"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

I have not been done for drink-driving today, but I have to admit I wondered if I might have been. Down the bottom of the A6 this morning, they were pulling cars over at random into a lay-by (at 8 in the morning) and breathalysing drivers.

I'm led to believe that even 4 pints the night before can lead to you being done - and criminalised - the morning after. I'd had at least that many last night (it was our local village pub's Xmas quiz). But I didn't feel "over the limit", or "pissed", this morning. Well, no more than usual. The police here go mad for this around Christmas - and they'll be out en masse on Saturday morning, too, the day after almost all of Britain's workers (myself included) have gone out for works do's tomorrow.

I'm not driving on Saturday (intentionally), but I do wonder about the police motivation behind it. I'm all for - don't get me wrong - them catching genuinely drunk drivers. My kids cross roads the same as everyone else's. But why does there always seem to be this particular push around pulling people over at Christmas, as opposed to any other weekend morning in the year, especially after say an England game on the Saturday night, when just the same number of male drivers in the land will have had a few the night before? Is it "easy target" time?

[Wyatt Earp]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

It varies a lot with weight and metabolism, I think. One standard drink, according to wikipedia, raises blood alcohol by between 0.02% and 0.05%: at one end of that range, it would take two pints to be over the limit, and at the other, less than one. Each standard drink takes about an hour to get rid of, though again this varies.

Why not get yourself a testing kit if you're concerned about it?

[WOM]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

I suspect that this is the time of the year when a) 'people who usually drink' drink more, b) 'people who don't usually drink' are coaxed/cajoled/badgered into having a few, and c) people drink at times of the days when they usually don't - such as at lunch, a mid-afternoon do, or an early-evening pre-going-home do.

I mean, even my stay-at-home folks are out at family & friend dinners, having a few drinks, at this time of year. It's purely a numbers thing, as far as D&D goes.

[WOM]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

Back when Fatbastard and I worked in a big after-work-Xmas-drinks kind of place, we had one joker who'd been cut off at his table (with at least 15 very respectable workmates). He'd also been warned away from the bar, had been poured free coffee and non-alc drinks, had been brought back in from the parking lot not once, but twice, and finally had his keys forcibly removed from him.
He eventually slipped out an emergency exit, ran crouched-down behind a row of cars, and slipped into his own using a spare key he kept in his wallet. As he started the car, the cops blocked him in busted him - handcuffs and all - on the hood, in clear view of all his associates.
I nicked his brass 'Don't Drink and Drive' keychain as a souvenir of the occasion.

[caja-dglh]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

Rogin the Armchair Fan wrote:

But why does there always seem to be this particular push around pulling people over at Christmas, as opposed to any other weekend morning in the year, especially after say an England game on the Saturday night, when just the same number of male drivers in the land will have had a few the night before? Is it "easy target" time?

Because this is the time of year that most people would consider chancing it? Not having a designated driver? Getting pissed up and driving the next day while over the limit?

And maybe the presence deters people. Like police cars hanging around with lights on at places where there are lots of accidents due to speeding.

It is almost like they are trying to make things safer.

[G-Man]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

When I editorialise on the subject of DUI, I tend to use not the term "drunk driving" but "drink driving". I was asked about my lack of command of the English language because of that. I had to point out that being above the legal limit does not mean your drunk. And that driving in that state is not very safe either.

I'm a hypocrite though. There are times when I'm sure I'm over the limit, yet do drive (though never when I'm drunk). I try not to, but it happens.

[DCI Harry Batt]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

At what point does one become "drunk" then? At what point is one too drunk to drive?

[Aldo Simoncini]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

I'd say being hungover and/or feeling like shit the day after, are at least as much of a hindrance to your driving, as to what amount of alcohol thats left in your system.

[Janik]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

The cops were apparently waiting outside my workplace this evening, doing random tests. Though they had gone by the time I left at ~18:30.

A Thursday evening seems a very odd time to choose, though. Tomorrow might make some sense, Christmas Eve certainly would (each year champagne and mince pies are laid on). But today? One of the groups does have it's Christmas Party tonight, but they only started at 7ish, and it wasn't on site.

TonTon, 80mg/litre of blood, isn't it? And yes, I know that isn't really the question you were asking...

[Cavalry Trouser Tips]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

According to the drink-drive special on ITV last night, the UK limit is 35mg of alcohol per 100mg of breath.

