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Post your closest DUI scare (1 Viewer)

Judge Smails

Footballguy
Offshoot of IC FBGCAV’s thread. This is not to glamorize anything. I’ll uber anytime I have something to drink. One margarita - wife drives home. I just don’t mess with it and it’s stupid with the options we have today. But many of us grew up in a different time.

Mine was when I was in my late 20’s. Showtime era for the Lakers. Had partial season tickets with a guy who is now a big wig in professional sports. CEO type. Will go unnamed.

The party started before the game and we had drinks near the Forum. The drinks continued as we watched Magic and company notch another win. Then we went across the street post game and Bill Bertka, Lakers guru asst coach, engaged us knuckleheads. More drinks and fascinating basketball X’s and O’s discussion. Then **** got weird. My buddy knew a guy who was a Getty trust fund baby. Invited us over to play poker. He lived outside of Pasadena. Long drive from Inglewood. I drove (not smart). Made it there though. Poker turned out to be more about tequila shots than cash. No bueno. It got ugly. Friend decided to crash there. I decided to drive. The ultimate in stupidity.

I don’t know what I would have blown on a breathalyzer but it was bad. Literally made it 5 blocks before the blue lights hit me on Colorado Blvd. Before I could get to the freeway. Must have been 2:30am. Granted - my stupid self thought I could drive an hour home in that state. Cop pulled me over into a gas station. I tried to act as sober as I could. Handed him my license and registration and he walked back. Thought I was done. What am I gonna tell my wife? My work? Head was spinning as I braced for the inevitable and what I deserved.

All of a sudden I hear a radio from the officer’s car. He raced up to my car, threw my stuff through the window, ran back to his and took off with sirens blaring. I sat there stunned. Basically went to a back lot in a hidden area and slept in the back seat until I felt sober. I got so lucky. Not only did I not get a DUI, get locked up, have license suspended, have to pay the typical $10K cost etc but more importantly I didn’t kill others nor myself. It was a life lesson I’ll never forget. And thinking back to high school days this could have happened umpteen times. Everyone in my group basically had coolers in the back seat going to a different party every weekend. Again - different times and I’m grateful to have survived it.
 
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Two scares. First, I was like 19 years old. This was when the legal drinking age was 18. This was like 1978-1979 timeframe. Anyhow, returning home from the infamous Joey's Depot. I wrapped my '69 Nova around a telephone pole. The cop had me sit in his car and he asked me if I had been drinking. i answered in the negative and he didn't ask anything more. Just gave me a ride home.

The next time, a couple years later, I was again returning home from the infamous Joey's Depot. Where they would not cut you off, btw, so long as you could utter "Bud" and didn't put your head down on the bar. Anyhow, I was driving home, ran a yellow light. A cop was at the perpendicular intersection and saw me press my luck with the yellow light. He followed me for 2-3 miles. Finally, I pulled into a neighborhood and made like I was driving home. He quit following me. But I swear, this guy was looking for a DWI bust before I turned into the neighborhood.

Make that two very close calls within a few year's timespan. Joey's Depot has, btw, closed doors. It was a great blues bar that had a great blues band every Friday and Saturday night. But, man, did they spew the drunks out onto the street at that place. I was no exception.
 
For those that read mine, I had also retained counsel and he said, years later, that the statute of limitations had run on my transgression, but the whole thing was so weird and so serious that I'm deleting it. The lawyer was stunned, too.
 
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I have had a few scares when I was young and dumb.

One time in my 69 Mustang, it was really cold outside. I am driving home and had more than I should of, when all of a sudden my heater goes out. My windows completely fog up inside. I can't see a thing. So I furiously try to use my sleeve to clear a hole as I am sitting at a light. I know there is a car behind me and I immediately get in the right lane as I start going. As I clear a small patch on my driver's side window, I see the car that was behind me, is now next to me and it is a cop. I roll the window down and I see both cops are just laughing at me and they sped ahead.

One other time I was in my later twenties, now driving a 94 Mustang. It is a snow day for me and I am out of beer. I was knee deep in a six pack already and it is like 2:00 pm, so I drive to the liquor store. It was like a 3-5 minute drive, but the roads were messy. I am just about to pull in the parking lot of the liquor store and this guy slides through the red light and hits me luckily in my front tire. I motion for him to take the accident into the parking lot. No problem. We get out and look at the cars and even though it cracked the rim on my car, I was like no problem, let's call it a day. We are just about to leave, when this good Samaritan comes out of nowhere and is like, "I saw it all. This guy ran the red light. Let's call the cops!!" I am no, it's all good. We are going to leave. But this guy just kept going on and on about how this other guy is at fault. I finally just got in my car and left and I could see in my rear view mirror Ned Flanders just throwing his hands in the air.

Now, I have one beer, I don't drive. There just is too much to lose.
 
