How is submitter using the stupid tag here?

Is it stupid that he got it because it was only a toy?

or

Is it stupid of the drunkass kid was driving a toy around on the streets and happened to get busted?

Some Guy got a DUI for driving a lawnmower drunk down the side of the road.

People get them for riding a bike while drunk.

I'm going to go with "stupid because it was only a toy."

If they were "watching his drunken antics" they were waiting for him to commit a crime, as opposed to just giving him a warning or citation for public drunkeness or something similar.

That's not protecting the public, thats just lazy, vindictive policing.

I won't even get into how there's no way in hell that should've been counted as a vechicle in court.

That'll come as quite the shocker to the manufacturer, since all of those children who buy their product should now have liabilty insurance, based on that judges logic.

maxkool: Some Guy got a DUI for driving a lawnmower drunk down the side of the road.

Feh. Here in Florida, it's been done to a woman in a motorized wheelchair. (Although the judge did throw the case out)

I just get annoyed at the term "drink driving".

That term makes no friggin grammatical sense at all.

It's all about the almighty dollah.

you can get a dui for anything with wheels, i've heard of one with rollerskates before. The same applies with speeding tickets. You can get speeding tickets on your bike. The real story with Lance armstrong is that he had a rodney king style beating for doing 80mph on a bike in a school Zone

So from this article, British cops watch people break the law but never intervene until they are actually commiting the crime. So in theory, you have to be physically, in the act, rapeing a woman before they will intervene? Awesome.

by that logic, kids should get charged for driving without a license.

/didnt rtfa

I have defended cops for giving DUI's on horses, bicycles, even the lawnmower. But this is just absurd.

Mmmm letter of the law. Good to know the US isn't the only one that does this sort of shiat. Though there's not much difference between the US and UK politically these days. Tell you guys what, you get rid of Blair and we'll get rid of Bush? Deal?

jst3p: even the lawnmower.

But that's the whole point of HAVING a riding mower!!

MADD has gone too far!

What about getting a DUI for cutting up a cardboard box into the shape of a car(cut out a window, draw some lines for doors etc) and using your feet as wheels?

The end of the chase.

It appears he was riding a motorized vehicle on a public road and deserved the arrest. It really doesn't matter how fast the motorized vehicle is capable of going. It would be different if he was on private property.

It's stupid because he was arrested on a technicality. DUIs are a crime because out of control cars can kill people. All of these stories where somoene gets a DUI for riding a bike, horse, or scooter piss me off because the law wasn't made to address these people. It's basically a situation where the police don't like what you're doing, so they sit around and try to find something to arrest you for. Granted, this particular case happend in the UK, but they do this in the US too.

It appears he was riding a motorized vehicle on a public road and deserved the arrest. It really doesn't matter how fast the motorized vehicle is capable of going. It would be different if he was on private property.

Why did he deserve it? Why doesn't the power of the vehicle matter? Why would it be different on private property? When you say things you should really back them up.

Neath magistrates banned Ware from driving childrens toys for 16 months and fined him 220.


/thats more logical

kabloink

It appears he was riding a motorized vehicle on a public road and deserved the arrest.

"Deserved the arrest" and "technically broke the law" are two different things in my opinion.

maxkool: Some Guy got a DUI for driving a lawnmower drunk down the side of the road.

I think a drunk guy on a lawn mower could be pretty dangerous.

kabloink, Actually you can be charged on Private property too. At least in many states... europe too. I know someone who got a DUI in their driveway. They just started the car while "drunk", and not like stumbling around drunk. Like a functional .08 "drunk".

I have heard the argument that people get DUIs for riding bikes, lawnmowers, horses, etc. because they are on public roads and are considered a safety hazard to themselves and other law abiding motorists on the road.

kabloink: It appears he was riding a motorized vehicle on a public road and deserved the arrest. It really doesn't matter how fast the motorized vehicle is capable of going. It would be different if he was on private property.


The DUI laws are justified as a necessary restriction due to the extreme danger to others when driving a car drunk. This kind of stuff violates that justification.

I assume that the child who owns said vehicle also is required to have a drivers license?

hmmm... I'd say good for him.

You never know what he could have done, maybe not himself, but what if he would have gone to the street, and caused a real car to have to swerve and that car ends up hitting another car, or someone that just happens to be walking.

And, I know of someone that killed someone by hitting them with their bicycle, one hit at the right spot in the head will do it.

I've already used my quota of NWA pictures for the day, but...

1. it's not waiting until a crime is in progress, I've heard of people getting drink-driving citations for walking out of a bar blottoed with their keys in hand

2. At first I thought, ok losing your licence for 6 months over driving a power wheels as a gag is a bit extreme, then i thought about which I'd rather have; a society that's very tough on drink-driving and you know means business, or one where drunks get slaps on the wrist time and time again until their intoxication behind the wheel finally leads to someone's death and even then they get some paltry 4 or 5 year sentence?

