True drunk driving story.



In article <[email protected]>,
Helen Deborah Vecht <[email protected]> writes:

> It is to be *drunk* in charge of a carriage (of which a bicycle is one).
> Drunk usually implies a higher level of intoxication than the
> drink/drive limit.


Which is as it should be. In the fresh air, doing good exercise, and
without the isolation of a glass case, you're naturally much more
aware of all that's going on around you, so a small amount of alcohol
has far less effect when cycling than driving.

Of course if you're so boozed as to feel sloshed then cycling isn't
a good idea either.

--
Nick Kew

Nick's manifesto: http://www.htmlhelp.com/~nick/
 
On Fri, 21 May 2004 13:54:56 +0100, Pyromancer
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Upon the miasma of midnight, a darkling spirit identified as "Just zis
>Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> breathed:
>>erics wrote:

>
>>> Is it a criminal offense to ride a bike while under the influence of
>>> alchohol?

>
>>Yes, but:
>>
>>- there is no absolute limit as for driving
>>- your driving licence cannot be affected by a conviction for cycling while
>>drunk

>
>This seems mostly reasonable, as your ability to kill other people is
>rather less on a bike than in motor vehicle - you'd have to be going
>rather faster than is usually possible before you could wipe out a
>complete bus queue, and your ability to damage property is little
>greater than that of a pedestrian.
>
>A drunk cyclist is mostly a hazard to themselves, though they could be
>the cause of a different accident.


Er, how?

If you mean a driver might not be in full control of their vehicle
when the drunk cyclist/ped/errant dog emerges onto the highway and
their evasive action causes a 'different' incident, I'd say it's
pretty clearly the driver's fault.

>Someone over the limit in charge of
>a motor vehicle is a major hazard to people other than themselves, not
>to mention their ability to damage property.
 
On Fri, 21 May 2004 09:26:57 +0100, "erics"
<eric@No_SpaMthe-stannards.co.uk_Thanks> wrote:

>
>"dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers" <[email protected]> wrote in
>message news:[email protected]...
>> >>but I will
>> >>not drink/drive or cycle/drive.
>> >
>> >You find cycling affects your ability to drive?

>>
>> Glad you spotted my deliberate error to see if readers are awake ;-)
>>
>> Of course it should be drink/cycle
>>
>> Cheers, helen s
>>

>
>Is it a criminal offense to ride a bike while under the influence of
>alchohol?
>


Not only to ride a bike but even to push a bike. Or, indeed to stand
next to a bike. The offence is "drunk in charge"; riding is not
required.

However, as you won't get points on any licence, you can't be
breathalysed and you're only putting yourself at risk I wouldn't worry
too much about it.

I wonder if drunk cycling is safer than drunk walking seeing as
overall cycling is safer than walking.

Other bike/booze related fact (reference mislaid): the average blood
alcohol level of KSIs (maybe just Ks) is lower for cyclists than for
peds, car drivers and car passengers.

Gripe: ABD (and others) ducking responsibility for drivers killing
people by observing that x% of K'd peds have a blood alcohol level
greater than the limit for driving.
 
On Thu, 20 May 2004 17:27:57 +0100, "Simon Mason"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Following on from the alcoholics thread, a great true story just sprung to
>mind. Going to a very strict Catholic school ...


Hi Simon

I've found my excuse :)

James
 
[Not Responding] wrote:
>>A drunk cyclist is mostly a hazard to themselves, though they could be
>>the cause of a different accident.

>
>
> Er, how?
>
> If you mean a driver might not be in full control of their vehicle
> when the drunk cyclist/ped/errant dog emerges onto the highway and
> their evasive action causes a 'different' incident, I'd say it's
> pretty clearly the driver's fault.


I don't know. Whilst I fully agree that when in charge of a potentially
lethal object, etc...I also find it hard to blame any driver for, eg,
being hit by a missile lobbed off an overbridge by a drunken ******, and
a subsequent crash. I think that probably goes beyond due care and
diligence.
 
"James Hodson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Thu, 20 May 2004 17:27:57 +0100, "Simon Mason"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Following on from the alcoholics thread, a great true story just sprung

to
> >mind. Going to a very strict Catholic school ...


> I've found my excuse :)
>
> James


What for? Drinking or not drinking?

--

Simon M.
 
On Fri, 21 May 2004 15:05:45 +0100, Richard <[email protected]>
wrote:

>[Not Responding] wrote:
>>>A drunk cyclist is mostly a hazard to themselves, though they could be
>>>the cause of a different accident.

>>
>>
>> Er, how?
>>
>> If you mean a driver might not be in full control of their vehicle
>> when the drunk cyclist/ped/errant dog emerges onto the highway and
>> their evasive action causes a 'different' incident, I'd say it's
>> pretty clearly the driver's fault.

>
>I don't know. Whilst I fully agree that when in charge of a potentially
>lethal object, etc...I also find it hard to blame any driver for, eg,
>being hit by a missile lobbed off an overbridge by a drunken ******, and
>a subsequent crash. I think that probably goes beyond due care and
>diligence.


