Hey guys, I've been a career truck driver for 18 years. Last year i was
going through my divorce and got a bit depressed and did something
waaaay stupid. I went ut to a bar and got very mesed up,the funny thing
is i don't drink much at all. As a matter of fact so little that most of
my friends never knew i drank period!! anyways I didn't drive, but was
passed out in the car with the doors locked and the keys WERE in the
ignition. So, you know i got arrested, i also lost my CDL license for
one full year. The end of it is this month. My question to you all is Do
you think the penalty is a bit extreme for a firs offense?

ya could be in WA state where a dui...do eeee they call them nets you a
fine big time. I don't know about truck driving, passed out with keys in
ignition.
Oh, well worse things could happen 2 ya. Be thankful....and quit
drinking.

Thank you, oh i wasn't in a truck, i was in my persoanal vehicle,and
don't you worry dear, i have stopped drinking!!!

The fine was 800

Oh yeah, the loss of my job for a year was far more. It figured out to
more than 11,000 dollars per drink!!!!

well dear yourself, why r u asking advice, when u already got this one
figured out?
ya know the answer to your own question.

The question is do you think the penalty given is too extreme? I figured
i'd get people on both sides of that one, but i guess i'm not the
popular one LOL

Are you sure you aren't thinking of an episode of Everybody Loves
Raymond? The same thing happened to Debra.

I love how they call it a drunk driving *accident*. Like you fell down
and accidentally got beer in your mouth, and then drove a vehicle. I
think sitting down, ordering liquor, drinking the liquor, ordering more
and more, paying your bill, and getting into a vehicle is pretty
purposeful. Not talking about you rproman.

Doesn't matter what we think. You know that CDL holders have a different
set of rules than the general public. Hate to tell you, but I imagine
that you will have a hard time finding anyone that will hire you now.

You always here extremes on this subject, rproman, like someone who has
100 DWIs and no license plows through a daycare and kills half the kids.
Then there is what happened to you!

yup, and yeah i know dave, i'm gonna have to find a small outfit to
start back in with. I know you weren't talking about me hun.

Having a CDL license has its good and its bad things. Alot of times the
cops will let you go with a warning for some things when they see you
have a CDL, but if they catch you doing something what you did then they
come down harder on you than the general piblic.Just my opinion and yes
I have a class b cdl so I have seen it first hand.

it's cool bravo, it's good to see some response to this.

That doesn't mean I thought they were right in doing that to you, I
think that was very wrong and illegal to charge you with that.They did
not see you driving so how could they charge you with that.Makes no
sense to me, but its that CDL thing I think.

Did they run a breathilizer on you to check your levels? It is a bit
extreme what they did to you...the same thing happened to my daughter 5
years ago.

Unfortunatly, if your in the vehicle, with possession of the keys; law
says you drove. If your going to sleep drunk in car, put keys in trunk
or hide under hood & say you lost them. No keys, no DUI. Least that is
how Iowa & Nebraska look at it.
Frst offense, good attorney should have got you off with school & AA.
Need a good attorney anymore to get a deal.

Hi Cindy, I was unconscious and they couldn't do a test on me. I know, i
shouldn't have had the keys in the ignition. courts long done and i'm
just paying on the fines and waiting to get my license back later this
month.

Hi Rick,
Unfortunatly you've had to go through all this for the past year both
mentally and emotionally, not to mention financially. But in the end it
will all work out I am sure of it. I'm almost ceretain that you'll make
darn sure it doesn't happen again. Have a designated driver along just
in case that it does. Good to see you on here Rick and you too Don.

Thank you for the kind words and encouragement Cindy, your a peach!!! I
really don't drink. It was the divorce and feeling sorry for myself.
Like i said, it'll never happen again.