Only in HS, driving me and my gf home after some surreptitious drinking at a buddy's place. I knew that I shouldn't have been driving but felt like I didn't have any options (of course I did. I just didn't take them)

Other than that, I've done some highly intoxicated bike rides through many cities in my time. Never had any fear of getting arrested for that.
 
First date. 'Met' online. After a couple weeks exchanging messages we decided to meet at a bar. It was about 8 pm on a sunny July evening - one of those restaurants at an outdoor mall that pretends to be a bar but isn't. Knowing she was an irish lady I got there 5 minutes early and ordered a couple Smithwick's. Before us early-mid 20somethings realized it they were shutting things down, but we weren't ready to call it quits.

She had apparently sworn to her friends beforehand she wouldn't take me to her brother's bar 2 miles away. So of course we went there. She also swore she'd keep her tongue in her mouth. But we went out front for a smoke and it happened anyway. I returned expecting a name that tune battle with her brother (topic of discussion pre smoke) but upon returning inside we were invited to a different friend of hers who was having a bon fire 2-3 miles away. She also swore I wouldn't meet any of them that night either. So of course we closed our tab, postponed name that tune for another day, and were on our way.

The night began getting foggy once we were there, but they were great hosts. Great bourbon selection, middle of the night cannonballs, stogies in a hot tub...this chick was aaalright. But the crowd thinned out and we decided to call it quits.

She swore she wouldn't invite me back to her place too, which she also failed. As I followed her I saw a car whip around behind me and I said curse words. Cause I knew I was Jacob Dylan'ing with One Headlight. I may have enough coverage of the alcohol with the bon fire and stoggie...it's almost 5 am...after the obvious drunk driving hours...your only hope is driving home from the girlfriends house to go to work. He bought it! Or he just didn't want to do any paper work. Whatever. And thankfully this woman gave me her address, so I could make it there about 8 minutes after her instead of directly behind her as intended. The date ended about 28 hours later.

My wife still makes fun of me for this to this day.
 
About 10 years ago, too many IPA's over "business" talk with colleagues and local politicians. Every time I begged off, another IPA showed up in front of me. 40 minute drive home, not really any near miss, but I was white knuckling, gasping for air, and clenching cheeks the whole way. Couldn't sleep a wink that night between the stomach issues and the anxiety. Never again.

DUI would cost me my career in addition to the usual. Talked to the wife the next day. Our rule is if I have one drink, I don't drive. But if I drive and then DO have one drink, I don't drive. I call her, a parent, an in-law, an Uber, whatever. I DON'T DRIVE. Freeing to have those boundaries, frankly.
 
For those that read mine, I had also retained counsel and he said, years later, that the statute of limitations had run on my transgression, but the whole thing was so weird and so serious that I'm deleting it. The lawyer was stunned, too.

Would take a pm if you trust me enough. Cross my heart, etc. If not, that's cool too.
 
About 10 years ago, too many IPA's over "business" talk with colleagues and local politicians. Every time I begged off, another IPA showed up in front of me. 40 minute drive home, not really any near miss, but I was white knuckling, gasping for air, and clenching cheeks the whole way. Couldn't sleep a wink that night between the stomach issues and the anxiety. Never again.

I've had two close DUI calls, and my second one was much like you story. Early in my marriage, over 20 years ago. My wife was in the car with me, returning from a night out. About a 20-minute drive home on mostly interstate. No near misses on that drive, either. Weirdly, my recall of that drive is fairly vivid in the sense that I recall struggling like mad to concentrate on the road and on controlling the car. All I wanted to do is roll over and sleep, except that I had to get us home. I often say to myself that I basically used The Force to get home that night, because I definitely wasn't in control of my normal faculties. Somehow never ran across any cops. Scared the eff out of us when we got home and then thinking on it the next day.

My first close-call DUI also didn't involve any cops -- but that was a true miracle. Less than a year out of college. Returning from a New Years Eve party. Cops patrolling all over the place ready to pick off drunk drivers coming from the bars and house parties. Had a friend riding shotgun. Not on an interstate, but on one of the main drags in suburban New Orleans -- plenty of patrolmen making their rounds. I hit a patch of ice (yes, the road used to occasionally ice in New Orleans). Lost control of the wheel and the car spun out 180 degrees. When I came to a stop I was facing oncoming cars, who all had the presence of mind to stop somehow. The other drivers gave me the time to complete a Y-turn and continue on my merry way. Might have been more the ice than the alcohol as far as causing the spinout ... BUT: had a cop seen that happen, I'd have been caught dead to rights and gotten a DUI on the spot.
 
