deliriousga

I'm with bigs on the 125. Someone going 25-30 getting on the freeway is much more dangerous, mostly because they can't handle a car in the first place. That's why they're going so slow when they are entering and nearly getting clobbered or causing an accident as people going the speed limit work hard to avoid them.

As far as what's intoxicated, I think Andrew knows better than anyone else what his body can and can't do. Personally, I can't have one beer without getting woozy at 225lbs., but it doesn't affect my wife until 3 or 4 in the same time period.

I hate drunk driving as much as the next guy and have dealt with it killing a friend. The penalties should be harsh when convicted instead of the little slap on the wrist to make you think twice about it when you pull out the keys. All in all, I think Andrew is the only one who could make the judgement call, and I trust his judgement was good...especially after passing every test the officer had for him.

Normy

Andrew- those wheels look HOT on that car!

N!

AO

Thanks Normy! That's mighty nice of you!

AO

All:
I knew this was going to get pretty hot. Good thing I put my flame suit on. I guess this is one of those gray areas.
To those that oppose what I did, I can wholy understand your position. In hindsight, I probably should not have done any of it. But I did and I was not legally impaired, so I can sleep okay, but will probably cool it next time 'round.
To those that, well... kinda-sorta support me (you know what I mean), Thanks. I appreciate it.

I'm off to go to Japan for a week, so I'll let you all discuss among yourselves. See you all next week.

Cheers, (no pun intended)



P.S. When I get back, the shark is getting the bottle! NOS, that is. Muwahahaha

Seth W

Legally impaired is not the real issue here. You were driving on the edge and you were doing it while you were IMPAIRED. You took three risks:

1) You were really driving the car hard and/or fast
2) You were doing it at night
3) You were doing it with some level of impairment

Do you think it was smart to drive at that speed with any level of impairment?? Be it sleep, illness, medication or alcohol? If you had an accident that night, hurt yourself or others would your conscience really be ok with "well I was not LEGALLY impaired" would you always wonder if you would have avoided that kid in the road--like Mike did the other night??

Hey, I push the speed limits. I drink too. I never push my car on the roads at night and I never do it when I've had even a sip of alcohol. There is to much at stake. I'm hoping you are young, b/c this is something that folks generally grow out of. Sorry to criticize, but that cop should have busted you and hauled you in for driving like that when you had been drinking even when you were not "legally" impaired.

That's my $0.02 and that and a dollar wont get you coffee at starbucks.

P.S.--I am a lawyer--but I'd like to think that my opinion is rooted in common sense and not dogmatic approach to the law.

Jim bailey - 928 International

While the legal USA limit is now .08 many other countries are much lower in addition the penalties vary greatly.. borrowed from a website "Drunk Driving Penalties in other Countries

Australia:
The names of the drivers are sent to the local newspapers and are printed under the heading "He's Drunk and in Jail".
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Malaysia:
The Driver is jailed and if married, his wife is jailed too.
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South Africa
A 10 year prison sentence and the equivalent of a $10,000.00 fine
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Turkey
Drunk drivers are taken 20 miles outside of town by police and are forced to walk back under escort
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Norway
Three weeks in jail at hard labor, one year loss of license. Second offense within five years, license revoked for life.
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Finland & Sweden
Automatic jail for one year of hard labor
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Costa Rica
Police remove plates fron car
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Russia
License revoked for life
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England
One year suspension and a $250.00 fine and jail for one year
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France
Three year loss of license, one year in jail and a $1000.00 fine
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Poland
Jail, fine and forced to attend political lectures
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Bulgaria
A second conviction results in execution
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El Salvador
Your first offense is your last---execution by firing squad
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- end of quote

Sharks

Andrew, you are the luckiest guy I know after that story. Good thing you have my cell number, I may have had to post for you.

I decided last summer after passing that semi on M-14 at 135mph that that was the last time for me in triple digits on the way home after a 928 meeting. That is why I have been getting into the track events more. I figure that a day at the track costs less than a speeding ticket (including the insurance hit). It's much more fun pushing the car to its cornering limit and hitting triple digits on the straights than worrying about getting clocked or hitting something like a deer.

Anyway, enough of the soapbox. Have fun in Japan and we will talk when you get back.

Ron_H

"his streets"???? His Freaking Streets???? Give me a break. They happen to be our streets, and the Constitution is still in force last time I checked. I think he has a dick problem.

FYI, it is not the driver who once or twice in his life has a couple of beers and gets into his car to drive that is causing the damage. The facts are that it is the alcoholic driver that causes the most damage. They are the ones who don't sense there is something impaired at all, since that is their normal state of mind: intoxicated. As Andrew well knew, he had consumed some alcohol that evening. He also knew that it may have compromised his judgement and maintained that awareness throughout the ordeal. He was obviously not so impaired that he could not pass any test the bear administered, but he did possess the awareness that he had alcohol in his system. And that made him all the more aware of the need to be extra alert. That is not the situation with the drunk drivers who kill and maim people while not realizing they are really impaired. And they are continually let back on the road to do it again. I know. I have been hit twice by those kinds of people and the cops knew the identity of one of them and knew she was a perpetual drunk. The other one was a Superior Court judge. That description does not fit Andrew, who knows his limits and respects them. I agree that the bear knew Andrew was not impaired but pushed for the bust anyhow.

No, I don't drink alcohol. Nor do I condone drinking significant amounts of alcohol and then getting into an automobile and driving. I am saying that conventional wisdom, in its simplicity, is not always wise. Sometimes fact speak otherwise.

Lance J

hey bill not suprised the office didn't take you in........but i'm shock your shark spank a m3 after 125. what mods do you have? do m3's run out of steam?

