This happened to me way back in the early 90's. I was in my early 20s. It was New Year's Eve. Around 1am I was driving me and my buddy back from a party. We were on the freeway and for some reason I took an off ramp I was not familiar with. Was going way too fast and went up into the grass, spun around and slammed some street sign down with the side of my pickup as we came to an unceremonious stop. We were both going "whoa, ah shit how did that happen" when I looked around and saw a police car about a block away. Copper turns on his car and starts our way. I can't even remember what was going through my head at the time, but I am sure I was not looking forward to a chat with Johnny law.
I told the cop I had a few drinks hours ago and that would be the reason I might smell of alcohol. "Oh yeah, I stopped around 9." The truth was more like a half hour ago I finished my final beer and bowl. Cop had me recite the alphabet and do the touch the nose routine. He talked with the other cop and said something like, "yeah, he's done some drinking but I don't think he's over the limit." I guess the cop didn't have a breathalyzer with him, or I think I would have been nailed. He tells me the state will be sending me a bill for the sign and that I need to slow down and be careful. I said, "yes sir," and was on my way.
I had a ding on my truck but I was one happy driver on my way home again. That made my record go to 2-0.
Have never had the misfortune of taking another test since then. I know the coppers aka tax collectors are not so casual about DUI nowadays.
On a side note, here's an example of the tax collectors being over zealous.
http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=68874
Port Richey, Florida -- Joseph Errichiello is trying to walk a straight line but he is having trouble, just like he did when he was arrested for DUI on September 1<sup>st</sup>.
Errichiello says they asked him if he'd been drinking again and he said no. He says they told him he was under arrest for suspicion of DUI.
Errichiello who was pulled over by the Florida Highway patrol in a DUI checkpoint failed all the field sobriety tests on his lack of coordination and the mental agility test.
Errichiello says he has had a learning disability that he's had since a kid.
The trooper didn't buy Errichiello's story and after he was arrested Errichiello who says he doesn't drink voluntarily took a breathalyzer test it came back 0.00.
He says they asked him if he would take a urine sample which would prove their case and he said he had nothing to hide so he said no problem.
Despite the fact that Errichiello blew 0.00 on the breathalyzer test and the Florida Highway Patrol confirms he had a 0.00 on the urinalysis the State Attorney's Office is still prosecuting him for DUI and he can't understand why.
Errichiello says that the system in Pasco is wrong because he did nothing wrong. Then he got arrested again. 12 days later the Pasco Sheriff's office pulled him over for the exact same thing
Once again the breathalyzer and urine analysis came back as 0.00. In the second case the state attorney is dropping the charges and says once it receives the paper on the urinalysis in the first case it will do the same.
But the incident is a sobering thought for the man whose mental and physical disabilities make it impossible for him to pass a field sobriety test even when he hasn't had a drink or ingested a drug.
I told the cop I had a few drinks hours ago and that would be the reason I might smell of alcohol. "Oh yeah, I stopped around 9." The truth was more like a half hour ago I finished my final beer and bowl. Cop had me recite the alphabet and do the touch the nose routine. He talked with the other cop and said something like, "yeah, he's done some drinking but I don't think he's over the limit." I guess the cop didn't have a breathalyzer with him, or I think I would have been nailed. He tells me the state will be sending me a bill for the sign and that I need to slow down and be careful. I said, "yes sir," and was on my way.
I had a ding on my truck but I was one happy driver on my way home again. That made my record go to 2-0.
Have never had the misfortune of taking another test since then. I know the coppers aka tax collectors are not so casual about DUI nowadays.
On a side note, here's an example of the tax collectors being over zealous.
http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=68874
Port Richey, Florida -- Joseph Errichiello is trying to walk a straight line but he is having trouble, just like he did when he was arrested for DUI on September 1<sup>st</sup>.
Errichiello says they asked him if he'd been drinking again and he said no. He says they told him he was under arrest for suspicion of DUI.
Errichiello who was pulled over by the Florida Highway patrol in a DUI checkpoint failed all the field sobriety tests on his lack of coordination and the mental agility test.
Errichiello says he has had a learning disability that he's had since a kid.
The trooper didn't buy Errichiello's story and after he was arrested Errichiello who says he doesn't drink voluntarily took a breathalyzer test it came back 0.00.
He says they asked him if he would take a urine sample which would prove their case and he said he had nothing to hide so he said no problem.
Despite the fact that Errichiello blew 0.00 on the breathalyzer test and the Florida Highway Patrol confirms he had a 0.00 on the urinalysis the State Attorney's Office is still prosecuting him for DUI and he can't understand why.
Errichiello says that the system in Pasco is wrong because he did nothing wrong. Then he got arrested again. 12 days later the Pasco Sheriff's office pulled him over for the exact same thing
Once again the breathalyzer and urine analysis came back as 0.00. In the second case the state attorney is dropping the charges and says once it receives the paper on the urinalysis in the first case it will do the same.
But the incident is a sobering thought for the man whose mental and physical disabilities make it impossible for him to pass a field sobriety test even when he hasn't had a drink or ingested a drug.