Was at a house party about 20 miles from where I lived. I don't remember exactly how much I had to drink that night, and although I wasn't fall down drunk, I certainly shouldn't have been driving. Was heading home around 2 AM and made it about 18 of the 20 miles before I fell asleep at the wheel while on the freeway. I was literally one exit away from where I needed to get to. It was a fairly rural area and that region of the highway was a location where the rock had been cut through to build the roadway. My car veered off the road and struck the rock wall. Being the invincible idiot I was in my early twenties, I was not wearing a seatbelt. The car stopped pretty suddenly as cars tend to do when they hit rock walls. I, however, got first hand experience with inertia as my body didn't stop until my head hit the windshield. I do not remember the moment of impact, but I came to and got out of my car. I quickly realized that I had a lot of blood all over me, so I went to the trunk and got some towels out of my golf bag and tried as best I could to limit blood flow. Fortunately, a passing motorist stopped right about then to help. I say fortunate because there weren't many cars out at that hour in that area, and this was before cell phone days. The guy who stopped drove ahead to the next exit where there was a gas station and called in the report. Anyway, I was taken to the hospital, and as I was being tended to (ended up with 212 stitches in my head that night) I heard the cops talking to the medical staff. It was pretty clear that alcohol played a role in all of this. I told the cops I swerved to avoid a deer and lost control of the vehicle when it went off road, but they knew that wasn't the case as they could easily see the tracks my car made...a gradual straight line path off the road into the wall. But after looking at the sad shape I was in and knowing my car was totaled, I remember them telling the medical personnel that they were not going to push the DUI issue. They made some comment about learning enough of a lesson without the charges. So, I was never tested for alcohol levels. I guess this qualifies as a DUI and a life scare.
 
I have to thank NYC and their taxis for taking care of me during my formative partying years. No real close calls here and hope to keep it that way. Very grateful for rideshare services today. Before Uber, it was a nightmare getting a cab in most cities outside of NYC and without them I'd probably have more stories to share.
 
It was 1993, my senior year of HS. My parents were supposed to be out of town the same day as a high school dance and I lived a block from the school so my house was to be the after-party.

Well, my folks canceled at the last minute. We already had the booze in my basement so we decided to just low-key hang out & play video games (and, of course, drink too much). My friend Don, who was more of a periphery friend and not one of our core group, wasn't feeling well. I was the soberest of my friends, so I drove him home. My friend George came along for the ride.

After I dropped Don home, George & I thought we'd do a quick pass around the strip downtown. Well, I don't go down there often and am not super familiar with that part of town - I took a wrong way down a one-way. No cars on the street except for a police car coming in the other direction. Busted.

The cop made us walk two blocks to the police station & called my parents instead of booking me. Thankful for that. I was grounded for most of the rest of my senior year afterward.
 
I’ve only had three scares when I drove but a couple others as a passenger. Like others have posted, different era and no options to get home unless you had a DD.

First and third were no cop interaction just really stupid to drive. First time, I woke up in my parent’s garage with a half eaten piece of pizza that I had no recollection of buying. Found out later there was a pizza place right next to the bar we all partied at. Never knew it existed. Third time was in Nashville at Tootsie’s with co-workers at a client site. President of my company throws his rental car keys at me and says (my name)’s driving. Well F, wasn’t planing to but like above, white knuckled the steering wheel passing multiple cops on the way back to hotel. It was a miserable day at the client. One guy threw up in the shower and I would have until the lunch they brought in saved us. We had to have looked terrible.

Second time, I had to drive through a checkpoint. Long story short, drinking game at a friend’s college in Los Angeles (gallon of beer in hour, no peeing or puking), hitting on a girl going well and then boyfriend came up. Mad enough that I punched my windshield from inside and splintered it like a spider web. Called the police to report (while drunk) it got insurance and they basically laughed at me. Anyway, drove home and out of nowhere a check point. It was late at night and all I had were my prescription shades, so I immediately throw them on my passenger seat and try to look ok. They stopped the guy in front of me and waved me through without stopping. So lucky.

Once I got out of being stupid in college and a few years after, I realized how dumb that was. I didn’t even drive drunk a lot just seemed too close and you get married, have a house, have kids and you’ve got real stuff to lose.

The few times as a passenger were interesting. HS, cop pulled us over and asked if we were close to home. At a VT ski resort for NYE, my friend was driving back to hotel and stopped to puke at the side of the road with us and some girls packed in the car. Mountain cop told us to pick someone else to drive and said he’d talk to VT state trooper behind him. Last time was home from college being really stupid. My buddy and I left a bar and we saw a ton of cops as we walked back to parking lot and decided to hop the curb to avoid the long drive back to gate on other side and heck all the cops seemed to be at the bars. Instant we hop, sirens come on and cops come up with hands on guns. Asked my friend what was below the center cushion (old car with bench type seats) and he goes it’s my asthma inhaler and quickly reaches. Cop yells to stop and open slowly. Scary but cop made us go back and pay. Parking lot attendant wasn’t following cop’s speech and couldn’t have cared less. Found out the next day that someone shot and killed a guy at a pizza place next to the bar we went to, so stupid of us.
 
