drew703

iTrader: (1)

Aight all, I just had to share this story cause it's a definite scary story (for me at least!) So it's the first halloween for my and Z, and of course I went out to some party last nite. It was all the way out in Clifton VA, which is definitely nothing like DC to say the least. So me and some friends are all just out having good time, drinking, chilling, etc...

Now dont get me wrong, I am not the type to drink and drive, but I did drink some, with the plan of driving home at some point. Since I've had my Z, ive been SUPER careful that if I'm gonna drink, I stay wherever the hell I'm at! Just cuz the Z attracts enough attention as it is, and that lovely engine just begs me to push her. So by the time I'm leaving the party, it had been a good 2 hours or so since I drank anything, and I wasn't really drunk, just buzzed a little. But it was getting late, and I had to drop one of my friends home, so I decided to leave. So my friend and I are heading home, getting out of Clifton was a damn miracle, then it was just 66, to 495 to get home. So I'm about 2 exits away from dropping my friend off, and I notice some rectangular shaped headlights in my rearview, and I can tell pretty quick they were definitely Crown Vic looking headlights...so I merge over a lane (I was in the fast lane, cruising around 75-80) and then he follows me. So I'm thinking "oh fu*k, he's going to pull me over..." No sooner than I thought those words, I see him flip on the lights...so now I'm freaking out, because even though I was straight to drive, I definitely had a few drinks in me from couple hours beforehand, and I knew if he gave me a breathalizer, I would = owned
So my heart is pounding almost AUDIBLY out of my chest, and he comes over to the window and says suprisingly calmly "Ya know, I was pacing you there for a few min, you were going between about 80-90 there, so I had to pull ya over." I immediately cursed myself out for not being more attentive! Normally I always check behind me in case a trooper is trailing me, or at least in my lane. But i guess that was slight after effects of drinking, plus it being about 3:40am "How much have you had to drink this halloween?" the officer asked... I told him nothing, but he said he could smell alcohol. My friend immediately said "oh, we were at a party, someone spilled beer on my shirt..." (That actually was true, so things were still okay at this point) This was a state trooper it turns out, and not to generalize or anything...but he was SO DAMN nice! He was just talking around and joking with me about how he was pissed he had to work tonite, and that he wanted to goto a Halloween party himself! So I'm starting to loosen up a little, but still nervous to see what happens next. He asks to do some field sobriety tests, so I look over at my friend and she just says "FOCUS DREW!" So I step out, and first thing I tell him that this is first time I've ever had to do it, and that I'm pretty uncoordinated as it is, so I might not do well...he told me they take that into account. So i gotta count my fingers aloud, while touching one after another, 1-4, then count backwards as I reverse the order I touched my finger tips. Then I gota do the standing on one foot, walk the line. I pass them all fine, and then he says "well you're doing great, just want to make sure you'd be okay with a breathalizer"
My body froze as he said that word, cuz I knew I cant beat a freaking breathalizer...but of course it would look kinda bad if I refuse it, so I said go ahead. I walk over to my Z again, and tell my friend "well, looks like I might be going to jail tonite!" (keep in mind everyone, I'm definitely only 20...so I technically shouldnt have any alcohol according to that damn zero tolerance thingy)
He comes back with the breathalizer, I blow into it, then wait for the reading. He sorta had it at an angle, and I saw the numbers going up slowly, so I'm just thinking to myself "wow, I wonder what it's going to be like to be arrested..." He asked me if I knew what the legal limit was, I answered correct with .08 It turns out the angle I saw the numbers was just a bad one, I thought I was at .2 but actually only .02 ! He asked what I did tonite, I told him that I was at a party a few hours earlier, had a drink or two, but waited because I didnt want to get pulled over for DUI...
Then he continue to joke around, asking what I drank, I didnt even remember, I was seriously plastered hours before, so I just come up with Bud Light. Then he says "aw come on man, JUST bud light? It's halloween, you gotta go all out at some point!" Anyways to wrap up this story, he just told me to be careful, cause since I'm a smaller guy (5'3", 130lbs) that only 2 drinks could put me over the limit. Then he says just a warning, and that I shouldn't be drinking then getting into a Z! I almost literally told him that I loved him! LoL
Seriously though, I've had bad experiences with state troopers in the past, and I got SO lucky with this guy! He didnt even bother to check 3 things that could have easily been tickets by themselves he wanted to be "strict" I have aftermarket exhaust, tinted windows (definitely below legal limit) and NO front license plate. The guy was seriously the nicest officer I think I have ever come across! I mean we all have had those "complete as*hole officer" experiences, and this was definitely NOT one of them. Needless to say, it was definitely a close call for me and my baby Z, and you all can BELIEVE I gonna be more careful. So dont drink and drive, but IF YOU do, be more alert and careful than I was!

-a very relieved/lucky drew

wren57

iTrader: (34)

Very good story and close call! It's one thing to drive after a couple in the Z (if you wait long enough), but I can't believe you sped! Im only 18 and have had a few some nights, waited about 2 hours then drove, but always put cruise control on exact speed limit, windows down (so I can't be pulled over for tint), full stop at all stop signs, etc. Make sure you give them NO reason to pull you over...

TZUNAMI

You stoopid lucky bastard. I chirp my tires out of a parking lot and get a ticket for No Front plate. You're speeding, having just had a few drinks earlier, and get past all that without a ticket, from a STATE TROOPER? I freaking hate you man.

