# The Rocket Scientists Amongst Us.



## zipperhead_cop (9 Aug 2007)

Came across this gem of an article:

Man avoids breath test by eating his socks
GEOFF NIXON 

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

August 8, 2007 at 1:19 AM EDT

Police in Walkerton, Ont., had a surprising encounter with a suspected drunk driver on the holiday weekend when he refused to take a breath test – but chose to eat parts of his clothing instead.

The suspect, a 19-year-old man from the nearby Township of Carrick , was sitting in his car with the lights off on a country road in the early hours of Monday morning, police said.

A South Bruce OPP officer who approached the vehicle determined that the man was intoxicated and arrested him on suspicion of impairment.

While the officer was preparing to administer a breath analysis, the suspect managed to get hold of a contact lens case he had in his clothing, drink the lens fluid and eat one of his contact lenses.

He then attempted to eat portions of his shirt and socks.

When officers tried to remove his clothing so that he couldn't eat any more – a scuffle broke out. The suspect was subdued with pepper spray.

After his shirt-and-sock snack and the pepper-spray melee, he was placed in a holding cell, where he put his head in the toilet and refused to provide a breath sample.

He is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 9 and has been charged with failure to provide a breath sample, which carries the same potential penalties as an impaired-driving charge.

His name has not been released.


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## tdwebste (9 Aug 2007)

Most people will regard this person as incredibly stupid and gross. His destructive behavior speaks of self loathing. Unfortunately I have witnessed this particular type of destructive behavior. It is not pretty to see someone bleeding out the mouth. I hope he finds some help and finds the strength not to punish himself for what ever unfortunate thing has happened. I hope his case can be kept confidential. He does not need the embarrassment to add to his self loathing.


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## PMedMoe (9 Aug 2007)

He'll probably try to blame his "mental deficiency" on Walkerton water.  :


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## geo (9 Aug 2007)

10 to 1 that this fella is "known to the authorities" and this is not his 1st run-in with the police on impaired driving regulations.
I would have let him choke on his clothes, draged his sorry a$$ to the local hospital and, while having him pumped out, get a blood sample taken..... however, as it appears that in Ontario, refusing to give a breath sample is the equivalent of testing positive, then - so be it..... 

But, having your stomach pumped out is a painful experience..... oooooh - mixed emotions!


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## George Wallace (9 Aug 2007)

Guess his parents didn't listen to the advice to get out of the gene pool.   ;D


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## tdwebste (9 Aug 2007)

It is important not to reward destructive behavior. For this reason he should be charged with failure to provide a breath sample just like anyone else would, even though he is pretty messed up and needs help. He needs to be kept under observation. The person I knew, later tried to poison himself with vodka and nearly did. I witnessed that too. He really needs to get his act together and get on with his life. It is strange what some people who are messed up take pride in. So it is important not to make him feel that his is special because of his behavior.  _Rocket Scientists_ So many people I seen crack had high IQs, but were lacking emotionally.

However without knowing this particular case, I am overly broad assumptions based on what I witnessed in the past by other individuals and not this person.


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## Greymatters (9 Aug 2007)

That is just... strange.


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## zipperhead_cop (10 Aug 2007)

tdwebste I wouldn't read to much into his behavior.  I highly doubt that he has any sort of genuine mental health issues.  One of the first things alcohol impairs is your judgement, and I have seen a god-awful lot of departure from good judgement through alcohol.  This tool was probably angling to try to set up some sort of diminished capacity argument. "I was so crazy drunk, I had no idea what they were asking me and I didn't know I could call a lawyer".  Of course, it will be up to a _judge_ to decide if the clown should be convicted or not.  And we all know how well that tends to turn out.


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## bllusc (19 Aug 2007)

I have seen prisoners do remarkable things to avoid a breath test, sucking a penny is one, somewhere, somehow, someone got it into their head that copper in the mouth will negate a breath test. Same as vigorous exercise. Seeing a drunk madly doing pushups in the cell prior to his test is hilarious. Or trying to hyperventilate. Amazing!

This fellow wasn't suffering from self loathing. He was under the delusion that eating foreign matter would somehow reduce the alcohol in his blood. And the only thing that does that is a transfusion, ...or time.