I had a friend who was NOT lucky and got busted for DUI one night after leaving a house party.
The cop didn't pull him over because he was swerving or anything, no he gets stopped because someone had tied a balloon to his car antenna.
 
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Not a scare at the time but in hindsight I was really stupid. We lived near Detroit and from age 19-21 spent many weekend nights in Windsor. Got our drink on in the clubs, and I was usually the driver. Back then we didn’t need anything other than a license to cross the border. One summer I was using my parents mini van for most of these trips with a few friends in the back. One night, I’m driving south on 75 and see one of the guys brought a fifth of vodka and they’re passing it around. I thought about stopping and making them either finish it or toss it, instead I let them keep it and they passed it up to me while we’re in the tunnel (they did hide it at the borders). I drank and passed it back. I didn’t get stopped or even questioned. Half the fifth remained in the van while we were club hopping, I definitely drank too much to drive. But there we were.

Fate intervened, my van got towed a few miles down past the bridge. We decided to walk to get it, stopped for a bit to eat and the guy who suggested we park at McDonald’s paid to get it out. By then I had sobered up and it was like 6am Sunday morning. We got back, I dropped everyone off, then I got home to my mom and dad having breakfast. Dad was surprisingly chill about it, mom was not.
 
I was maybe 28-29. Was watching football at the bar the with some friends and left before the late game to head home. Was stupidly speeding a bit. Got pulled over by a county sheriff. Younger Black woman. She asked me the usual where were you and where are you headed, etc. She said I was going fast. I was honest, said I was at a bar and had a couple beers. She asked what I did for a living and told her I was high school special ed. teacher. She left with my ID, came back and said she smelled alcohol but didn't think I seemed intoxicated. She also mentioned how important my job was for the community. She then told me sternly to go directly home. I have no excuses for my behavior then but looking back, I don't think I would have passed a breathalyzer. It was 100% my job that saved me.
 
I was very young - before I had my own car, maybe 17 - I was driving my mom's pink Mary Kay Cadillac home from a date. Two drunk drivers were racing each other on a road perpendicular to the one I was driving. The first one passed in front of me missing by inches and the 2nd one plowed into me, knocking me, spinning, into the oncoming lanes of traffic. It seemed like slow motion and I was amazed I didn't get hit by any other cars. When I stopped spinning I looked over and saw that car had a smashed windshield with blood and I thought "Damn, they're dead" (they weren't) and then very slowly shifted to Park. When I looked up there were police cars and fire trucks everywhere so I had blacked out or lost consciousness but It didn't seem like it to me. They loaded the other driver into an ambulance while she was drunkenly shouting "Who the he## hit me?". I walked across the street to a Mexican restaurant to call my mom (this was back before cell phones) and she answered the phone "Tell me me you didn't wreck my Cadillac".
 
Got the Full blown DUI.

Had broken up with a girlfriend that was pretty serious.
Had a female college friend who had broken up with a pretty serious boyfriend.
A Saturday night of drinking seemed like what the doctor ordered.

Unfortunately her now ex-boyfriend shows up at the bar we're at with another girl. She's hammered and gets belligerent. She's making a huge scene. I decide I need to get her out of there. We came in her car. At 35, I can't begin to tell you why we even went to her car. At 28 or 29, it seemed like it was time for everyone to go home.

I felt fine. I got behind the wheel. I had never been in her car before. Apparently the headlights don't just come on. Cop got behind me and pulled me over for not having the headlights on. Said he smelled alcohol from the car. My friend couldn't form sentences or even tell me where the insurance and registration were. I pointed out of course you smell alcohol, she's hammered.

They wanted me to take the test. I said no. Got handcuffs. Got to jail. Called a lawyer buddy. He told me to blow at the jail. I blew over. Spent the night in jail.
Paid over 1,000$ to the jail/court. Paid 1,000$ to an attorney looking for any way to get out of it. Didn't get out of it.

I'm a doctor. I was a resident at the time. Absolute disaster to have this happen as a physician at any level, but the earlier the worse. All of my job applications asked if you'd been arrested and what for. I actually BEGGED a recruiter to tell the medical director where I was interviewing about it. She assured me it was handled and no one had any concerns. He later found out from my residency director because the nice lady had decided it was better to leave it out. When I interviewed, I figured if they weren't going to bring it up, neither was I. Wrong move.

I had to go see an addiction specialist in Louisville to decide if I had a problem. I had to piss in a cup while another man stood in the bathroom and watched. He decided I didn't have a problem. But the State Board of Medical Licensure knows about it. Even when it falls off my "record,"every medical facility in Kentucky will have a way to find it. So I always answer yes. And I hope that as more time passes, people consider it a 1 time mistake and not a defining scarlet letter.

It's a black cloud that will always hang over my head.

Use Uber and Lyft kids.
 
