Got pulled for drink driving....

[ddiogyn]

I can sympathise completely. I've been stopped by the police on spurious grounds more times than i care recall. Once i was quite literally told off for wearing reflective clothing which the officer deemed not sufficiently reflective (i was cycling), another time for not having lights on my bike, and another time, again cycling-related, i was told off by a community support officer ("OI! You on the bike, come here!") for cycling in the wrong direction on a quiet residential one-way street. Maybe i'm just a really crap cyclist!

[grannymem]

Although I sympathise with the previous views, I am only too aware of what the police have to deal with in drink driving incidents. One of my sons is a copper and he's often the one who is first on scene - not a great place to be...

He has no patience with anyone who has been drinking and driving ( and that includes his dad after a pint!)

Having had a child run out behind a parked car on me, child in intensive care for 4 days, despite witnesses saying there was nothing I could do, I know I agonised for those 4 days and was so glad that I hadn't had a drop of anything. That incident happened to me in 1972 and I never forgot it (and wil never drink any alcohol if driving.)

Being questioned by seemingly random police checks may be irritiating but I'd sooner it happened than someone I know being injured in a drink-related driving accdent.

Sorry if I have hit the wrong note....

Love Grannymem ( aka Mary/ Mem) xxxx

[Alison]

I got pulled over once and asked if I had been drinking. I answered no, cos I hadnt. Then they asked me to step out of the car. It was this point they realised I was extremely pregnant, (one week to go!) At this point I smiled broadly and said " do I look like I have been drinking?" I told them I desperately needed a wee so they sent me on my way.

He was probably worried that you wanted to pee in his helmet as seem to remember there's some ancient law that allows that of preggers women!

[bobleponge]

I'm sure it was fairly traumatic even though you had done nothing wrong, but actually I'm all for the feds being allowed to stop and breathalyse, without need for a reason. I also believe (as was aired on a previous thread) that there should be no ambiguity in the law, drink alcohol and you're over the limit, end of.

I've been stopped many times and breathalysed often, shamefully, once, as a very young man I was over the limit and lost my license for a year, guilty as charged, no complaints from me. I lost concentration for a second and did something silly, was spotted by the feds and stopped.
I just wonder how many thousands of people still drink and drive, but because the police dont have the powers to stop for no reason they get away with it.

[lindyloo]

although i have never done anything wrong or been stopped by police, i am always in a painick when when gets in lane behind me- i often turn off at the first junction just to escape!!! zazan- i remember a few years ago my car broke down - needed a new engine, which i couldn't afford, so i bought an A reg. ford capri for £400, bright red, no rust, (except in the radiator water!) i felt like a twit driving it at first, but soon came to love it. the amount of times i pulled up at roundabouts and junctions only to have some young men revving there engines at me in challenge!!! great fun- if they had time before they passed me, they were probably very surprised to see a middleaged woman in the drivers seat, and bales of hay stuffed in the back, with the rear seat down!!! that car was a trooper- i drove it for a year without a sign of trouble, always started, etc. i gave it to my son eventually.

[lizzylemon]

Being questioned by seemingly random police checks may be irritiating but I'd sooner it happened than someone I know being injured in a drink-related driving accdent.

Sorry if I have hit the wrong note....

Love Grannymem ( aka Mary/ Mem) xxxx

Not all Granymem, I don't agree with drink driving either. I've always been of the opinion that its no drinks at all if your driving but they just don't seem to get it right round here.

For instance they pulled me because they say they are having a zero tolerance crack down on it, which is great but......

All they need to do is sit out side a particular local pub between 6pm and 9pm any evening, and they would get at least 6 people for drink driving. It's not a secret, the drivers are not even sneaky about it and one of them already put someone in hospital with serious injuries. They call in on their way home from work, sink 3 - 6 pints and then continue driving home during one of the busiest times of the day.

Not once have the police ever made their presence known let alone actually pulled one, two or all of them over

[zebedee]

Not for drink driving, but a scary event all ye same. I once worked for a transport company, and was in charge of the International Freight side. We sent a small consignment over to Le Havre with a man & van one Friday. He came back on the Monday and requested that he be transferred to UK only work! When I asked him why, it transpired that he stopped at some lights just outside Calais, and a big, black Merc stopped behind him. When they moved off, the Merc stayed right on his bumper until the next set of lights. When he stopped again, a little nervous now, the Merc suddenly veered in front of him and a man dressed in dark clothes came up to the driver's window, stuck a 9mm automatic into his face and asked for his papers, which he handed over (well, you would wouldn't you?). The man looked at them, shrugged, and walked away! Our driver felt they were probably French drugs police or something but it scared the s..., it frightened him. I can't say I blame him, 9mm's HURT!

[zazen999]

although i have never done anything wrong or been stopped by police, i am always in a painick when when gets in lane behind me- i often turn off at the first junction just to escape!!! zazan- i remember a few years ago my car broke down - needed a new engine, which i couldn't afford, so i bought an A reg. ford capri for £400, bright red, no rust, (except in the radiator water!) i felt like a twit driving it at first, but soon came to love it. the amount of times i pulled up at roundabouts and junctions only to have some young men revving there engines at me in challenge!!! great fun- if they had time before they passed me, they were probably very surprised to see a middleaged woman in the drivers seat, and bales of hay stuffed in the back, with the rear seat down!!! that car was a trooper- i drove it for a year without a sign of trouble, always started, etc. i gave it to my son eventually.

I've had 3 in my time; and they are the most fantastic cars ever.

[lizzylemon]

...... 9mm's HURT!

That's at least one of your scares explained; and the rest?!

[di]

I got pulled over once...it was either Christmas or Boxing Day and the middle of the afternnon.
I'd been at work on a 24 hour shift so knew it would be OK...still had me shaking and trying to drive to my parents with jelly legs though
I know they were on a crackdown then where they were just randomly stopping any driver and if they only stopped one drink driver and saved a life then it was worth it...like you though I don't understand why they don't tasrget the more obvious places

[womble]

For years and years I drove right old sheds (with big engines) and used to get pulled on a regular basis, you wouldn't get away with it nowadays.
Every time I was pulled over, I used to go into cold sweats and the one time I was breathalysed after having a pint a couple of hours before, I was absolutely terrified.
I can notice that I drive differently even after a small glass of wine, so I do as the rest and don't drink anything before driving.

[piskieinboots]

How will we know its you, secret handshakes!!

Obvious innit - he'll look like a radish

[piskieinboots]

... I'm all for the feds being allowed to stop and breathalyse, without need for a reason. .

ditto the ponge

[HeyWayne]

How on earth could he smell alcohol through his car/ all the air / and your car?!

Must have been nervewracking for you XX

Maybe the car was running on Bioethanol?...

I've been stopped twice in my driving career. Once for doing a fair bit more over the limit on a dual carriageway (it was a 30mph limit), and the police dude wanted me to open the boot - which I duly did. He peaked inside and as he did the boot lid came down (dodgy hydraulics on my mum's Mk2 Polo) and knocked his hat clean off. I thought I was going be thrown in jail, but the bootful of seal teddies (again, my mum's) and the fact that he was a highway patrol officer en route to an RTA on the M1 saved my bacon.

Another time I was followed home from a nightclub. They'd seen me pull out of the club and followed me for about 5-6 miles whilst running checks on the car. They would have seen my Mum's details come up and seen that I was clearly no mother, so pulled me over. I actually worked at the club - so hadn't been drinking, much to their disappointment. It was 2:30am too.

Pft!

[piskieinboots]

I'd have pulled you too my lad - no one should have so much height without sharing it with their pals