Having bricks dropped off bridges is just a little bit different to
driving with sufficient care to cope with the vaguaries of the public
and wildlife you share the highway with.
 
> It is, yes. You would though have to be falling off or wobbling about
> alarmingly to get done . Whether you are drunk is entirely subjective and


I once fell asleep for a few seconds cycling down the old kent road
after a good few pints.I was woken by the tooting of a taxi horn.The
driver was shielding me from the rest of the traffic as drifted across
the 4 lanes.

So I have had few bad things to say about taxi drivers ever
since.Indeed it is still my impression that in London they are pretty
considerate on the whole, although I know some people disagree.

This anecdote is intended to put you off drinking and cycling, by the
way.It is not a recommendation.

TerryJ
 
Terry wrote:

> I once fell asleep for a few seconds cycling down the old kent road
> after a good few pints.


Jesus! You must've been legless!
 
On Fri, 21 May 2004 13:55:11 +0100, Pyromancer
<[email protected]> wrote:

>The only thing that bugs me about not drinking is the utter lack of
>choice.
>
>Ask a pub what beers they've got and you'll get a long list of lagers,
>ales, plus at least one cider (and usually a different one in bottles).
>
>Ask them what low alcohol drinks they've got and they'll grunt "LA" at
>you, invariably some horrid lager-based thing. Try to explain to the
>barperson that "LA" simply means "low alcohol" and what you want is to
>know what choice of low alcohol drinks they've actually got and you'll
>get the same look you would if you ordered a deep fried ferret in fresh
>badger sauce.


Hi Pyromancer

A bit OT but ... The "lite" in Lite Beer most often refers to the
amount of sugar, not the amount of alcohol.

Gimme a deep fried ferret in fresh badger sauce against lite beer any
day.

James
 
"James Hodson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Fri, 21 May 2004 13:55:11 +0100, Pyromancer
>
>
> A bit OT but ... The "lite" in Lite Beer most often refers to the
> amount of sugar, not the amount of alcohol.


Like those so called "diat" Pils which are supposed to be for diabetics
(low sugar), not for people trying to lose weight. Now we have these "low
carb" beers for the Atkins dieters, completely ignoring the fact that the
vast majority of the calories in beer is due to the alcohol content, not any
carbs it might contain.
--

Simon M.
 
Upon the miasma of midnight, a darkling spirit identified as "[Not
Responding]" <[email protected]> breathed:

>On Fri, 21 May 2004 13:54:56 +0100, Pyromancer
><[email protected]> wrote:


>>A drunk cyclist is mostly a hazard to themselves, though they could be
>>the cause of a different accident.


>Er, how?
>
>If you mean a driver might not be in full control of their vehicle
>when the drunk cyclist/ped/errant dog emerges onto the highway and
>their evasive action causes a 'different' incident, I'd say it's
>pretty clearly the driver's fault.


So, someone is driving along at 25 mph in a 30 zone through (say) a
badly lit old industrial area, well away from both housing and pubs,
when all of a sudden a drunk cyclist with no lights comes shooting out
of a built-up side-road directly ahead at high speed, the driver swerves
to avoid the cyclist, succeeds but causes a truck coming the other way
to also swerve and collide with a parked vehicle, and somehow you think
that's the first car driver's fault?

I don't think so, and I suspect the courts would agree. Drivers should
be alert and able to avoid hazards where possible, but there's a limit
to just what is avoidable, which is why people (even drunken cyclists)
are still generally expected to look out for themselves as well as be
looked out for by drivers.

--
- Pyromancer.
- http://www.inkubus-sukkubus.co.uk <-- Pagan Gothic Rock!
- http://www.littlematchgirl.co.uk <-- Electronic Metal!
- http://www.revival.stormshadow.com <-- The Gothic Revival.
 
Upon the miasma of midnight, a darkling spirit identified as Simon Mason
<[email protected]> breathed:

>"Pyromancer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> If only they did tomato and fruit juices at decent prices it wouldn't be
>> so bad, but if everyone else is drinking pints of ale at 1.70 each, then
>> if I can't have a low-alcohol version of the same thing (note ale, *not*
>> lager), I want a pint of orange or tomato juice at the same price, not
>> some daft fancy version at 2 quid a (small) bottle.


> When I didn't drink alcohol, I used to ask for orange cordial, diluted with
>a pint of water. Cost a hell of a lot less than juices.


Probably, but it also sounds revolting. I've always hated diluted
drinks, and if a pub can serve beer at 1.70 a pint they can server
supermarket fruit juice at the same price and probably make rather more
in the way of profit.

--
- Pyromancer.
- http://www.inkubus-sukkubus.co.uk <-- Pagan Gothic Rock!
- http://www.littlematchgirl.co.uk <-- Electronic Metal!
- http://www.revival.stormshadow.com <-- The Gothic Revival.
 
Upon the miasma of midnight, a darkling spirit identified as James
Hodson <[email protected]> breathed:

>Hi Pyromancer


Hi!

>A bit OT but ... The "lite" in Lite Beer most often refers to the
>amount of sugar, not the amount of alcohol.


