http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/state/14557096.htm


Highway Patrol Trooper Ryan Hoffner testified in Northwest District Court last month in the case of Darren Lee Bachmeier, who was charged with drunken driving.

"It is assumed that everyone on the road after midnight is a suspect for driving under the influence," Hoffner testified, according to court documents. He said statistics bear that out.


I've always suspected this to be the case. I was given a DWI back in highschool for 'entering the bike lane' (I wasn't even that drunk, zero tolerance for minors). It definitely was not because I was driving an obnoxiously red mustang with high school tags after midnight. I suppose the desired effect was achieved, I will not drink a drop and drive anymore.


Still, the idea that police assume everyone who is in transit past an arbitrary time is troubling. Not only does it waste my time, but it ties up the resources of the police department, who could be thwarting real crimes, as opposed to harassing every Joe blow who might just want a midnight snack from Denny's.


Thoughts?

MMmmmm...
Denny's.....

might just want a midnight snack from Denny's.

..or works a swing shift, had a server crash and was rebuilding it all night, has a young child that requires a drive around to fall asleep again (done the last two myself on occassion).

But in this case it's the officer's word against the guy and his <most likely> inebriated buddies that he was driving over the limit and swerved for no reason. I'd be suprised if that officer actually pulls everyone over he sees driving after midnight.

They definitely do spend more time looking for questionable drivers after midnight, but the number of times I've sped past cops at 3am with nary a second look makes me think they use slightly more focused profiling.

They may hold the assumption, but I haven't seen it put into practice. It would be far too personnel intensive to treat everyone as a suspect. But 2:15am on a weekend is a prime time to be looking for swerving vehicles.

Years past there were a few times I shouldn't have been behind the wheel. Working as a tissue harvester cured me of that notion. Of all the bodies I did procurement on, I don't recall one being from the drunk -- they typically survived. In every instance where a drunk driver was the source of the cadaver, the body belonged to the victim. It was a sobering experience.

Its worse in DC. Driving with even a drop of alcohol (.001) is still above the legal limit in the district. And they stop anyone leaving the few bar neighborhoods after midnight.

Its worse in DC. Driving with even a drop of alcohol (.001) is still above the legal limit in the district. And they stop anyone leaving the few bar neighborhoods after midnight.
So if you use mouthwash in the morning, you're driving illegally?

Cough syrup = jail?

Its worse in DC. Driving with even a drop of alcohol (.001) is still above the legal limit in the district. And they stop anyone leaving the few bar neighborhoods after midnight.

That's what the Metro is for. Driving to Adams Morgan or Georgetown is a pain in the ass anyways.

I would suppose so Sanchek, but apparently I'm a little behind on my news. A few months ago they changed that absolutely stupid law.

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/07/718.asp

I thought "zero" tolerance actually meant 0.02 or higher?
I'm pretty sure that's what it means around here, at least.

As for mouthwash, can't that be distinguished from alcohol consumption by the rate of change in readings over the span of a few minutes?

Meh, after losing several friends to drunk drivers, I wish we had harsher penalties for people that are involved in fatal accidents. And if you get x amount of convictions in a certain amount of time (like 5 years or something) you get put in jail for the rest of your life. But hey thats just me.

Though a zero tolerance law, that (and most other 'zero tolerance' things) is retarded.

The way the law was enforced Palarran, is simply admidting to drinking 1 drink over the past hour even without a breathalizer earned you a DUI.