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General discussion

Is that a shark on your leg, mate?

Feb 11, 2004 9:49PM PST

Discussion is locked

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Re:Is that a shark on your leg, mate?
Feb 11, 2004 10:02PM PST

Dear Mary Kay

You beat me to it! I was gonna try to find a link for this amazing one...

I did hear tell that Diana Ross is going to re-release her record "You keep me hanging on", but maybe that's just a rumour...

Regards
Mo

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Re:Re:Is that a shark on your leg, mate?
Feb 11, 2004 10:29PM PST
Happy
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You mean after her 48 hours in jail?
Feb 11, 2004 10:48PM PST
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Re:You mean after her 48 hours in jail?
Feb 11, 2004 11:04PM PST

Dear Roger

On the one hand, I should think so too, and I don't think it's for the first time, AFAI recall.

Didn't understand the bit about being asked to stand on one leg etc. This goes back to "cop" programmes on the TV years ago. Are you personally in the US? If so, do you not have breathalysers as we do in the UK? (you have to blow into them at the roadside and this gives an instant indication of alchohol taken). If you want to dispute this, you can also give a urine sample or have a blood test (within time periods that I forget).

Regards
Mo

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Re:Re:You mean after her 48 hours in jail?
Feb 11, 2004 11:15PM PST

I did the closed eyes, tilt head back, touch nose with each hand once.

I was followed after leaving a nightclub a bit fast and stopped on down the road when I caught a red light. I had only had 5 beers in the course of over 3 hours so wasn't a problem. And the last one was an hour or more before closing. Interesting though was telling neighbor about it next afternoon with no drinking, I did worse than did when tested night before.

The portable testers are becoming more widespread I think, but aren't completely prevalent yet. The one thing I really dislike about the drunk driving test never happened to me but to some others I know. They were stopped, field tested, then taken downtown for machine test and passed, not intoxicated. But then getting back to their vehicle was their concern. That can be a problem if leave bar at closing, then have an half hour wait before they test you (standard procedure). In less metro areas, that means no taxis or buses or anything available, so you have to call someone and wake them to come get you even if not guilty.

BTW, if you refuse a breath test now in North Carolina, USA, it's 6 month loss of license, no appeal. Or maybe it's a year, I'm not sure. If you're charged with DUI, it's an immediate ten day loss of license, no appeal, no hearing, no magistrate. Driving is held to be a privilege revocable by department of motor vehicles without trail.

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Re:You mean after her 48 hours in jail?
Feb 12, 2004 1:42AM PST

Over here, if one is over the legal limit (by whichever chemical test - no words involved), it means an instant ban for 1 year, possibly longer and possibly a fine also. Plus you don't get your licence back unless you can show (more tests) that you are not a habitual drinker. That does not preclude other possible criminal charges like "driving without due care and attention" and "wreckless endangerment (of life)".

I know this because my friend drove into the back of a police car (ooops!) even though that was several hours after the odd drink at lunchtime.

There have been notable cases, one where a family relative had had a heart attack and the driver had called for an ambulance and only because it did not arrive did they set off for the hospital in the car. Unfortunately he was driving over the speed limit and was stopped for this, i.e. speeding, not bad driving - even though it was at one o'clock in the morning on a highway with no other traffic - and was still done for both offences even though it was a matter of life and death emergency.

They are pretty strict over here and inconvenience does not enter into it, though in relative terms, most folks here are a lot closer to buses and taxis so generally cannot claim that there is no alternative (even no ambulance!).

We did have a thread about the best non-alcholic beers, but generally I stick to tonic water if I'm going to be behind the wheel. Walking out of a pub at closing time makes you a prime target, and you can do without the hassle of being pulled over for smelling of non-alcoholic beer!.

Regards
Mo

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(NT)Thx Dave for the template notes, I had the info once and lost it.
Feb 11, 2004 11:26PM PST

.

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Re: Is that a shark on your leg, mate?
Feb 12, 2004 4:13AM PST

Hi, Mary Kay.

I guess in this case we can rule out "or are you just happy to see me?" Happy )

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