I just wanna know if you friend got the beer smell out of his shirt and if you got the **** smell outta your pants? HEHEHE

bobS

YEa i do the same...drive extra careful but i always set the cruise control like 3mph over so it doesn't look to obvious....especially since you are most likely the only car on the road. Thats awesome that u had a nice cop for once....

drew703

iTrader: (1)

Lol, oh I definitely had to change pants the second I got home!
I wasn't speeding too bad, in fact to be honest the rest of the time I couldnt have been speeding too much because I passed at least 2 other state troopers doing speed traps! But grr, I know what happened though. There was some song on the radio, I got all into it, and all you Z owners know JUST how easy it is to cruise from 70 up to the 85-90mph zone like it's nothing! I just remembering hearing this good song on the radio, me and my friend joking around singing it, (and me not noticing the speedo climbing upwards past 75mph) then look up to see mr friendly state trooper.

-drew

wren57

iTrader: (34)

Yeah, the speedo can creep up real quickly if not paying attention... thats why I use cruise control

dchengmd

Dude. That was an incredibly lucky turn of events. Any other time and you might have been busted for any number of things. Count your blessings and the lives you have left!

Everybody, be careful out there. I'm not going into a diatribe about underage drinking or anything, but regardless of how old you are, if you drink, watch yourself EXTRA closely before getting behind the wheel, or have a friend watch you. I've seen enough cases in the ER where things went 100% opposite of what happened to you, and it's not pretty.

Again - be careful out there.

Beamm

You're a lucky bastard....

With that said....I fail to see your logic of how 'you're straight to drive' but you'll 'fail the breathalizer'. People a whole lot smarter than you have set those limits and it is idiot drivers who think they're able to drive when they're not that kill people. I skied with a girl who thought she was OK, and it turned out later that she was under the legal limit. She drove her Jeep head-on into an 18 wheeler while her twin-sister and family watched in a second car. So yea, great for you that you didn't get a ticket (he should have arrested you on the spot for posession by consumption) but it is people with your attitude that injure and kill people. I'm sorry if that's harsh, but it's true. America seriously needs to consider taking after Europe and flip-floping the drinking and driving ages.

Seriously, I don't want to flame but someone sure as hell needs to point out how this post is seriously wrong and disturbing.

Reggi914

iTrader: (3)

Wow, you are lucky! Lesson here, dont drink and drive!

Dissolved

Sorry drew. That story wasn't amusing at all

Jsn350Z

" windows down (so I can't be pulled over for tint)"

Police officers like to look for people with their windows down at night. I guess they did some kind of study showing that if you are under the influance people tend to like the fresh air and keep the windows down? Not sure, just herd that from an officer.

Dizolit

Agreed, I was hit a drunk driver and luckily I cheated death after rolling over. Being hit by a chevrolet s-10 thats driving at 85+ mph. Heres a pic of our car a day after the incident because everyone loves pics!

It's/Was an 96' Acura RL

Paul_BB_Guy

Dude....
Feeling buzzed when driving (even if you believe you're under the legal limit) is HYPER-uncool. When I know I'm driving afterwards I always limit myself to *MAX* three beers and then switch to coke or water at least two hours before I plan to leave. I would never get plastered knowing that I had to drive home that night, even if it was 5 hours before leaving. You ever go to bed and then wake up the next morning buzzed? The effects of alcohol can be longer lasting than we think!

You've got to have respect for the fact that you're controlling a piece of heavy machinery and even on a good day you can hit something on the road or get cut off, etc. and have to pull off crazy **** to keep from killing yourself and others.

Ultimately have enough discipline and respect for yourself and those around not to behave this way. There's nothing cool about it and until someone close to you dies or ends up paralyzed as a result you'll never really understand.

Like Beamm said I don't want to flame or anything but you should know that what you did is very wrong.

drew703

iTrader: (1)

Nah you all dont need to say sorry for flaming or anything - none taken. Besides what you all are saying is exactly right, it was really not a smart move to drive so soon after. And I mean, I didnt intend for this story to be funny, hence halloween scare title. I just happened to have an officer with a sense of humor, which was the only part intended to be humorous. This is the second "close call" type of story I've posted (my other long one was about ALMOST getting nailed by some lady, back when I first got my Z over the summer)
Anyways, I didn't mean to post the story just for sympathy, just more of another warning to others out there that we all gotta be careful. I know that sounds super hypocritical, considering what just happened to me. But again, like I said, i was ULTRA lucky, and I definitely deserved to get in more trouble. But luckily it didnt happen, and for what it's worth I learned my lesson. The same thing happened when I got caught going 110 in a 55 , but that was 2 years ago with my '01 Jetta. After that ticket, court, community service, etc...it scared me straight/woke me up to speeding 90+. What happened with almost getting busted this past weekend was another big wake up call for me. I mean like Paul said, it's really true that a lot of ppl dont "wake up" until something terrible happens, or worse...dont wake up at all, literally.

But hey good lookin out on all though, I appreciate the responses. Oh and Beamm, the only thing I meant when I said "I was straight to drive" but failed breathalize, was that I wasnt drunk. Again my BAC was only .02, so I didnt want to imply I was totally fine, but definitely was not drunk/unable to drive carefully.

-drew