down and speeding up to 150km/h or faster and well he's driving right smack in the middle of two lanes.

Eventually he starts driving into on coming traffic. Other cars are nearly ditching themselves to avoid being hit. He runs through a red light while leaving calgary. He then attempts not once, not twice, but three times to pass a vehicle over a solid line, going up a hill none the less.

Doing this all the mean time while having no headlights or brake lights on.

Finally got RCMP dispatch on this. Get a call at 1am in the morning saying they have arrested the suspected drivign and taken him into custody. So today I get to go give my statement and I sure hope the hell they take his driver's license away from him or something.

He nearly got in to 8 different head on collisions that I counted, nearly sideswiped myself and another vehicle as he was turning on and just about rear ended one vehicle as he was attempting to pass on a solid going up a hill.

Seriously is my vehicle cursed or do I just have crappy luck.

Just glad the prick didn't kill somebody...

[Kloubek]

Good for calling it in. I'm hesitant to call in bad drivers - but this was a pretty clear case where the cops needed to get involved.

Hope your luck improves. When I had a Toyota Sequoia, it too seemed to be a magnet for damage. Since I got rid of it a couple years back, no more close calls. Some vehicles are just cursed.

[pea_soup]

I want to put this thing up for sale the second we get it back. Just to the point now I don't feel comfortable driving in it. I'm just glad the police caught the guy.

The real irony though. You get a message from the police on the pre-recording asking if you are driving hands free and if you aren't then you are violating the law. Thankfully I have bluetooth but sheesh do they seriously expect people not to call in drunk drivers in such a situation?

[gretz]

Originally posted by pea_soup


The real irony though. You get a message from the police on the pre-recording asking if you are driving hands free and if you aren't then you are violating the law. Thankfully I have bluetooth but sheesh do they seriously expect people not to call in drunk drivers in such a situation?

I was under the impression that in case of an emergency, you can use a cell phone...as per http://www.qp.alberta.ca/574.cfm?pag...7&display=html under 115.1(3) (d)


so which is it?

[pea_soup]

The message from the Calgary Police clearly said you should be driving hands free or it is a violation on the recording they had.

[gretz]

Originally posted by pea_soup
The message from the Calgary Police clearly said you should be driving hands free or it is a violation on the recording they had.

Its sad how it is more acceptable to let the drunks do their thing > rather risking your own "safety" / getting a ticket...

On another note, was almost rear-ended in my little neighborhood... Was going to let it slide until the guy ran a stop sign into the school zone, followed by almost losing it into a parked car, and preceding to do over 100km/h in a 30 zone... called that fk'r in, plate, time, make, model, etc... > although im not sure what the RCMP do with these "tips"

[pea_soup]

Unless you specifically say it is a drunk driver, somebody street racing or stunting, I don't think they do a lot. They physically need to see that whomever is doing whatever is beyond the point of killing people.

In this case they caught the guy on the highway, which I would say is 99% luck.

[pea_soup]

The whole distracted driving law, is an absolute sham and it'll get thrown out at the first opportune moment. I can understand police being allowed to do this however the fact they've opened it up to bus drivers, taxi cab drivers and just about anybody that is a "professional" driver is crap.

I watched just a few weeks ago as this taxi cab driver was talking on his phone. He cut a guy on a motorbike off and nearly crushed the guy.

Guy on the bike kicked his car.

Cab driver gets out and starts yelling.

Proceed to watch road rage fight in the middle of the street during rush hour. I am pretty sure everybody watching was cheering the bike driver on.

Police I can see being able to use it, but the fact they open it up to people who drive for a living, is just utter BS.

Had I not called that in last night, god knows where he stops or who he possible hits in a head on collision.

[Boat]

Not to take away from the severity of the situations(or any drunk driving incident) but where does it say that any of these people were drunk?

If he managed to reach those speeds and not actually hit anyone, you sure he was slammed?

[Merritt]

Hopefully you get a better car.

[pea_soup]

Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out he was drunk. Doing speeds ranging from 50 km/h to 150 km/h+ in a 100km/h zone. Had issues just keeping the car on the "road". By road I mean both lanes. Didn't seem to realize he had no headlights on.

I think when you watch somebody drive this way for 20 straight minutes you realize it's not be accident.

Plus the RCMP officer called me asking me to come in to make a statement as he was arrested. I would say that's pretty solid.

[gretz]

Originally posted by Boat
Not to take away from the severity of the situations(or any drunk driving incident) but where does it say that any of these people were drunk?

Who cares what they were, maybe they were just really shitty drivers... Either way they shouldn't be on the road lol...

[pea_soup]

I worked for the police once upon a time and had the opportunity to take the breath tech trial course. Basically they give you shots of vodka and orange juice and you keep blowing in to the breathalyzer. You'll notice for most people the limit really isn't 1 or 2 drinks. Most don't blow over until the 3rd drink.