A bunch of us were out drinking as we do as younger adults, 5 or 6 of us. One of us doesn't drink, but smokes all the weed, big time problem. In our infinite wisdom, we decide she is the DD.

She drives... terribly, as she shouldn't have been driving. We're aware but it's terrible in a too slow, very stoned sort of way so we don't feel any imminent danger or issue (dumb, dumb).

She gets pulled over, because of course. We're all visibly drunk, it has to be apparent she's baked out of her mind. We're pretty close to our destination, a friends house where we're finishing the evening, the cop that pulled us over is a guy I went to high school with. We weren't super friendly but we were acquaintances. He waves us along and tails us back to where we're going.

Stupid situation to be in but thankfully no one hurt.

My opinion now is if you can't afford the $20 cab home, don't ****ing drink away from your house.
 
I am not proud to say when I was young, my buddies and I did a lot of drinking and driving......hell, we used to drive around the back roads with a case of Old Milwaukee and toss the empties out the window.

As you can imagine, I've had my share of close calls.

In high school we would get someone to buy us beer and we'd go down to the river "catfishin"......big bon fire, etc......one night/early AM I was heading home, and got pulled over. I think I had a tail light out or something. I kinda knew the cop, and I'm sure he knew my parents......he made me lock up my truck and gave me a ride home! Sometimes growing up in a small town came in handy.
 
Wow, this story really hits home. I’ve had my share of “what was I thinking” moments, especially when I was younger. I remember one night in my early 20s when I thought I could drive after a few too many beers at a concert. It was a similar situation—I thought I was fine, but deep down I knew I was pushing my luck. On my way home, I got pulled over, and my heart dropped. I wasn’t as lucky as you, though. The officer gave me a breathalyzer test, and I was well over the limit. It was a wake-up call. I had to deal with a DUI lawyer and all the consequences that came with it—court, fines, the whole nine yards. Looking back, I can’t believe how reckless I was, and I’m just thankful it didn’t end worse.
 
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Hit too close to home. Probably my best friend just made a terrible mistake. Played golf with a few friends, had too many, tried to drive home, went off the road and rolled his car. Ended up bruised from the air bag and taken to the hospital. They tested him there and he got a DUI. Was a much needed wake up call for him and very lucky he didn't kill himself or others. He's made the decision to drive after drinking a few times before, including from our fantasy draft 2 years ago. We told him to spend the night, don't drive, etc. Demanded it. Looked outside and his car was gone. We gave him hell for it the next day, and he said he doesn't remember how he got home, only that he went 30 miles out of the way. Now he's facing $10K or so in costs, loss of his license, already canceled our annual member/guest and Ryder Cup type tourney golf outings, etc. Paying the penance at home with wife/daughter. He's so ashamed and embarrassed. Really good guy who made a bad decision. He's one of those guys who doesn't have much tolerance and gets buzzed seemingly much more quickly than everyone else. Probably will make a decision to completely get sober, and it's probably the right decision for him. Good thing is we have several in our group who have made the journey who can support him.

Another reminder for all of us. Not worth it. Uber.
 
Serious answer is that I had a few when I was a teenager where cops were very cool because I was polite to them.

The last one I had was probably 15+ years ago driving home Thanksgiving eve. I blew a .07 but again I was super polite and respectful.

To be honest, I wasn’t impaired at all, but I hadn’t drank and drove a good 10 years before that and never since.Just not worth the risk (to myself and others).
 
This brought back a young, and dumb, memory for me. I was home from college on Thanksgiving Break. Met up with a high school friend at a bar for drinks. We eventually called it a night and drove home in our separate cars. I definitely shouldn't have been driving. My buddy texted me the next morning and said there was a cop in the bar parking lot that followed my car all the way home until I turned into my neighborhood. If I would have drifted over a line or done anything at all suspicious, I most likely would have been lit up and DUI'd. I never even knew the cop was behind me until the next day when my friend told me. Although I definitely got lucky that night, it "scared me straight" and I have never done anything of the sort since.
 
A guy I used to work with would bring a brethalyzer to happy hour. With it I determined that .22 was where I needed to cut myself off. It was a long time ago (25+ years), and I'm not proud, but my alcohol tolerance was quite highback in the day.

Also, 18th birthday: drinking age was 19, same age as my girlfriend. Got pulled over with an open container (beer 2 from a 12-pack) for a traffic violation (excessive acceleration). I was made to pour the rest of the beer out and was sent on my merry way with a warning - since we we were on our way home anyways. 1983 was different.
 
Mine was when I was about 26. Drove an hour or so to go clubbing with some friends in DC. The guys I went with were all recovering alcoholics who had graduated from AA/NA and were clean. Good guys who had learned to have a good time sober, but were still living with their past choices. Anyway - after a decent night out, I had 3 drinks over the course of 4 hours or so. Was absolutely NOT drunk. I lived 30 minutes from the nearest bar back home, so I was excellent at going out, having a few beers quickly, living off that buzz for a few hours, and then going home sober. I did it most every weekend, and this was no different, just a longer drive.