He would have been charged for refusal to provide a sample, given an ADLS suspension for 90 days and had his car impounded. Its jerks like this that drive drunk and endanger the roads for us and our family members. I would have published his name. Why protect the reputations of morons?

Brian


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## zipperhead_cop (19 Aug 2007)

bllusc said:
			
		

> Its jerks like this that drive drunk and endanger the roads for us and our family members. I would have published his name. Why protect the reputations of morons?



Because as you know, there is nothing more precious in this country than the rights of a criminal.  We cherish them more than our children.


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## Trooper Hale (19 Aug 2007)

I'm reminded of the saying "*Its not Rocket Surgery buddy*".

People who drive drunk deserve whatever they get. Unfortunately they have a tendency to take some innocent person with them when they get it.
Like we say here, "If you drink and drive, your a bloody idiot".
Scum bags.


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## Loachman (19 Aug 2007)

There was a guy stopped on the Quebec side near Pembroke during my last tour in Pet who was spotted eating his underwear in the back of the cop car, again in the vain hope that the cotton would absorb the alcohol.


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## Greymatters (20 Aug 2007)

Hale said:
			
		

> I'm reminded of the saying "*Its not Rocket Surgery buddy*".



Did you deliberately mix your idioms here?  (Rocket science / Brain surgery)


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## armyvern (20 Aug 2007)

GreyMatter said:
			
		

> Did you deliberately mix your idioms here?  (Rocket science / Brain surgery)



It's the Aussie in him.


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## Shamrock (20 Aug 2007)

GreyMatter said:
			
		

> Did you deliberately mix your idioms here?  (Rocket science / Brain surgery)



I hear ya there, GreyMatter.  Nothing worse than someone who's not quite in on a joke.


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## armyvern (20 Aug 2007)

Shamrock said:
			
		

> I hear ya there, GreyMatter.  Nothing worse than someone who's not quite in on a joke.



I don't think there was any joke intended.


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## krustyrl (20 Aug 2007)

Loachman said:
			
		

> There was a guy stopped on the Quebec side near Pembroke during my last tour in Pet who was spotted eating his underwear in the back of the cop car, again in the vain hope that the cotton would absorb the alcohol.




One must be some desparate to imbibe ones "banana-hammock" Sounds like a "Fear Factor " event.!


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## Kat Stevens (20 Aug 2007)

"It's not brain science, it's rocket surgery."


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## Greymatters (20 Aug 2007)

Exactly, well put!


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## Loachman (20 Aug 2007)

GreyMatter said:
			
		

> Did you deliberately mix your idioms here?  (Rocket science / Brain surgery)



Old joke. The rocket surgery/brain science thing has been around for a while.


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## Trooper Hale (20 Aug 2007)

Yeah, its a very old joke that you say to people who do stupid things or dont understand simple things.
A way of showing how even an idiot (you, who mixes up two unrelated things) understands something.
It was intended.


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## Greymatters (20 Aug 2007)

I coudn't tell if you were joking or not - your face was so grey and blank when you told it....   ;D


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## Trooper Hale (21 Aug 2007)

Haha, you right, sorry. i forgot this,
"*Not Rocket surgery there buds*"   :tsktsk:


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## zipperhead_cop (21 Aug 2007)

Kinda reminds me of Ricky from Trailer Park Boys and his malapropisms.


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## Trooper Hale (21 Aug 2007)

Anyway, getting back on topic, whats the worst case ontario? Could he just hope for denial and error? Make my words, getting him off the streets is the only option. That way we can get two birds stoned at once.
Hate to say atodaso buddy, but atodaso!

 ;D Ah rickyisms

Ok, i'm done being silly. What happens to someone in Canada who's caught in this situation? Lose their license for 12months and/or fine?


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## zipperhead_cop (21 Aug 2007)

Hale said:
			
		

> What happens to someone in Canada who's caught in this situation? Lose their license for 12months and/or fine?