Unavailable for comment...

I got in trouble for riding my go-cart on the street. The officer chased me for two blocks, caught me then made me push it home. I was maybe 12 or 13 (not drunk)

The image of a small child getting hit by a motorised, 18-year-old carrying, 18mph 'toy' isn't something that I find particularly harmless.

Nor is the concept of a car swerving to avoid aforementioned toy.

a real menace to society!

2006-02-13 11:40:50 AM tapeworm67

I assume that the child who owns said vehicle also is required to have a drivers license?

And insurance!

I thought it was stupid until I read that he was driving this thing in the street and tipped over. Depeding on the road, that could be really dangerous to others.

No driving for 16 months, 220 pound fine....seems fitting.

Stay off the roads.....stick to the moors.

/he would have been better off, except for the lycanthropes

So children who operate these toys should be licensed, registered & insured?

Yes! That would appear to be implied. I also suppose that in England they need tax disks and MOT inspections too! I know that in New York State none of these Power Wheels would pass the safety inspections inadequate turn signals, seat belts, bumpers, no air bags. It sounds like something Ralph Nader can work on.

The one plus to this scenario is that Junior would get the hybrid car tax break when he does his income tax returns, right. Every kid files tax return's, right?

And EVERY child has their pistol permits for their Super Soaker water pistols, right?

This is ridiculous. What is the world coming to when a drunken teenager can't ride a Power Wheels toy down the street, fall on his arse and be laughed at by his friends without being arrested. Next thing you know, they'll be coming after me the next time I have a few too many and ride an electric floor buffer down the hallway. Is a floor buffer a vehicle?

/didn't really do it
//or did I?
///it's all a haze.
////i'd write slashies while drunk

RTFA here. I thought it might possibly qualify as an asinine action on the part of the court/ cops. However, read the description of the vehicle- it's capable of 18 MPH! this isn't a power wheels toy, folks. It's probably not legal for a kid to ride it, either. I'll bet it's one of those little toy 4- wheeler things, made like the little chinese- built "pocket rockets" or like a Razor scooter. The guy was able to drive so fast that he flipped it over in a turn- a power wheels car wouldn't do that unless the dude in it were 20 feet tall and top- heavy- the center of gravity is just too low for one of them to tip at the 2-3 MPH they're capable of.

Since the vehicle is capable of speeds of 18 MPH, it does classify as a vehicle, and is probably more in the "riding mower" category with regards to amount of damage it could do to something it collides with (it's lighter than a mower, but moving faster) I think the sentence is justified.

metalhead1982: This is ridiculous. What is the world coming to when a drunken teenager can't ride a Power Wheels toy down the street, fall on his arse and be laughed at by his friends without being arrested. Next thing you know, they'll be coming after me the next time I have a few too many and ride an electric floor buffer down the hallway. Is a floor buffer a vehicle?

The world's becoming a place where people would rather see everyone punished rather than take the tiniest risk of something bad happening, even if it means stripping out every last right that we enjoy. I'm really glad some of the people in this thread aren't in charge.

If you think any punishment other than a swift kick in this guys ass is appropriate....
you are WRONG!

"The world's becoming a place where people would rather see everyone punished rather than take the tiniest risk of something bad happening, even if it means stripping out every last right that we enjoy. I'm really glad some of the people in this thread aren't in charge."

EXACTLY. You win the thread.

Greek

It's not a power wheel, those go around 6 mph or so max. But an adult riding one could tip it over, they are quite light. I don't think it's a razor type thing either, TFA does state it had an electric motor though.

They said it cost 400 pounds, about 3x the cost of a power wheel last time I saw one advertised. So it could still be a toy car, just a fast one.

Arresting him for "drunk driving" makes sense. The guy was driving down a public road and tipped over. If he had been doing it in a driveway, fine, but he was endangering anyone who happened to come down the road. I do think the sentence was excessive, though. What ever happened to tossing the drunk in jail overnight until he gets sober?

OK, so it's not a powerwheel. The guy did not pose much of a danger to anyone but himself and the article says that he is very embarassed about it. Just laugh at the asshat and give him his license back. You can take it away again when he DUIs a real car.

This is serious advice:

1. In many states you can be arrested for riding a bike, wheelchair, scooter etc. while under the influence. In Indiana, the law is written if you are "operating a conveyance". That is anything. Often the judge will throw out the wheelchair and skateboard ones etc. You never know.

2. Just because you blow a 0.06 % Blood Alchohol or slightly below the "legal limit" in your state doesn't mean you are innocent and can't be arrested. You can still be hauled in for driving under the influence if the arrested officer thinks you are impaired. It is his/her discretion. Again, the case *may* be thrown out. The legal limit is the number at which the cop must bring you in.

3. Don't drink and drive. That is disgraceful.

The more you know...