Being drunk and sleeping in a motorhome?!

[Dai rees]

I guess the same would apply to lorry drivers

It Does, -- quite a few years ago when I was driving lorries for a living several drivers stopped in a lay by just outside of Milton Keynes on the Buckingham Road, at the end of the lay by was a pub where we all went and had alight meal and a pint or two,and then went to bed in our bunks in the lorries, at 03-00hrs we were all woken up by the plod whe breathalysed all of us-- two drivers were taken away as they were over the limit and lost their licences.

 

[Lugy]

The more and more I think about it a campervan makes so much sense, it's a shame all the surfin' doooooodes have cottoned onto VW Transporter T4s making the prices rocket

It'd be alot easier than towing my caravan everywhere

 

[BTB 500]

It'd be alot easier than towing my caravan everywhere

But a lot less room inside ...

 

[crankiejohn]

my mate parked his mgb outside a pub had to much to drink and was getting his coat out of the back(tailgate).spotted by the old bill and lost his licence,isnt that the reason for girl friends and wives.

 

[renault12ts]

Its that sort of thing that give the police (deservedly) a bad name. It's sheer nonsense to have done him. Where's the common sense?

 

[219]

I was aware of this rule when I did this many years ago .

Out for a few shandies with some friends at Stirling Uni , I returned to my car (Ponton) in the car park . Since the older Mercs all had separate keys for doors , fuel tank , ignition , I removed the ignition key and locked it in the boot - slept there for the night without any visits from the law .

 

[Swiss Toni]

Its that sort of thing that give the police (deservedly) a bad name. It's sheer nonsense to have done him. Where's the common sense?

Unfortunately, it's this sort of thread that give t'internet a bad name (deservedly).

If you believed what was written here as fact and a fair representation of all of the facts, you'd be left with no need for solicitors, the CPS, Courts, the press....

Stay away from the Daily Mail! can't you see what it is doing to you?!!




Take alook at S4 to 11 if you want to know what the Road Traffic Act says >

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1988/ukpga_19880052_en_2#pt1-pb2

 

[Swiss Toni]

As with lorries, the difference between a camper van and a car is a fitted bed.
I know a caravan is 'an extension of your home' and as such, needs a warrant to be searched.

Not so, see S4 (7) -

For the purpose of arresting a person under the power conferred by subsection (6) above, a constable may enter (if need be by force) any place where that person is or where the constable, with reasonable cause, suspects him to be.

 

[esox]

if you have a camper, leave the ignition key hidden somewhere and use the side door key.

Oh yeah, hide a key in a cunningly discreet hidey-hole somewhere about the campervan and then try remembering where you hid it in the morning suffering from alcoholic amnesia!

 

[GRAV888]

Not so, see S4 (7) -

For the purpose of arresting a person under the power conferred by subsection (6) above, a constable may enter (if need be by force) any place where that person is or where the constable, with reasonable cause, suspects him to be.

I didn't mean (or say) to arrest, but search.

(4)In this section “premises” means any place and, in particular, includes—

(a)any vehicle, vessel, aircraft or hovercraft,

(b)any offshore installation as defined in section 1(3) (b) of the M1Mineral Workings (Offshore Installations) Act 1971, and

(c)any tent or movable structure.

I do however accept that 'anywhere' can be entered for an arrest.

So, according to the law, is a British Superbike campsite classed as a public area?

 

[JohnDeere8530]

just goes to show how little common sense police have nowadays, they are only intent on nicking law abiding citizens as they are easy to process.

Sleeping in a car whilst drunk shows tha the ower is acting responsibly by not driving. why the hell should they be prosecuted then. Fair enough though , stop him at 6 in the morning and breathalize him then and prosectute if over the limit.

I sleep in the car loads and worry about this, i just hide the keys under a nearby bush etc. If the police ask, I just say I'm drunk and have also lost my keys

 

[Swiss Toni]

just goes to show how little common sense police have nowadays, they are only intent on nicking law abiding citizens as they are easy to process.

 

[Sp!ke]

Why the smug tone?


Are you saying that the countless people here that have personal knowledge of people being nicked for being drunk in charge of a motor vehicle are mistaken or something?

This is what goes in life... for real non job people. If you dont accept that this is going on perhaps you should look a little deeper.

 

[219]

I sleep in the car loads and worry about this, i just hide the keys under a nearby bush etc. If the police ask, I just say I'm drunk and have also lost my keys

Not all police are bad this way .

A friend had his window tapped when he was spotted sleeping in a car park . The cop , realising he was sleeping in the car rather than drive home after a couple of pints , told my friend he could have done him but smiled and advised him to stick the keys up the exhaust pipe next time .

 

[crankiejohn]

Why the smug tone?


Are you saying that the countless people here that have peronal knowledge of people being nicked for being drunk in charge of a motor vehicle are mistaken or something?

This is what goes in life... for real non job people. If you dont accept that this is going on perhaps you should look a little deeper.

well put

 

[neilrr]

Unfortunately, drink driving seems to be one of those soft convictions that look good in the targets table. It's an easy bust for the police.

Years ago our car was parked outside our house on the side of the road & someone smashed into it at about midnight. Hearing the noise I rushed outside & saw the side taken off it & an empty red Escort with hazards on parked 30 yards in front of it. There were red paint transfers on the OS of our grey car & the NS of the Escort was destroyed. There was a bloke standing on the corner another 50 yards up the road trying & failing to look inconspicuous. You didn't have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure the two were related.

I dialed 999 & told the operator about the accident. The police weren't interested & were pretty much trying to fob me off with "No injuries, red car might not have anything to do with it, come in & make a report during business hours" guff. I then told them I thought the 'driver' just up the road looked drunk & I had a car blues & twos it's way at warp speed to my kerb within about 4 minutes.

The guy on the corner bolted & the cops chased the bloke N. across Streatham Common, tackled him & then got into a fairly serious wrestling match / fight with the guy. Blood on all participants.

Months later the CPS contacted me to see if I'd be a witness. I assumed they meant to the assault on the two cops but I was mistaken. They didn't charge him with anything other than Drink Driving - no hit & run, no assault, no nothing.

I guess the lesson is if you need a cop in a hurry report a drink driver!

 

[andy_k]

I got threatened by a local copper that spoke to me whilst I was out walking the dogs late one night.

He said that because I had my car keys with me (I had my keys in my hand ready to open the front door), I was within 20 metres of my car (I was just about to go through the gate to our house) and that he could smell alcohol on my breath he was within his rights to breathalyse me.

Telling him not to be so stupid and going into the house probably wasn't the best course of action but that's another story

Of course, this was one individual copper acting on his own interprtation of what could loosely be called initiative but crap like this does happen all over the place.

 

[renault12ts]

Doesn't happen where Swiss Toni lives.

 

[Swiss Toni]

Why the smug tone?


Are you saying that the countless people here that have personal knowledge of people being nicked for being drunk in charge of a motor vehicle are mistaken or something?

This is what goes in life... for real non job people. If you dont accept that this is going on perhaps you should look a little deeper.

I don't intend to offend, but if you took that as a smug tone, I can only apologise...

 

[Swiss Toni]

Doesn't happen where Swiss Toni lives.

You could well be right. Looking at the Court results, the Cops around here do seem to be inclined to wait until the driver pulls away (with the risks associated with that) rather than making use of the preventative offence. I guess it could be different in other parts of the country.

Unfortunately, drink driving seems to be one of those soft convictions that look good in the targets table. It's an easy bust for the police.

I am not aware of any league table or performance measure that might be linked to arresting drivers over the limit, but I am all for a solid approach to enforcement of those types of offence.