The penalty for Refusing a Breath Test is the same as getting convicted of Impaired Operation or Operate Motor Vehicle Over .80.  You get an automatic 90 day licence suspension (in Ontario, not sure how everyone else does it), and on conviction you generally get a $300 fine and a one year suspension.  Therein ensues a number of annoyances to get back your drivers licence.  Each subsequent conviction gets a higher suspension.  Second gets a three year suspension, third gets a life time ban.  
If you are caught Driving While Disqualified (which is different from being suspended in Ontario and is a criminal charge) you are subject to a special impound condition for the m/v you are driving.  First time caught, you get it hooked for 45 days, then 60, then 90 then 120 for each additional time.  The impound fee is something nuts like $46.00 a day, so it gets expensive real fast.  And even if you abandon your car, you are still responsible for the impound fee and they will go after your wages (but not your welfare, because that would be cruel  :threat: )  It also doesn't matter if you own the m/v you are in, so sucks to be buddy who lends his car out to be a crack taxi.


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## Trooper Hale (21 Aug 2007)

Thats pretty well the same as here except i think our fine is around $600. This might make you feel a bit warm and fuzzy.
http://www.trafficlaw.com.au/drink.driving/drink.driving.penalties.html
My understanding is that we take drink driving very seriously here in Victoria. Not as strict as it could be, but you'll still be in the shit if you get caught with a skin full.
Its the worst thing someone can do on the roads. And drugs are even worse. The new "Drug buses" we have a pulling people off the roads in huge numbers because the "Rocket surgeons" decide smoking cannabis then driving home is a good idea. The tests will get you if you've got dope or just about anything else in your system. And get them it should.


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## zipperhead_cop (21 Aug 2007)

Yeah, that is something our laws are fairly unprepared for if the jackholes decide to legalize marijuana.  Drunk driving is one of the easiest charges to beat now, forget about trying to get a conviction for Impaired By Drug.  We have no practical or medical tests, and there is no agreement as to how much THC constitutes "impaired".  
Essentially, a bunch of people will have to die before some clown decides that there needs to be some controls in place.  Hope it isn't anyone in our families, eh?


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## Trooper Hale (21 Aug 2007)

Chap killed 6 kids leaving a party last year i think. Coppers tested him for grog and he was under .05, tested him for THC and found him to be, excuse my use of technical terms, fucked up.
Weed is an illegal drug, being caught driving with it in your system here is a crime and will get you punished. Its as dangerous in Australia as it is in Canada. Like you say mate, you'll all just have to wait till someone wipes out a group of kids till someone stands up and does something about it.


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## zipperhead_cop (21 Aug 2007)

Hale said:
			
		

> Chap killed 6 kids leaving a party last year i think. Coppers tested him for grog and he was under .05, tested him for THC and found him to be, excuse my use of technical terms, fucked up.



Except that the only way to test for THC is a blood test, and we have doctors here who will refuse to take blood, even if ordered by the courts to do so, if they deem it "medically unnecessary".  Liberalism does run in the medical profession.


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## Trooper Hale (21 Aug 2007)

Really? I've never done a police drugs test, my understanding is that it works just like the "Blow into here" test but uses your saliva instead. If a trace is found then a little light goes turns on on the machine and they have grounds to take you for a blood test at a station. They can also take a test against a person will, but dont quote me on that one.
Thats bizarre that doctors would refuse to test someone. Surely if the courts have ordered it, the only person who will look stupid is the doctor?


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## zipperhead_cop (21 Aug 2007)

We can't do our own blood tests.  And some of the doctors around here could care less how we unter-menchen cops think about them, as even God needs to make an appointment.  In reality, if it was a big deal case we would just shop around for a decent doc, but for practical purposes it is pretty much a free for all if you are doped up.


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## Trooper Hale (21 Aug 2007)

Another reason you cozzers call it the "Legal system" instead of "justice system"? 
I'll be waiting for that next big car accident caused by drugs then. Maybe then something can happen...


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## IN HOC SIGNO (21 Aug 2007)

Hale said:
			
		

> Another reason you cozzers call it the "Legal system" instead of "justice system"?
> I'll be waiting for that next big car accident caused by drugs then. Maybe then something can happen...
> [/quote
> 
> I'm sure there's plenty of them happening now given the number of users....it's just not getting reported...my wife works in an Operating Room and there are plenty of folks they can't immediately treat because of drugs in their system....drugs and anaesthesia do some pretty weird stuff to you.


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