I missed an exit, and in my haste trying to find out where I was now heading (pre-GPS days), I went past a Fairfax County cop doing ~65 mph in a 55 mph zone near Dulles Airport. She pulled me over, and basically did everything she could to get me in trouble. It's my one negative interaction with LEO's. I'm very pro-police, but this was the exception. After getting me out of the car, she asked me the usual questions...how much have you had to drink, etc. I was nervous, obviously, and hand my hands in my pockets. She told me to take my hands out of my pockets, and I hooked my thumbs on my belt just to have somewhere to put my hands. She got on me for that too. She then asked for my license and I told her "It's in my pocket, is it OK if I get it since you told me not to put my hands in my pocket?" That was met with a "don't be a smart @$$." :shrug:.

She went to her car and ran my info, then came back and talked to my buddies. She asked them how much they had to drink, and all said "nothing." She then grilled me on why I didn't let one of them drive, and I said politely - "Well, it's my car, I'm not drunk, and most importantly, none of them have their licenses due to prior issues." She didn't like that answer either for some reason. She then proceeded to tell me that she thought I'd fail a field sobriety test, and I told her that if she wanted to give me one, I'd take it. She declined. Ultimately gave me a ticket for doing 75 in a 55, which I'm very sure was not how fast I was going, and then let me go telling me "You're lucky I don't nail you for a DUI, and I'll be radioing to officers along your route to keep an eye out for you." I told her again that I'd gladly take a sobriety test or blow because I was not drunk, but that was the end of it.

Ended up having to get a lawyer for the ticket because 20 over was a reckless driving charge. Got it lowered to just speeding, but man, what a pain.
 
It was not a scare, I got popped. And it was well earned. While I had good intentions with this one, I didn't with many...many others before (and after) so let's consider this one karma / a lesson. It was post-grad. I had moved to Cleveland for work and my last girlfriend from college and I were on our last stand. I took her and her best friend (who I previously shacked up with) to a Red Wings playoff game. I had sinister plans for after, and it wouldn't have been the first time (hence, last stanza), but things turned sideways at the bar after the game.

We made friends with some rowdy canucks and went with them to the Old Shillelagh after. My plans for black and tans were quickly thwarted as the irish whiskey flowed like water. Little did I know that they too had sinister plans. Once they had me good and medicated, but not so much that I lost my sense of reality, I watched one of them slipped something in the other girl's drink. Specifics escape me, but given the level of intoxication, I pulled some wizardry to get those girls outta there. I told the guys we were getting a round of irish cap bombs and I needed the girls to help me carry them. When we got to the bar I nonchalantly told my girlfriend what I saw and asked if she had ideas on how to get her outta there. She acted like she got a phone call, I don't recall what she said, but quickly turned into a basket case, and summoned her outside. I turned around, shrugged my shoulders, held up my index finger, signaling we'll be right back...then didn't.

Our original plan was to find a room at Greektown, something that was easy to do on a whim in the mid-late aughts, but amidst the situation the girls were hell bent on going home and I didn't have the sense to say that's probably not a good idea. So we made the trek an hour south back home. Again, specifics escape me, but unlike every other time before (and after)I vividly remember thinking during 'I should not be driving.' Despite that I got my girlfriend home, then the other girl, her roommate was waiting outside upon arrival (they briefed her en route), so she was in good hands. I headed back to my girlfriend's and just as I hit the turn signal to pull into her driveway, a black and white. I did a great job managing the speed limit throughout, but forgot it dropped from 35 to 25 the final 2 blocks, and at 3 am in a small college town, that's toast. And no way was I beating any tests.

While I didn't immediately learn my lesson, fatherhood eventually changed my decision making process. This ain't hard. Uber, man.
 
Took my parents into the city for a play, and dinner. Of course we had a few at the show, and then again during dinner.

On the way home we were pulled over for an expired tag.

Officer asked for my license and insurance, and let us know the reason for pulling us over.

My parents were bombed in the back seat, and immediately start asking the officer all kinds of questions: Where are you from? Do you know so-and-so? Do you have any kids?....laughing and joking with him the whole time.

Officer got such a kick out of my parents he barely looked me over. Gave me a ticket for the tag(which was thrown out because we had updated sticker), and told us to make sure we got the "party animals" home safely

My parents thought it was hilarious.
 
