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zstar5000
Joined: 23 Feb 2009
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 Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 6:14 am Post subject: Random alcohol related checkpoint |
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| I was stopped and asked to take a Breathalyzer test tonight on the way home. First time this has happened since we've been here, or the first time I've even seen such a checkpoint for that matter. It got me wondering what the BAC limit is here, and what happens if you blow in excess of that limit. Is there jail time involved, a fine, both?? Do you have the option of doing some sort of physical test to either validate/invalidate the BAC test? |
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BStaff
Joined: 21 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 10:44 am Post subject: |
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| Were you driving or just walking? |
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zstar5000
Joined: 23 Feb 2009
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| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 2:46 pm Post subject: |
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| I was driving. Do they have these for pedestrians as well? |
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ChinaBoy
Joined: 17 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 3:28 pm Post subject: |
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| You have the option of not drinking and driving, rather than trying to weasel out of punishment. |
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Cheonmunka
Joined: 04 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 3:30 pm Post subject: |
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| The approximate limit for most men is a shot of soju or one glass of beer. |
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crossmr
Joined: 22 Nov 2008
Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 3:49 pm Post subject: |
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I don't drive but I see the checkpoints fairly regularly.
They set up one near Konkuk university almost weekly. |
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zstar5000
Joined: 23 Feb 2009
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| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 4:02 pm Post subject: |
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| ChinaBoy wrote: |
| You have the option of not drinking and driving, rather than trying to weasel out of punishment. |
Knowing the law is not weaseling out of anything. |
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Sector7G
Joined: 24 May 2008
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| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Cheonmunka wrote: |
| The approximate limit for most men is a shot of soju or one glass of beer. |
Wow, I knew it was tough here but that's a pretty low threshold. Fortunately here in Korea there are a lot of economical alternatives, like that service where they come and drive your car for you. It's pretty inexpensive, and you don't have to worry about fetching your car in the morning, as you would if you had taken a taxi, which is also a pretty cheap and wise way to go. My Korean friend uses it all the time.
On a somewhat related note, my home town of Sarasota, Florida has actually canceled DUI checkpoints over the July 4 holiday weekend, a time they normally have several. Seems there is a big legal controversy over the particular breathalyzer the cops use. If you are interested in legal stuff, here is the link:
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090702/ARTICLE/907021068 |
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sulperman
Joined: 14 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 4:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Cheonmunka wrote: |
| The approximate limit for most men is a shot of soju or one glass of beer. |
One soju or beer is NOT the level. Maybe if you weighed about 40 pounds....The level here is .05, and those drunk stops are everywhere, BUT-
You will never see one when it is very cold, raining, or after about 2 AM.
I think they are great, and I don't know why they don't have them more back home. |
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b-class rambler
Joined: 25 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 7:26 pm Post subject: |
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| sulperman wrote: |
| Cheonmunka wrote: |
| The approximate limit for most men is a shot of soju or one glass of beer. |
One soju or beer is NOT the level. Maybe if you weighed about 40 pounds....The level here is .05, and those drunk stops are everywhere, BUT-
You will never see one when it is very cold, raining, or after about 2 AM.
I think they are great, and I don't know why they don't have them more back home. |
I think the limit may have gone down from 0.05% to 0.03% now (or is about to) with an increase in the minimum fine. That was on the news a couple of mornings ago, although I was doing something else while it was on the tv so I didn't catch the full details. I recall some politician submitted a proposal for that change in the law a few months back, so it might be that it was successful and is now on the statute book or soon will be.
I agree about the checkpoints. From my observations while driving, I'd also tend to think that at 2am or in the rain they're less likely. But otherwise I'm quite impressed with how they conduct them. They seem to vary the location of their checkpoints quite well, and at some of them I've seen, there's been a couple of side roads that drivers could sidestep the checkpoint via, but the cops have had them covered with someone checking drivers there too.
In the UK, we do have a lower road fatalities rate than most other countries in the world, but I'd still favour Britain having random breath checks like they do here. As it stands, in the UK the police have to have a reason to stop and breathalyse you. In reality, it's not hard for them to invent a reason, but I still think the symbolic power of frequent random checks has a significant deterrent effect. |
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rkc76sf
Joined: 02 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 7:40 pm Post subject: |
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| The military police now perform a breathalyzer on soldiers they may suspect of drinking too much (over .10) or being underage. And they're not even driving, just drinking and walking! |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 9:02 pm Post subject: |
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| sulperman wrote: |
those drunk stops are everywhere, BUT-
You will never see one when it is very cold, raining, or after about 2 AM. |
About 2:30 a.m., I saw a scooter pizza delivery guy get arrested at one of those drunk checkpoints. I've also seen the checkpoints in the rain here. As it's Busan, I can't say much about if they cancel them for very cold weather.
| Quote: |
| I think they are great, and I don't know why they don't have them more back home. |
Agreed! |
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ChinaBoy
Joined: 17 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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| zstar5000 wrote: |
| ChinaBoy wrote: |
| You have the option of not drinking and driving, rather than trying to weasel out of punishment. |
Knowing the law is not weaseling out of anything. |
| zstar5000 wrote: |
| Do you have the option of doing some sort of physical test to either validate/invalidate the BAC test? |
Attempting in invalidate the BAC test seems to be trying to weasel out of punishment. Drunks always claim they are in perfect control after they blow a 0.15. |
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zstar5000
Joined: 23 Feb 2009
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| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 9:16 pm Post subject: |
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[quote=
Attempting in invalidate the BAC test seems to be trying to weasel out of punishment. Drunks always claim they are in perfect control after they blow a 0.15.[/quote]
As per your first premise, sorry, it's not. The physical exam is an opportunity to simply double check the effectiveness of the BAC test. Of course this would not be necessary if the BAC were 100% accurate, but see the above post re: the lawsuit in FL. |
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waseige1
Joined: 09 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 4:28 am Post subject: DUI |
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I just had a buddy get a DUI on a motorcycle.
Yes the limit is .05 and you can get there with a beer or a soju depending on weight. That is also what they said in his mandatory DUI class he has to take.
Fine was about 750,000 won.
Has to take two classes.
Lost license for about 6 month.
According to the cops, by law they can not and will not notify the school.
His VP who is his buddy verified this.
It is still in process, but all in all, looks like he is getting off easy. |
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