• LovableSidekick@lemmy.world
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    14 days ago

    I totally believe police sincerely think they can tell based on experience, but it’s false confidence.

    Story time: One night on my way home I was pulled over for a broken taillight, which I truthfully told the officer I wasn’t aware of. After taking another look she gave me a warning but said, with a little lilt in her voice, “Lotta dust in there, looks like it’s been broken for a while… surprised you haven’t noticed it.” As if she “knew” I was lying, because cops have heard it all before.

    I really wanted to unload on her that I was on my way home from working at my job and then taking my shift sitting in the hospital room keeping my 10-year-old daughter company until she fell asleep. She had been undergoing cancer treatments for the last 2 months. So excuse the hell outta me but there were a lot of things I’d missed lately. Like Thanksgiving. And Christmas. And apparently a broken taillight. I’ll get to it when I get to it but I can’t make any promises.

    That smirky little accusing tone of voice still sticks with me after 20 years. So fuck your smug-ass attitude, Officer I Know What I Know, because no you sure as fucking hell didn’t.

    • stoly@lemmy.world
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      14 days ago

      Officer threatened to slam my dad on the ground in front of us all for telling him politely to have a nice day.

      Officer screamed at us in high school when we called for help because someone was beating up our friend then did nothing.

  • originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com
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    14 days ago

    i have witnessed 100% sober drivers, blowing zero on a breathalyzer being arrested because the cops felt like it. anyone else failing so hard at their jobs would be fired, and these people are supposed to be trusted with extra responsibilities and human killing devices.

    acab

    • Anivia@feddit.org
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      14 days ago

      Portable breathalyzers are notoriously unreliable and it’s definitely possible for them to indicate zero on someone that is drunk. And also the other way around, which is why the tests always have to repeated with a stationary breathalyzer or a blood sample to be used as evidence in court.

      That being said, it’s still not acceptable for cops to arrest people without probable cause

      • 418_im_a_teapot@sh.itjust.works
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        13 days ago

        Dogs are also as accurate as a coin toss. Essentially, it all comes down to what the officer thinks and their personal motivations, which is terrifying.

  • gedaliyah@lemmy.worldM
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    14 days ago

    Field sobriety tests are about as accurate as Tarot readings.

    In most jurisdictions, the police can arrest you for refusing. Some experts say that if you’re sober, it’s better to refuse and be arrested, and then find it in court.

    • foggy@lemmy.world
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      14 days ago

      It’s 100% what to do.

      Let them arrest you on suspicion. The cost of the lawyer will be less than the DUI fines and lost income due to all of it.

      “No thank you, officer. If that means I am under arrest then I am under arrest and would like to invoke my 5th amendment right at this time. I will not be answering any further questions this evening.”

      🤐

    • ryathal@sh.itjust.works
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      14 days ago

      Refusing a breathalyzer is expensive though thanks to implied consent. The ticket for that is a ton of points.

      • gedaliyah@lemmy.worldM
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        14 days ago

        If you’re sober you should absolutely agree to the breathalyzer and the blood test.

        It’s the field tests that are bogus.

  • foggy@lemmy.world
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    14 days ago

    100% nonsense.

    We’ve already got plenty of peer reviewed science.

    Tolerance is everything, and there’s no empirical way to measure it.

    • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
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      14 days ago

      Well perhaps we’d better come up with something. Perhaps something along the lines of those “are you really awake?” alarm apps that require you to solve some puzzles, but specifically testing driving skills/reactions, before the vehicle will start.

      • foggy@lemmy.world
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        14 days ago

        If there was a way to determine…

        “Are you so high that reality frames are kind of strobey?”

        That’s the real point where THC is an issue with motor skills.

        But ititerally doesn’t happen to regular users. So it’s… Amorphous