Closest I got.
August 1988 Banf Canada. Three of us were on a bicycle tour of the Canadian Rockies and had a day off for rest. We began drinking around noon and ended sometime before midnight.
In my drunken stupor I had forgotten where I had parked my bike, so I stroll up to a big guy who was wearing a scarlet red jacket with black bloomer pants, long brown boots, and a tan Stetson wide brimmed hat. He looked surprisingly like a RMCP Mountie.
Funny thing is, he was a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman.
I say, "I'm drunk and forgot where I parked my bike."
Before I finish, I spy my bike over his shoulder and say, "Uh, there it is." And walk off.
He's looks at me and I say, "Don't worry, I won't be riding it."
He chuckled and shook his head.
 
My sophomore year of college I got a new roommate and as a "get to know ya" we went to the local Old Chicago's and went 20 deep into the World beer tour in about 5 hours. I remember driving and thinking I was way out of control and going to fast and looked down at speedometer and I was going ten miles per hour. What saved me was it was a Tuesday at 1:30 in the morning in a moderate sized town and I only needed to drive about 1.5 miles. I was also underage, being 19 at the time. That Old Chicago would just serve you no questions asked if you were a college student. The next day I went out to check my car and I had parked it in 3 spaces. It is amazing how far away 1989 is in time.
 
mid 20's during my big party time living in Chicago. Went out to a club till about 4 or 5am. Drove my buddies car, it was a straight shot down Division street from downtown to the west side. With the bright city street lights and it not being my car, only the parking lights were on but I couldn't tell because the dash was lit up and it felt like everything was good. A cop going the other way flashed his brights at me and I didn't do anything. He did a u turn and pulled me over. Luckily by that time we were only two blocks from my apartment. He took a look a the id and then me and stopped for a minute...and said just get home!
 
Took my parents into the city for a play, and dinner. Of course we had a few at the show, and then again during dinner.

On the way home we were pulled over for an expired tag.

Officer asked for my license and insurance, and let us know the reason for pulling us over.

My parents were bombed in the back seat, and immediately start asking the officer all kinds of questions: Where are you from? Do you know so-and-so? Do you have any kids?....laughing and joking with him the whole time.

Officer got such a kick out of my parents he barely looked me over. Gave me a ticket for the tag(which was thrown out because we had updated sticker), and told us to make sure we got the "party animals" home safely

My parents thought it was hilarious.
I was a back seat passenger in a car that our sober DD was driving, a cop pulled us over and the driver explained that he was the DD. I'm not sure the cop believed him at first then said it stunk like booze in the car... I replied with a "that's me" which got a nice laugh from the officer. Turns out the cop and driver went to the same gym and recognized each other so we were sent on our merry way, but the party animals in your back seat reminded me of this incident.
 
I forgot about a quick one from before I was of legal age. It was graduation night, my junior year of high school. I think I was just 16. I had my license for maybe 7-8 months. My buddy and I were out in my Jeep popping in to celebrate with some of our friends who were seniors. I didn't drink a drop at that point. I actually think that was before I'd ever had any alcohol. My buddy was a light drinker and rolled with a bit of an older crowd at times due to his part-time work. Anyway, we hopped from one house to another a few miles away, and I gave a few guys a ride over there. I ended up leaving around 12:15 AM, and our town had a midnight curfew for teenage drivers.

I got pulled over leaving town driving home, but the officer quickly let me go when I told him I was on my way home. Anyway - I get home, pull into our garage, and when I stop, I hear something bumping around under the seat. I get out, and look, and it's a full, unopened Miller Lite can. I guess one of the guys who I gave a ride to was bringing some beer for the next stop, unbeknownst to me, and it fell out. Thank god the cop never looked around closely. I had a Wrangler with no top, and he'd have easily seen it.
 
1983. Chico State in the heyday of its party school reputation. Leaving a party with four of us, two guys, two gals, and the two guys just met the two gals. I'm driving and I'm slammed. Covering one eye to stop the double vision. Just wanted to get these girls some place quiet. Driving the backstreets to the other guy's rented house. Lights go on. I stop in the middle of the street. Even that drunk, I did a pretty good job of making this cop want to give me a break. He could see what was up. He asked me to get out and when I did he asked me to recite the alphabet. I remember it clear as day.

I said, "abcdefghijkxyz" :ROFLMAO:

He asked if that sounded right. I said nope. He shook his head and asked me to walk in a straight line towards him. I stumbled a little, but quickly recovered and sort of danced in a straight line. I did a little spin for him. I danced to him and back to where I was. I assured him I was physically capable of driving.

my buddy in the back seat yelled that he was sober and would drive us home. We were just going home! For some reason this angered me. And I yelled back at him that I was driving. The cop let us argue obviously amused, and tbh, this type of situation can be sobering. I felt sober suddenly. He asked how far home was. I gave him directions. It was five blocks down that street, a right hand turn, second house on the left. He looked down a very quiet back street and said, "Alright. I'm following you. You make one bad move and you're facing a dui."

Those days are gone forever.
 
2011, maybe 2012. Greater Los Angeles area.

