Drinking at home = driver's license suspension

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

Boating yes. Air matress, no. How does that equate to a license to drive?

Did I say anything about air matress?? I swear thats some dumb urban legend. You really think a cop will charge you with impaired driving for drinking on an air matress?

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

If I'm not mistaken... the article says that her blood tests revealed liver enzyme damage that indicates a history of alcohol dependence, and that doctors are legally obligated to report those findings to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

It's not like she just got drunk one night and everyone wigged out on her. It wasn't a blood/alcohol test they went off of, it was a liver test. It's not about being drunk that night, it's about her liver showing damage caused by a history of alcohol abuse.

The law is the law. I see no issue here.

Are you not allowed to be a drunk, but only drive sober? Without proof of her driving drunk I can't see how this can be anything but a thought crime rather than a real crime. Also the article explains how it was only a blood test, no definiative condition was diagnosed.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Why? Wheres the deterent if you can get hammered and just lose your boat license?

Losing your boat license. That's where.

I think there's a huge difference between sitting on a boat all day with a cooler of bud light, and maybe fishing or whatever, and ending up over the limit and getting busted. You HAVE to drive the boat home to shore. You're in the middle of the lake. Great. You just did something illegal, and now you're no longer trusted to take a boat out to the middle of the lake. That should have no bearing on how you conduct yourself on city streets.

I can't believe the two are related. A boating license is not something that people use every day. It's completely different than a drivers license.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Losing your boat license. That's where.

I think there's a huge difference between sitting on a boat all day with a cooler of bud light, and maybe fishing or whatever, and ending up over the limit and getting busted. You HAVE to drive the boat home to shore. You're in the middle of the lake. Great. You just did something illegal, and now you're no longer trusted to take a boat out to the middle of the lake. That should have no bearing on how you conduct yourself on city streets.

I can't believe the two are related. A boating license is not something that people use every day. It's completely different than a drivers license.

Like I said wheres the deterent? How many times is the average boater on the water? Maybe a dozen times a year?? People wouldnt give a sh*t about losing their boating license. They certainly care a lot more if they might lose their drivers license.

[Superflyer]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

If I'm not mistaken... the article says that her blood tests revealed liver enzyme damage that indicates a history of alcohol dependence, and that doctors are legally obligated to report those findings to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

It's not like she just got drunk one night and everyone wigged out on her. It wasn't a blood/alcohol test they went off of, it was a liver test. It's not about being drunk that night, it's about her liver showing damage caused by a history of alcohol abuse.

The law is the law. I see no issue here.

The problem here is that the doctor noticed her enzymes were out of whack and she was reported. There were no further tests done to prove this (I am guessing from the wording in the article) and her family doctor reported her for this. They do not need proof they just need to say they suspect it and they are taken at their word and the license is gone.
It is not like she has a history of getting drunk and driving (only 1 speeding ticket in her life) or even getting drunk in general. When she was drinking this night she was upset about the death of a friend and still got to the hospital in an ambulance not a car.

with this logic anyone that was an alcoholic and has a damaged liver cannot have a license because they may drink and drive at some time. Hey your clean and sober for 5 years, good job, now step away from the car before you kill someone!

[4X4]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Like I said wheres the deterent? How many times is the average boater on the water? Maybe a dozen times a year?? People wouldnt give a sh*t about losing their boating license. They certainly care a lot more if they might lose their drivers license.

Ok. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I think it is complete BS that you can lose your license to do one thing because you screwed up doing another. Might as well take your fishing license as well when you get a DUI.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by 4X4

So the woman goes home every night and puts back a couple of vodka on the rocks and never, ever has been convicted of driving after drinking. How is that the business of the government? How does that equate to losing her license? That's total BS, AFAIC.

There is medical evidence of a history of alcohol abuse. I have no idea what the stats are like, but I imagine people who abuse alcohol on a regular basis have a higher percentage of DUIs than people who don't.

In Ontario, they proactively try to prevent DUIs by suspending licenses, and recommending treatment to get those licenses back faster. Maybe this one only drinks at home, but I would think that's a rarity.

At any rate, she had the chance to get her license back quicker, but when she went for treatment, she denied needing to be there and even told them she was just doing it to get her license back.

Reading that article, there are a few classic signs of alcoholism present. At this stage of the game, whether or not she drives drunk is irrelevant. If they giver her a break and she celebrates by getting plastered one night and killing someone, the backlash would be immeasurable.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by 4X4

So if I get drunk while boating and lose my boating license, my drivers license goes down with that? That's whack.

Why is that whack? It's a motor vehicle.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Ok. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I think it is complete BS that you can lose your license to do one thing because you screwed up doing another. Might as well take your fishing license as well when you get a DUI.

Its completely fair, theres no excuse whatsoever for getting hammered and operating any motorized vehicle.

[FanIn80]

I think some of you guys might be underestimating the amount of alcohol you have to consume on a repeated basis to incur enough liver damage to get reported.

Look at her nose in the picture. This isn't someone just who had a couple beers every night.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Did I say anything about air matress??

Who said you did? It was in the OP.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

Who said you did? It was in the OP.

Thats Pinner knowledge, it should be taken with a bag of salt.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

There is medical evidence of a history of alcohol abuse. I have no idea what the stats are like, but I imagine people who abuse alcohol on a regular basis have a higher percentage of DUIs than people who don't.

In Ontario, they proactively try to prevent DUIs by suspending licenses, and recommending treatment to get those licenses back faster. Maybe this one only drinks at home, but I would think that's a rarity.

At any rate, she had the chance to get her license back quicker, but when she went for treatment, she denied needing to be there and even told them she was just doing it to get her license back.

Reading that article, there are a few classic signs of alcoholism present. At this stage of the game, whether or not she drives drunk is irrelevant. If they giver her a break and she celebrates by getting plastered one night and killing someone, the backlash would be immeasurable.

Well if they're so damn proactive, how come they dont just arrest and detain people who show signs of violence? that's keep murder rates down.

This is crazy.

[Frequitude]

"Alcohol dependance" should not be grounds for losing your license. That's the core problem here and it is terribly unjust.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

Why is that whack? It's a motor vehicle.

Because they're two different licenses.

[Wiggum_PI]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

I think some of you guys might be underestimating the amount of alcohol you have to consume on a repeated basis to incur enough liver damage to get reported.

Look at her nose in the picture. This isn't someone just who had a couple beers every night.

So what are u saying here? That everyone who has liver damage is permanently hammered 24hrs a day?

[Pinner]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

There is medical evidence of a history of alcohol abuse.

Suspending someones driver's license for elevated liver enzymes is absurd. Many drugs like statins for high cholesterol elevate liver enzymes.

Originally Posted by FanIn80

At this stage of the game, whether or not she drives drunk is irrelevant.

This statement is so stupid it doesn't deserve a response


They are suspending driver's licenses for boating with a BAC of .05, IMO this is very very wrong. Knocking back 2 beer while fishing at the cottage should not result in a driver's license suspension.

[4X4]

Pot smokers with lung damage are gonna start losing their licenses soon! Watch out, stoners and people with MS!

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Wiggum_PI

So what are u saying here? That everyone who has liver damage is permanently hammered 24hrs a day?

Did you seriously read that in something I wrote? Come on.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Because they're two different licenses.

So if you're charged with a DUI on a motorbike you should still be allowed to drive your car? It's a different class, after all.