Calgary police begin mandatory alcohol screening at Checkstops - Page 31 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

81MC · 01-30-2020, 05:35 PM

So the police are going to administer a test anytime they pull you over anyhow...why can’t I have a beer in my car again?
I could kind of understand before, when open alcohol would be reasonable grounds to have to test for sobriety. It if they are going to arbitrarily perform them anyway, it’s not really wasting anyone’s resources now, is it?

Example, I picked up some beers, and am now waiting for someone. Why is it a crime again if I have a beer while waiting? An officer can administer a test for no reason, what’s the issue with being well within legal?

jayswin · 01-30-2020, 05:40 PM

This is the kind of thing that makes you realize you probably shouldn't always mock the slippery slope argument. In fact when we look back on all the power and rights given away to the state in 30 years, "a slippery slope", my very well end up being the best descriptor for it.

TheSutterDynasty · 01-30-2020, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

I hit a deer on 22x in November and the rc's gave me a breathalyzer. I blew a .03, apparently my last drink over a week before was a strong one. The officer said he was going to cite me for obstruction because I lied to him when he asked if I had been drinking. I told him his machine was ponked and that made him even more mad. Just a total clown show with these things.

Ok that's super ####ed up.

How reliable even are these things? A stone sober driver can blow and get charged for literally nothing? That makes me question if someone had a drink, would be at 0.03, then blow a 0.06 on a broken breathalyzer and get their life totally ####ed.

That's such garbage.

getbak · 01-30-2020, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lubicon

Sounds like CPS is planning on expanding this to all traffic stops. Period.

I thought that was supposed to have happened a year ago (or whenever this change came into effect). I thought that was the whole point of the change.

OMG!WTF! · 01-30-2020, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSutterDynasty

Ok that's super ####ed up.

How reliable even are these things? A stone sober driver can blow and get charged for literally nothing? That makes me question if someone had a drink, would be at 0.03, then blow a 0.06 on a broken breathalyzer and get their life totally ####ed.

That's such garbage.

I did a second test on the next guy's device and it was .01. He said it often registers a .01 when people haven't had anything. But .03 was way off. Even the .01 was kind of scary. Like does that mean it always adds a point to your score and do the offer any leeway if you're close?

TheSutterDynasty · 01-30-2020, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

I did a second test on the next guy's device and it was .01. He said it often registers a .01 when people haven't had anything. But .03 was way off. Even the .01 was kind of scary. Like does that mean it always adds a point to your score and do the offer any leeway if you're close?

Seriously. That's a 20% error that can get someone criminally charged.

They still charged you after the 0.01 for obstruction?

Canadianman · 01-30-2020, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSutterDynasty

Seriously. That's a 20% error that can get someone criminally charged.

They still charged you after the 0.01 for obstruction?

It is an infinity percent error.

OMG!WTF! · 01-30-2020, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSutterDynasty

Seriously. That's a 20% error that can get someone criminally charged.

They still charged you after the 0.01 for obstruction?

Oh no. No charges. He just threatened to charge me. As you know, I can be a bit of a jerk. I may have asked him not to back over the already dead deer.

Locke · 01-30-2020, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSutterDynasty

Seriously. That's a 20% error that can get someone criminally charged.

They still charged you after the 0.01 for obstruction?

And it could cost you thousands of dollars and countless hours to fight and prove it, if you even can. Are CPS going to reimburse you for all that if they wind up being wrong?

TheSutterDynasty · 01-30-2020, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

And it could cost you thousands of dollars and countless hours to fight and prove it, if you even can. Are CPS going to reimburse you for all that if they wind up being wrong?

That's straight ####ed.

I always worry about hangover days. I taste stale beer the entire next day after drinking heavily. Even if I stop at midnight and sleep 8 hours, my breath feels like heavy alcohol at 8pm. Can't help but think that may influence a breathalyzer result.

Mr.Coffee · 01-30-2020, 07:05 PM

Zero tolerance is where we are headed I suspect. Which, will not be better.

jayswin · 01-30-2020, 07:09 PM

^^^^^^

Zero tolerance is effectively a non drinking society. Many MADD supporters don't understand this. It's basically not drinking anywhere close to when you've consumed alcohol. Which means you can't live a normal commuting life with drinking.

CliffFletcher · 01-30-2020, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

And it could cost you thousands of dollars and countless hours to fight and prove it, if you even can. Are CPS going to reimburse you for all that if they wind up being wrong?

I expect lawyers are already specing out new BMWs in anticipation of all those sweet billable hours.

CliffFletcher · 01-30-2020, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Zero tolerance is where we are headed I suspect. Which, will not be better.

IMHO over the next 20 years we'll see a sea change over how alcohol use is regarded similar to the change in attitudes around smoking from 1970 to 1990.

Torture · 01-30-2020, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

IMHO over the next 20 years we'll see a sea change over how alcohol use is regarded similar to the change in attitudes around smoking from 1970 to 1990.

I'll take that bet.

Lubicon · 01-30-2020, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by getbak

I thought that was supposed to have happened a year ago (or whenever this change came into effect). I thought that was the whole point of the change.

The difference now as I understand it is CPS plans on equipping every single one of their traffic people with breathalyzers and employing them on every single traffic stop. That’s a huge change.

burn_this_city · 01-30-2020, 09:35 PM

Pretty sure they have to administer a blood test if you blow over. Hopefully that would prevent anyone from being wrongfully charged. If you absolutely know you haven't consumed anything I think insistence on a blood test would be a wise move.

speede5 · 01-30-2020, 10:21 PM

Correct me if I'm wrong but the roadside screener isn't the determining factor in charges, it just gets you taken in to the station for the more accurate one right? Or are the roadsides considered accurate enough to ay charges?

I was pulled over last christmas after leaving a restaurant/ bar with my son, we went for a pint, I had one he had two. We had been there around 2 hrs so I wasn't remotely concerned but I was followed for a few blocks and turns and then rolled. It was just after the rule came out that they could analyse on any stop. I blew 0.0. What annoyed me was his only cause to pull me over was that I left a bar. He even said to me as we were sitting in the cruiser that my driving was fine and he only stopped me cause of where I had been. I really thought they had to have cause for pulling you over and that this was not within those bounds. I didn't argue as I just wanted to get on my way and it's christmas but I did think it was uncalled for. If I had even swerved once it would have been justified.

Regardless I'm more worried when they start nailing people who have been exposed to second hand smoke now that they are getting more antsy about weed. At least with booze it's your choice to drink, and you deserve what you get if your intoxicated. I'd hate to leave a concert and get nailed for possibly consuming something I didn't intentionally ingest.

Traditional_Ale · 01-30-2020, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speede5

Regardless I'm more worried when they start nailing people who have been exposed to second hand smoke now that they are getting more antsy about weed. At least with booze it's your choice to drink, and you deserve what you get if your intoxicated. I'd hate to leave a concert and get nailed for possibly consuming something I didn't intentionally ingest.

Please let me know what concerts you had in mind. I want tickets to all of them.

TheSutterDynasty · 01-30-2020, 11:15 PM

I feel like we are straying farther away from the original intent and the danger of drunk driving, which is impairment.

I feel like a roadside coordination test in combination with the breathalyzer should be performed. So you have someone who feels perfectly fine to drive, passes the coordination test, but hits 0.05 and gets in trouble.