I went to a company Christmas Party at a hotel, then had to stop at mom's house roughly 20 miles away, then to a friends Christmas Party near mom's house for the night. I had three-ish hard liquor drinks at the company party, felt I was okay to go, so drove to mom's house. On the way, as soon as I get off of the freeway, I am in line into a sobriety check. That is a street I've driven through for decades and never has there been a checkpoint there. I can turn around through the cones, but I see police cars lined up on the other side looking for just that. I'm stuck, and pretty much screwed, I can smell the alcohol on myself.

I was still a smoker at the time, so I get a thought. Once I was about 5-ish cars from the checkpoint I lit up a cigarette and closed all the windows. I'm a nervous wreck. As soon as I get up to the officer I open the window and I can see the smoke rush out of the car right into his face. It worked, he stepped back, pointed his flashlight into my face, asked if I was drinking, and then just looked at the next car and waived me through. He looked quite disgusted.

Quit smoking since and Uber becaming a thing. The end.
 
I was 21 or 22 and still in college. Roommate and I drove an hour away to an Indian casino for a poker tournament. Both busted out on bad beats so we went to get a drink at the bar to commiserate. Ended up chatting with cool folks, one led to five, and now it's pushing midnight and we gotta get back for an 8 AM exam. I'm not falling down or slurring, but I've just had several in a short span so I know I shouldn't be driving. But we're an hour from home, no one sober with us, and I deemed myself more sober than him so away we went.

We hit a Krystal burger chain for some food and got on the road. Blue lights behind me popped on, my buddy starts freaking out wanting me to give him the burger I'm eating, and I end up dropping it on my leg, spilling mustard everywhere. Cop says I bumped the yellow center line twice, "have you boys been drinking?". I still had a half full mouth of burger (on purpose by me to hide any booze breath). "No sir, just heading back after playing the poker tournament, trying to eat but Butterfingers over here threw it at me and I had to catch it from falling in the floorboard" and I motioned to my mustard leg. He buys it, says to be careful, and lets us go.

I was sweating freaking bullets the whole time. Eased on down the road and set the cruise exactly on the speed limit and we made it home without further incident. That encounter scared me straight as an arrow and I haven't done that ever again since.
 
I was in my mid 20s and had drank at a bar watching some football. A few other friends were hanging out to watch the Sunday Night game and probably drink more. I had Monday off work. I wasn't wasted but it was dumb to drive and I certainly was over the legal limit. The path to take me to my friends house takes me past a county sherrif's station. And lord knows why, but I am speedning. Not flying but going 10-12 over the limit. Just piling stupid onto stupid. And sure enough a little after I pass the sherrif station the lights go off in my rear view mirror. A young black woman approaches my car, asks me where I was and what I was going. I am honest and tell her the truth (though maybe fudging a little on how much I had). She runs my license, etc. Obviously my heart racing, just absolutely racing. I am so screwed. She comes back and tells me she smells alcohol but that I am not giving her any signs of impairment. I get a speeding ticket and she tells me to turn around and go directly home. I have no idea how or why I was so lucky that evening but I've made sure to never test my luck again.
 
I'm 20 yrs old, and it's 1996 and the last Saturday before returning to junior year of college. I'm at a house party in Jingletown/Fruitvale area of East Oakland with two longtime buddies (went to HS with both), one is also a college roommate of mine. We each had our own bottle of Mad Dog 20/20. Whenever there was a blunt session, each of us were there.

So, the party is breaking up around midnight, and the other two say they can't drive. I said I was ok to drive.

Hop into the driver's seat of my roommate's Acura Integra, change the CD changer to the "Purple tape", and start bumpin' "Criminology". We're going back to the Integra-owner's house since his parents were out of town. His house was about 30 mins away from the party. I drive fine for the first 29 mins 30 secs.

We are just two right turns and a quick left before his house. For some reason, I just floor it, trying to take the first right turn way too fast. Well, the tires lose grip, and I wrap the front end around a stop sign (wooden post). Airbags did not deploy. Pop the two front tires due to curb impact. We are all ok, no injuries, no blood. I am able to remove the car from the stop sign and park it across the street. One friend throws a dime bag into the bushes.

Unfortunately, another HS friend lived in a house about 200 feet away from that stop sign. Her dad was local PD (not sure of rank). He ends up calling it in. I did fine reciting the alphabet forwards, but I slightly messed up when reciting in reverse. I did fine walking heel-to-toe. No breathalyzer on site, but did have to do it at the police station. I spent the night in a holding cell with two other people (not my friends, they were allowed to walk home).

When my case went to court, unrepresented, I ended up pleading no contest, and the offense was downgraded to a wet reckless. Lost my license for a year, had to take classes for drunk drivers, and pay a fee (don't recall amount). My friend who had the Integra didn't ask for any repair money, said he felt guilty too. I ended up giving him $500 a couple of months after court. We are still friends to this day.
 

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