Well I have to confess here, are we talking about a DUI on the road, or take this for instance...

your out camping on your rhino in the middle of no where with three friends. WE are tooling around camp in the open desert in our Rhino. A Park Ranger pulls up and we had been drinking and gives you a DUI which goes against your driving record.......

 

ONE

 

Personally, I'm not against reasonable exceptions depending on who a DUI violator is putting in danger. Boaters have to abide by DUI rules for instance, and that (to me) is reasonable since they put other boaters at risk. As to whether or not they should have their auto/MC licence impacted it a subject for debate.

If I were a judge presiding over the case you cite in your example, I'd be very inclined toward a smallfine with noimpact to the violator's driver record if the law allowed that element of discretion.

The laws themselves are written by and forlawyerswith the intent of padding their own pockets, and I think thatissue is what really needs to be examined in detail.

 

What about piloting aircraft while drunk? That one always kills me(no pun intended). I'm as guilty as anyone for driving after a few beers, but what on earth would possess someone to take off in their plane and fly drunk. It doesn't seem to happen as often as it did as early as the 80's. You'd be shocked at some of the NTSB accident reports that the pilot was drunk.

 

I'll second that !!

 

A number of years ago I read a story about a man in upstate New York. He had 21 DUI convictions. They would take away his license and he would drive anyway.

On his 22nd DUI he hit a man and his wife and their 2 children. He killed one parent and one of the children and severely messed up the others.
In that case I put some of the blame on the state. You should never be allowed to flout the law so many times.

If you lose your driving privleges due to DUI, and you drive anyway, you should serve serious time. THAT is the only way to protect society from you as you have proven that you will not obey the law.

 

Not even one. Just thinking about driving under the influence is bad. How many times do they do it before they get caught?

 

Boy One is one too many. I remember in my younger years going out with friends on a Friday night, got into my car to go home, got to the stop sign just up the 1/2 block hill from the club we were at, and the next thing I knew I heard, knock, knock, knock on my driver's side window. I woke up and there was a cop tapping on my window... I'd put the car in park at the stop sign and fallen asleep.

Fortunately for me, this was before the DUI laws in this state, and I got an escort home.

I would NEVER do something like that again, and I wouldn't even consider being a passenger on a bike after drinking.

 

one is to many.wait till he kills somebody then the judges that let him off should be put in jail.

JR

 

A casual acquaintance here in town was picked up for his 6th DWI a month ago. He was already barred as a habitual offender after his 5th DWI, and his 6th is going to cost him more jail time. How did I find this out? He stumbled into me yesterday when I was walking home from the gym... he was drunk again and had someone's car keys in his hand!! It wasnt his car ( the State took his plates after DWI #3) so I wrangled them away from him, took them back in the bar and slammed them down on the bar. And asked "Which one of you idiots gave Richard those car keys?" And no one would own up. So I picked em back up off the bar and said you ALL know where I live. Come get them when you want them. And I left. By then Richard had stumbled the 2 blocks home and I still have someones keys at my house. They must have had a spare cause their car was gone this morning.

Im not saying I was a Saint in my younger days.. Ive driven drunk, but I havent (in the last 9-10 years) and WONT. You guys are right... 1 is too many. And 1 DWI should be enough to sober anyone with any sense up. I agree with you all... the laws need to be enforced and judges need to keep those 2nd time offenders and above in jail for their WHOLE sentence.

Bob