I love a glass a wine with a fine meal. Hey, I love a glass of wine with a McDonald’s burger.
When I was younger, in the 1960’s, I drank professionally and maintained that pace for over a quarter of a century.
That was then and now is now. Today, each and every one of us should know better than to drink and drive. Enjoy drinking. Enjoy driving. Just do not mix the two.
You, an ordinary and good person, can end up going to prison for drinking and driving. How can that happen? It is easy. You drink and drive; get involved in a vehicle collision or hit a pedestrian or small child and when the crash becomes a fatal, you become a convicted felon.
What does my title, “Car Jail”, mean?
Effective July 22, 2011 there is a new DUI arrest law going statewide. Our state is making it tougher for a drinking driver to return to their car and drive again before they have sobered up.
If you are arrested for DUI or Physical Control, the police officer will now be mandated to impound your vehicle. That’s right, the police no longer have any discretion in the matter. Your car will be impounded to the tow yard.
No, you can’t park and lock your car. No, your mommy can’t come and get your car.
The officer shall impound your vehicle even if he has to take it right out of your driveway.
While you head to the police station for the drunk test, your car will go to “car jail” for a mandatory minimum of 12 hours.
How much will that cost? The minimum impound fee will run around $177. Added to that is a $45 per day storage charge. In the City of Lakewood, there is a required Court Release document. You will have to wait for a regular court day before you are able to request this document. Bring $100 with you for the Court Release.
The total cost, worse case basis, will push up towards $425 plus tax. That is an expensive drink.
If the new “Car Jail” law does not motivate you, then think about this. If you drink, drive and kill, you may go to prison. It is a very “sobering” walk for an ordinary citizen to be escorted from the DUI Court to the jailhouse in preparation for a bus trip to prison.
I have escorted DUI killers and engaged them in probing conversations as we made their trek from freedom to living with felons. They leave their kids, family, job and freedom behind. It is truly a sad and lonely walk for a drinking driver.
Yes, a glass of Bomb Bomb Wine can be very enjoyable. I recommend it.
But, drinking and driving is a time bomb waiting to blow your life apart. I don’t recommend it.
If you choose to not heed my advice, kiss your car goodbye as it goes down the road on the back of a hook to car jail.
If a person rides a bicycle to the bar, they would be best, for their safety and the safety of others to walk their bicycle home. Seems to me an intoxicated driver should start pushing his/her car home. Key off, car in neutral. An officer is bound to stop and help push.
“Sir, where are we pushing your car” (As you pass the logical gas station}
“Oh, just a couple more miles.”
Anyways – the exertion will probably speed up the sobering process.