Styln928

Andrew, have fun in Japan. Let us know how the NOS works out. Did you get that NOS setup from my bro Joe?

heinrich

Oooooooooo .... WEEE y'all's awakened the sleeping giant now, you's gonna PAY!! YOU GO RON!!! And WYAI tell them about the "privilege" to drive.....

Ron_H

Euphemisms. prisoner v. detainee, physically challenged v. crippled, etc. But in the case of right v. privelege of driving it seems to me to stretch semantic license. Privilege denotes enjoyment of activities not normally available to wide cross sections of the society. Privileges are sometimes awarded, but more frequently out of range of most. Rights are inherently available and widely permitted, absent gross neglect. Some individuals prefer to limit rights because they think of themselves as not privileged to enjoy the exercise of rights most others do. The fact regulation is sometimes applied, doesn't turn a right into a privilege. Take the case of firearms. I have known young children who had access to firearms on a rural farm and could use them effectively and responsibly, but would be denied access to them in the city. "Irrisponsible"and "immature" would be the reasons for barring access, while the persons attaching such blanket descriptions were truly the ones in possession of those traits. The mentally and physically challenged claiming to lead the adept and perceptive. So using euphemisms softens the insult and makes it acceptable to push revocation of a widely and inherently possessed activity, by less endowed but empowered members of society.

In England, as many people of the world now know, the citizens no longer have the right to self defense...of their homes, or families or property. Where did the "right" go?? It was bartered away in euphemistic nonsense over the centuries as more and more infantile members of their "society" twisted the meaning of socially responsible activity. The criminals now have the "right" to be free of harm as they commit crimes, or else society must be held responsible for their suffering. If a burgular stubs his toe as he walks through your house while robbing it, he may sue you and recover for his injury. Absurd on its face!!! Are we headed there as we abdicate our rights to reason and learn for ourselvs? Shall we defer our rights to the jellyfish gubmint goons who have probably never known risk or reasoned endeavor and could not conceive of exercising free will?

Is that what you wanted Heinrich?

Alan '79 928

Well said, Ron. I could not agree more. If we as a society allow it, the government will restict any rights it can get away with. Police abusing their power against drivers (even when they have no evidence of wrongdoing) is just one example of the goverment abusing people's rights. It happens much too frequently.

sweanders

That is incorrect and I believe that the system works different in Sweden and Finland. In Sweden the legal limit is 0.2 promille and that will give you a fine and 1-12months without a license. If you blood alcohol is 0.5 promille or more you will lose your license for 12-36 months and spend up to two years. If you lose your license for 12 months or more you have to go through the process of taking it again (all the tests).

In Finland you will be fined and lose your drivers license and possibly six months of prison time if the blood alcohol is over 0.012. If the blood alcohol is over 0.05 you can get up to two years of prison time. If you give someone drunk the keys to a car you can get fined or prison time as well.

There is no such thing as hard labor in Sweden, don't know about Finland.

Apoc

Ooh, I'm scared. However, I have never EVER seen this happen in Australia, exactly where did you pick up this penalty info? Some ppl think we are still a hick country, I don't know

The limit is 0.05, the penalties? Well they tend to vary slightly state to state but it starts with a large fine and 3 month suspension of licence, up to permanent ban for repeat offenders. Of course here in good old W.A. (Western Australia) they could also get you on the quaintly named "Hoon" laws for driving fast. 1st offense car impounded for 24 hours, 2nd offense car impounded for a week, 3rd offense, car confiscated permanently. Oh yes, and reason to breath test? No Siree, they have a big truck, block the entire half of the highway, causing a huge traffic jam, and test everybody who drives that way for several hours for alchohol and, if suspected, drugs. The truck has a full blood test unit on board for immediate confirmation if you are over the limit on the breathalyser, which does have some error factor.

Needless to say speeding has to be done "carefully", and very litlle drinkng/driving, many ppl own their own breathalysers to test themselves before heading home (a friend gave his teenage daughter one for her birthday when she got her license). Two drinks is my limit no matter how close to home, as for speeding, I will admit to having it up to 170kph on a brand new stretch of highway that was completely empty except for me, and pre-checked for police presence, fixed and mobile radar guns and "booze buses".

Given the good roads and a sufficiently good and well maintained car 120mph+ speeds are safe, it's just so dangerous because most ppl don't know where and when to drive fast. It's also dangerous because other ppl make it so. I have been endangered by a slow driver in a passing lane (in certain remote areas up long slopes and in windy areas we have an extra lane to let ppl get past slow trucks and etc, they probably have them in other countries too, but I have never been overseas) who pulled out in front of me while I was passing a long queue of traffic behind a truck. All the traffic behind the truck pulled into the left lane, leaving the passing lane empty, so I thought great, and gunned it. Was just approaching the speed limit (yes it was that short a time!) when a granny decided she wanted to pass also, and pulled out from the middle of the queue directly in front of me, probably not even checking here mirrors.

So in some ways I agree that driving 125mph+ on a public highway can be safe, if the highway is designed for it, the traffic is flowing accordingly and the other ppl on the road also are driving according to the posted limit and rules. That's why the Autobahns work. I also think I would be "stupid" to do it on the highways and freeways here and would quite rightly deserve to lose my licensce for endangering the lives of myself, my passengers (if any) and other ppl who are driving according to the "posted" limits.

In the end we all have to use use our own judgement. Sometimes even the posted limit is to fast (foggy conditions) and many times it just seems ludicriously low and I would just love to tromp the foot down and let the shark do what its designed to do!.