I think that's why I'm all for the premier wanting to lower the limit to .05. That limit is a steady 1 drink limit.

Care to guess how many people leave a flames game driving with at least 3 or more drinks in them? The entire idea scares me silly after last night.

[J-hop]

Originally posted by pea_soup
I worked for the police once upon a time and had the opportunity to take the breath tech trial course. Basically they give you shots of vodka and orange juice and you keep blowing in to the breathalyzer. You'll notice for most people the limit really isn't 1 or 2 drinks. Most don't blow over until the 3rd drink.

I think that's why I'm all for the premier wanting to lower the limit to .05. That limit is a steady 1 drink limit.

Care to guess how many people leave a flames game driving with at least 3 or more drinks in them? The entire idea scares me silly after last night.

I agree with that, hell drop it to zero tolerance, I know people my size that get giddy after one beer.

Cops I think need to be setting up check stops on major roads leaving bars, or casinos. The amount of people you see getting into cars after a night drinking is ridiculous. But I guess who am I to judge, I don't have the right to say after 6 beers that someone shouldn't drive, they "know their limit"

[clem24]

Originally posted by J-hop
I agree with that, hell drop it to zero tolerance, I know people my size that get giddy after one beer.

YES +1! Too bad it just won't fly. Cause then you'll get all the fucks who will challenge the rule as being "unconstitutional" or something.

[JRSC00LUDE]

Originally posted by J-hop


I agree with that, hell drop it to zero tolerance, I know people my size that get giddy after one beer.

Sorry but fuck that noise.

Yeah, ok. If I have a drink at lunch with a client I need a cab back to the office? I have a beer in the dressing room after a hockey game then I should have cabbed back and forth to the rink so I don't lose my license? Bullshit.

Zero tolerance is a fools response to SOME idiots behaviour. Fuck this whole nanny state mentality and the whole god damn PC pussified shithole that this sociey is being made into at the same time.

[pea_soup]

I want you to go tell that to the lady who is taking care of three kids due to the fact a drunk driver killed their mother and father.

Oh he got a whopping 3 year sin Jail.

Do you "NEED" to drink at lunch or during whatever you are doing? The answer is no. Recreation drinking is one thing but the fact is some people get somewhat intoxicated on just 1 drink.

If anything the .05 limit she is trying to impose is a good thing. I find it scary that 60% of albertans surveyed were against it.

Seriously people, give your head a shake. More people are killed each year due to drunk driving then any other sort of fatality rate involving murder.

[dexlargo]

Originally posted by pea_soup
The whole distracted driving law, is an absolute sham and it'll get thrown out at the first opportune moment. I can understand police being allowed to do this however the fact they've opened it up to bus drivers, taxi cab drivers and just about anybody that is a "professional" driver is crap.

But they haven't...

What I think you're talking about is that for a person who is required by their employer to maintain 2-way radio communication with their employer while in the course of their duties, that person is exempted, when the communication is for that purpose. They can substitute a cell phone when the radio is not working.

Most of the time taxi drivers aren't on their cell phone talking to their employer, they're talking to their buddy/wife/girlfriend/whatever, so that would not be okay under the new law. In fact, do cabs even have 2-way radios anymore? Don't they just have displays that tell them where the next fare is? Cab drivers are allowed to manipulate that thing and not contravene the law.

[msommers]

Originally posted by J-hop


I agree with that, hell drop it to zero tolerance, I know people my size that get giddy after one beer.

Then you would be responsible enough to get a cab.

All drunk drivers are, are a bunch of cheap, selfish fucks that don't want to take a cab. There is a service that drives your own fucking car home!! And it isn't enough math that favors them if they ever get caught! Think about the costs if you get convicted or even legal fees associated if you still don't. Plus risking your life and others? It's so fucking selfish and yet so many people in Alberta do it, even moreso in rural areas. Gets my blood boiling!

[JRSC00LUDE]

Originally posted by pea_soup
I want you to go tell that to the lady who is taking care of three kids due to the fact a drunk driver killed their mother and father.

You know what, if anyone felt like it they could write a list a mile long about a hundred different things and say "tell this person that about this". So what? Get a real argument.

Am I defending DRUNK drivers? No. What I am defending is REASONABLE responses and your zero-tolernance idea is anything but that. Better ban driving under the influence of painkillers, cold/flu meds, anything at all that might make you less attentive or more slow to react. Hell, better ban people that didn't get enough sleep the night before from getting behind the wheel. Baby kept you up all night? Fuck you, cab to get groceries mom because guess what? Fatigue is often more dangerous than intoxicated to a whole bunch of people.

To hell with personal responsibility and more appropriate punishment, I'll tell you what decisions are right for you just like a good mother! FUCK that.