Granted, but I'm talking about Low Alcohol drinks, not Lite Beer.
They've mostly vanished now (mainly due to the idiotic way pubs only
ever had one type), but back in the 80s there was a big push to get
people who were driving to drink LA instead of full-strength (some were
alcohol free, others were less than .5% ABV, IIRC). The brewers did
their bit, with a variety of types produced, including ciders and
various beers.

The publicans however invariably only stocked one type, so no choice, so
the whole idea fell flat. And the idiot bar staff who couldn't even
understand the concept drove me up the wall!

>Gimme a deep fried ferret in fresh badger sauce against lite beer any
>day.


LOL! I'll drink to that! :)

--
- Pyromancer.
- http://www.inkubus-sukkubus.co.uk <-- Pagan Gothic Rock!
- http://www.littlematchgirl.co.uk <-- Electronic Metal!
- http://www.revival.stormshadow.com <-- The Gothic Revival.
 
On Fri, 21 May 2004 17:49:12 +0100, Pyromancer
<[email protected]> wrote in message
<[email protected]>:

>So, someone is driving along at 25 mph in a 30 zone through (say) a
>badly lit old industrial area, well away from both housing and pubs,
>when all of a sudden a drunk cyclist with no lights comes shooting out
>of a built-up side-road directly ahead at high speed, the driver swerves
>to avoid the cyclist, succeeds but causes a truck coming the other way
>to also swerve and collide with a parked vehicle, and somehow you think
>that's the first car driver's fault?


Exactly. You really have to grope for an example which is even
vaguely believable; it's a very unlikely scenario indeed. Much more
likely is that the driver will be doing 40 in the 30 limit, the
cyclist will die and the driver will not even be prosecuted.

And don't forget that the majority of cyclists KSI are not at fault.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University
 
in message <[email protected]>, [Not
Responding] ('[email protected]') wrote:

> I wonder if drunk cycling is safer than drunk walking seeing as
> overall cycling is safer than walking.


I once had a motorcyclist friend who, having had his license taken away
for once too often riding home form the pub on his motorcycle, took to
borrowing my bicycle to ride home. Ad it came to no harm and he always
returned it I wasn't too concerned by this. Until the day he borrowed
it sober, and returned it entirely trashed. He could cycle perfectly
well when drunk, but sober he kept falling off.

Wierd.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Diplomacy, American: see Intelligence, Military
 
in message <[email protected]>, Simonb
('[email protected]') wrote:

> Terry wrote:
>
>> I once fell asleep for a few seconds cycling down the old kent road
>> after a good few pints.

>
> Jesus! You must've been legless!


And yet another true story you can't make up. One of the aged worthies
of this village is the Guid Sir James, regularly found on a barstool in
the pub. The day the barman said to him 'no anither, Jamie - ye're
legless' goes down in the village annals, for indeed he was, having
carelessly left them behind in a Spitfire sometime during the second
war.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

I'm fed up with Life 1.0. I never liked it much and now it's getting
me down. I think I'll upgrade to MSLife 97 -- you know, the one that
comes in a flash new box and within weeks you're crawling with bugs.
 
On 21 May 2004 08:41:07 GMT, dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers
<[email protected]>
was popularly supposed to have said:

>Whether it is or isn't matters not to me. Alcohol does adversely affect
>judgement, reflexes etc., and I really don't wnt to be drunk on a bike and
>wobble into the path of a vehicle, or pedestrian, other cyclist... tree...
>ditch... bed of nettles...


Ahhh, the definitive state of Drunk in charge of a Bicycle was achieved
some years ago by a friend of mine. Now, in Wales, it is customary for
students living out of town to cycle down to the pub, this being cheaper
than a taxi, and healthier, too.

Anyway, he and some friends were en-route from one pub to another, all
somewhat the worse for wear and navigating more or less by consensus,
but my friend was the worst of the lot. He was drunk, so drunk that riding
the bike felt safer than trying to balance on two feet.

So drunk, in fact, that he wandered off the road, fell into the ditch at
the side and completely failed to notice the fall, and continued to pedal
frantically, wondering vaguely why, when he looked "down", he could see
stars.

Anyway, his absence was noted at length, and his friends came back for him
(after all, it was his round next) and escorted him home.

--
Dan Holdsworth PhD [email protected]
By caffeine alone I set my mind in motion, By the beans of Java
do thoughts acquire speed, hands acquire shaking, the shaking
becomes a warning, By caffeine alone do I set my mind in motion
 
"erics" <eric@No_SpaMthe-stannards.co.uk_Thanks> writes:

> "dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers" <[email protected]> wrote in
> message news:[email protected]...
> > >>but I will
> > >>not drink/drive or cycle/drive.
> > >
> > >You find cycling affects your ability to drive?

> >
> > Glad you spotted my deliberate error to see if readers are awake ;-)
> >
> > Of course it should be drink/cycle
> >
> > Cheers, helen s
> >

>
> Is it a criminal offense to ride a bike while under the influence of
> alchohol?


It's a criminal offence to ride a bike when drunk, but there's no
specific blood alcohol limit.