Help. The Legend has a problem.

While I do not condone, in any way, driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol, I must point out a situation of great concern to me.

There is currently a DUI television commercial running on our local station where the Highway Patrolman stops a guy who was driving and drinking beer in his pickup truck. The Patrolman asks the guy to stand on one foot and lift the other six inches off the ground. When the guy loses his balance, the Patrolman cuffs him and takes him off to jail. I have tried this test several times and I CANNOT DO THAT WITHOUT LOSING MY BALANCE.

Another situation occured recently where a client of the law firm where I spend my days, was stopped and told to recite the alphabet backwards beginning with "Z". I have been trying this and I cannot do that either. Neither could that client and off to jail he went. Wonder if he tried to buy a vowel?

So, I would assume if I get stopped for a track stop by an officer eager to fulfill his quota of DUIs for the month, I will be cuffed and taken to the "slammer". Someone help me out here. Do they give you the breathalyzer before OR after then take the picture and book you? I may be afraid to go out and drive anytime soon. They are always doing traffic stops on I-20. Yesterday I thought I was at a K-Mart going out of business sale on I-20 west from Columbia to Lexington. Seriously, there was a somewhat overweight Highway Patrolman standing on the Bush River Road overpass with one of those little speed guns. There were 7 Lexington County marked cars, 6 Highway Patrol marked cars, and 4 Highway Patrol unmarked cars, all with blue lights blinking and vehicles stopped.

I'll end this with the reassurance that I have the deepest respect and appreciation of our law enforcement officers. I just worry about that standing on one foot deal. Help me out here. NASCAR never required such a test. My guess is little Brian would fail it too.

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What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.


updated by @tim-leeming: 01/11/17 12:36:53PM

Tim they MUST OFFER you a breathalyzer or blood test which you have the right to refuse. A field sobriety test alone will not convict you, unless you refuse the breathealyzer or blood test. So rest at ease my friend.

Reminds me of a story from my past...lol. Once upon a time...While traveling on US 23 near Johnson City, TN I came upon a man who quickly stepped almost in front of me... facing me on the right side of the road holding what appeared to be a weapon aimed at me. He was standing with is feet a little further than shoulder-width apart...one foot actually in the traffic lane (across the white line). He had both hands on this "weapon" and was clearly aiming it at me. I immediately locked up the brakes, ducked below the dash, and came to a sliding stop about one foot from his "original" position.. When I got the nerve to look over the steering wheel he had moved...apparently rather quickly to the ditch. He turned out to be a police officer. The weapon turned out to be a radar gun. Yup, they will haul yer butt in for that. But I got off...he was reprimanded. Apparently there had been other complaints. He seemed to hold that against ME for some time.


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Founder/Creator - RacersReunion®

Its all about statics when pulled in by the DOT and checked out in a big truck everthing turns out somewhat ok the only thing they can find is a taglight out on a raggdy contaner and he spends 45 min doing paper work theres no way to win the man has to much time on his hands you want get a ticket but you will lose 45 min to one hour and that can and will make for a long day

Tim,

I can't do that either. Back in my drinking days I was pull over and the po-lice ask me was I drunk. I told him if I

won't I had wasted a lot of beer. He gave me a test and it came back 99% alcohol and the other % chaser.

He wanted to see my driver License so I told him to asked that judge that took it three month ago. He asked

why I was driving this drunk so I told him I was to drunk to walk. The nice police gave me a ride but not to my home.

Thanks

Harlow Reynolds

Lynchburg, Va.

Tim are you drumming up business for that New establishment you working at?? I hear they promised you a 59 Plymouth if you made them a fortune . DW said that guy on the bridge was testing out the new speed dectors for Brian so they would have pit road speeds down to a science in Feb. But he did say that you need to tighten up on your speed sir Seems as though you were going just a little to slow. Could that be??

Harlow Reynolds said:

Tim,

I can't do that either. Back in my drinking days I was pull over and the po-lice ask me was I drunk. I told him if I

won't I had wasted a lot of beer. He gave me a test and it came back 99% alcohol and the other % chaser.

He wanted to see my driver License so I told him to asked that judge that took it three month ago. He asked

why I was driving this drunk so I told him I was to drunk to walk. The nice police gave me a ride but not to my home.

Thanks

Harlow Reynolds

Lynchburg, Va.

Joe Whitley said:You should have told them Ralph caused you to get drunk because he turned your car over while qualifying on the backroads of Phenix va. Thanks Joe

Harlow Reynolds said:

Tim,

I can't do that either. Back in my drinking days I was pull over and the po-lice ask me was I drunk. I told him if I

won't I had wasted a lot of beer. He gave me a test and it came back 99% alcohol and the other % chaser.

He wanted to see my driver License so I told him to asked that judge that took it three month ago. He asked

why I was driving this drunk so I told him I was to drunk to walk. The nice police gave me a ride but not to my home.

Thanks

Harlow Reynolds

Lynchburg, Va.

Tim, that section of I-20 has more wrecks that any othersection of I-20in South Carolina. I know of 4 fatalities within the last couple of years. You can be running 75 and they will pass you like you are sitting still. The saturation patrol, used to be called the Wolf Pack, takes place about once a month at various locations.The saturation will slow them down for a couple of days but it doesn't last long.

My wife has a problem with the balance test also due to a medical problem. She's been advised by a doctor to insist on blowing up a balloon or a BAT.

As a former city police officerI was never given a quota to meet.I also didn't give border line arrests for any traffic violations. Including DUI's. I use three standard tests (walk and turn, gaze, and balance)along with the Breathalyzer to determine the arrest.If you flunked any of then along with the PCthat caused the stop,you were arrested.I hated to go to court on my day off because I needed to work on my racecar. The Legendcan tell you that if you don't have good evidence in the arrest you will have to put a lot of extra words down in your statement of facts. That in my opinion was not honest and took way to much time to cover yourself. That being said I moved on from law enforcement back in 1999because I seen a change in the new school officer.They started taking on the badass attitudes that came with no hair and big ego's.The world is upside down. We need to turn it over.Let's teach Officers to serve the public again! State Highway Patrol officers are drilled over and over in trainning to win those border line arrests.That's what they do. But you still do have your day in court. I've watched them in court many times over the years trying to win those borderline cases. They lose a lot of them and look stupid on the stand. Don't worry just be honest if you are stopped and make them prove you were violating the law. If you were, pay the fine! You got caught! keep it under 105! W