Did anyone else watch it? Apart from lots about the tragic Luke McCormick incident (including footage of the moment he learns in the police station that he has killed at least one child) they did a few experiments.

First up, the guy presenting it drove round a track and had these eye-movement detection cameras monitoring his movements. He had up to five vodka and cokes and each time his movements got more and more erratic. After the fifth one he said he didn't feel up to driving, yet he still (just) passed a breathalyser test.

They also had a roomful of idiots, who happily admit to driving home after drinking. One woman drunk eight Malibu and cokes and registered 4mg/100mg on the breathalyser. Another guy had six pints of beer and still only registered 15mg/100mg. A young girl had 2 glasses of wine and a Malibu and coke and registered 65mg/100mg. The variation in the results was incredible.

At the end, they blindfolded them all and took them outside where they showed them the exact car a still-pissed McCormick nudged off the M6, down an embankment and into a tree, killing two young lads. The only thing Mr six pints Land Rover (ironic - this is what McCormick was driving) driver could say was: "I go up and down the M1 all the time, I've seen worse accidents than that".

[Wyatt Earp]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

G.Man wants a hyphen wrote:

There are times when I'm sure I'm over the limit, yet do drive ...

I'm honestly properly shocked by that. Stop doing that. This isn't one of those "Which of us has never..." jobs. A lot of us have never.

[DCI Harry Batt]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

I have, many years ago, a few times. When I was a prick. I have no excuse, and the memory is upsetting to me even now.

What WE said. Just don't, FFS.

[Hofzinser]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

Thirded. I also did it once, years ago, felt incredibly guilty about it the next day and haven't, and wouldn't, come close to doing so again. Incredibly irresponsible thing to do.

[Guest]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

I cycled home drunk once, late at night. Got to within a few hundred yards of my house, then suddenly veered left and crashed into a parked SUV, fell off the bicycle, and was almost run over by an oncoming car. That was the first and last time I ever tried that.

There is nothing more depressing than walking past a pub and seeing a car park full of vehicles. The cops should be lying in wait outside those places, bag in hand.

[Bill Poster]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

I drove to work a few years ago the night after a very, very alcoholic work do. I didn't really think about still being over the limit until just after I had already set out on my journey and thought "I shouldn't be driving". I nearly knocked a colleague out with my breath when I got to work.

It's wrong. I resolved never to be in that position again. Either I don't drink too much "on a school night" cf last night or I take the following day off.

[Er Liquidatore]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

The one time I did it I wrote off my car and could have killed myself. So yeah, I echo what the others have said above.

Doesn't stop my 'I don't get drunk' dad driving around after drinking the same night, because he can handle his drink and not like everyone else.

[Cavalry Trouser Tips]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

The moment you find out you have killed someone because you were drink-driving.

[G-Man]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

I'm honestly properly shocked by that. Stop doing that. This isn't one of those "Which of us has never..." jobs. A lot of us have never.

To clarify, I did not say I drive drunk. That I most certainly do not do. What I said is that sometimes I might be over the limit. At that point you are not necessarily drunk (I think that's the question Ton Ton was posing, and which merits further discussion). And if you read the preceding paragraph, you'd have known that I most certainly wasn't going for the "Which of us.." line. I was saying that one should not drink and drive at all.

I'd really like it if you read my posts a bit more carefully and responded less condescendingly, Wyatt.

[Wyatt Earp]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

Whatever. Stop, is the point.

[G-Man]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

Sorry, Wyatt, I edited my post. Still, your answer would probably remain the same (especially that shitty "whatever"). Which is good advice, of course, but quite unnecessary, because -- as my post made clear -- I know that.

[ad hoc]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

In Romania the limit is zero. At first this pissed me off a little, because I feel like after one drink I can drive and not be a problem. Now I like it. It's clear and definite and absolute. No more of this sitting in the pub making calculations whether i could have another one. I either drink or I drive. No messing about. It's much better.

[mafu]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

WE, were you wandering around borough market this afternoon?

[DCI Harry Batt]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

G-man - you aren't seriously saying "I drive fine after a couple of drinks", are you?

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

Well I'm certainly walking to Asda tomorrow morning. I'm completely plastered! I'm off to OTFFootball now to make some completely unfounded and false assertions that Sir Alex Ferguson is having an affair with Ryan Giggs. But I won't be getting in my car tomorrow.

[Cavalry Trouser Tips]

"You've had two pints, you're over the limit!"

Good lad Rogin.