I’ve never experienced a DUI.
Been wondering what it must feel like.
Was it bad enough to make you quit?
I’m retired from drinking.
Just curious.
Thanks, Quackers
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You get used to it after 2 or 3.
Funny thing, nothing “got bad enough” to make me quit. It took a very positive message from on high 'Everything is going to be alright now and you’ll be able to stop drinking '. I got that message during my arrest for DUI 5. With lots of help, particularly AA, I’ve been sober since.
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I feel it depends on the person and situation. I got my 1st DUI just 3 months after turning 21 and it was like a big joke. All my friends had had one(mostly) and it didnt phase me. I got my 2nd, double felony DWI, when I was 30, and it still didnt phase me much. Even tho it cost 2+X the first. And being on probation for 3 years and having an alcohol monitor for the first 6 months still didnt convince me that I had a problem. I had to reach a real low for myself to develop that WANT to finally quit. Once you want it, you’ll keep working to get it. Keep pursuing 
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I have a hard time sharing the details of this case. I might have once before on here but I’ve only said it out loud twice in real life. Something I’m still working through and have to live with.
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Never got a DUI, but I have a few drug arrests. I was back to using within hours of being released each time
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Being a lawyer I was always able to get out of my convictions. I did ditch my biggest charge for like 3 years. Only went in and took care of it when my employer found my warrants on a background check. I was 2 years sober by then and they dismissed everything
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You didn’t. I had an interlock device in my car for a year as well. That thing sucked. I ate bread pudding with a sauce on St Patrick’s day (made with Baileys, not to my knowledge) and got in trouble. That plus the ankle monitor cost me almost $400 a month! Still didn’t learn my lesson.
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I’ve never had a DUI, but I have driven while intoxicated. That decision led to the death of my friend, and made me quit immediately. I can not stand when people in general talk about drinking and driving so casually. Just don’t do it. You think it won’t happen to you, but it does. And it sucks.
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Heh. I knew the speaker at the meeting I went to(the 2nd time). He was a year younger than me but we partied here and there over the years. He crashed his car and killed his girlfriend. And went on to get a 2nd after that. He was still close with her family. It was pretty f-ed up. The officer was also pretty extreme. Tho I dont blame him since I’m sure he’s seen some shit.
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I quit drinking after my 1st DUI September 2019 and I’ve been sober ever since. That was my wake up call aka bottom. Thank god I didn’t kill someone or myself. I just got interlock in my car as part of my sentence and it’s very freeing to know I’ll never fail a breathalyzer again and my car will always start. It’s a big pain in the ass but I’ll get through it, only 12 more months to go and it gets removed. Being a non drinker now, I’ll never have to face another DUI.
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I want to preface this story by saying, I’m ashamed to admit, but I drove drunk a lot. I’ve also been pulled over 6 or 7 times while drinking and avoided getting a DUI. I felt I was invincible.
It was Friday and some guys invited me out for celebratory drinks, I obliged. After several drinks, I left for home. On my way home, I thought it would be a great idea to stop at the bar on my way home. After I closed the bar, I set off for home. I took the freeway because its the shortest and fastest. I took my exit and got in the left turn lane and put my blinker on. I noticed it was blinking a lot faster than normal, but nothing I could do. The light turned green and I began my left turn, that’s when the lights behind me came on. Pulled over for tail light out. I pulled into a parking lot and into a stall. Officer came out, announced why I was being pulled over, and I tried to say “that’s why my blinker was blinking fast” but I slurred it all together. Instantly he asked if I’ve been drinking, I said yes. He asked how many. So at this point, I knew I was in trouble, so I said “a lot”. He had me exit the car and performed a field sobriety test. And then asked me to take a field breathalyzer test. I complied and as soon as he saw the results, he began reciting my rights and placed me in hand cuffs.
I remember thinking, finally! I this is the kick in the ass I needed to quit!
He took me to the station and did the official breathalyzer, twice (something like 30 minutes apart). Meanwhile he asked me a bunch of questions, where was I drinking at, how many, and so on.
Then he said, ok, you’re free to go, who do you want me to call to pick you up?
I said I could walk home. He said absolutely not, he needed to have someone pick me up. I explained that it’s close to 4AM and my wife WILL kill me if she has to come to get me. He insisted, I insisted I walk. I then asked if he might be able to give me a ride home, he agreed. When we approached the entrance to my neighborhood, I asked if he would mind if I got out there, so that my neighbors didn’t see me getting dropped off by the state patrol, he agreed. So I walked the 1/4 mile to my house, quietly walked inside and laid on the couch, the whole time trying to figure out what to tell my wife. I soon fell asleep.
I woke a couple hours later before everyone else. I put my shoes on and walked to town. Got in my car and drove home, snuck back in and slept on the couch.
I knew that I should tell my wife as soon as possible, so I waited until the next day, Sunday. That was a hard conversation that I never wanted to have. She was mad at me, I was mad at me. Everyone was mad at me, and disappointed, very disappointed.
My first court appearance was several weeks later. I decided to just take my lumps and plead guilty. I showed up to court too early and the judge processed all of the morning defendants, so I was the only one left there. He asked if he called my name, I said no, I’m in the afternoon session, he said oh, well, lets just take care of it now. He asked where my lawyer was, I said i didn’t have one and I was going to plead guilty. He said, son, you really should talk to a lawyer. Tell you what, I’ll assign you one, we’ll plead not guilty to say and you can call her and see what she can do. I agreed.
Almost 2 months later, I went to my court hearing and the prosecutor offered me a reduced charge and sentence, being that I was planning on pleading guilty regardless, I took it.
I lost my license for about 9 months, paid about $700 in fines, had to take a 2 day alcohol class and a DUI victim panel.
I would like to say that I never drove drunk again, but I did. My punishment was too lenient. I knew I had a problem and I desperately wanted a good reason to quit, I needed to be forced to quit. I was disappointed in the system. So I kept doing what I always did.
Its stupid. The whole experience didn’t have an impact on me one way or another, and it should have. Or, maybe I’m the one who’s stupid? Probably that. 
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Getting a dui in my personel experience of burying a child due to a drink driver BC her my thought it was a good idea to drink and get behind the wheel is better than getting time for killing someone especially your own child FACT IT HAPPENS. Please don’t drink and drive
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After I got my DUI i didnt drive for almost 8 years. I think it saved my life. I cant tell you how many bad stories I have with drinking and driving. I honestly feel I’ve been lucky not to have had anything serious happen. Now I have an interlock in my car for the next year and driving for me is still a bit scary. I’m so nervous to get it removed after the year to be honest.
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Its not great. Especially the morning after when your inebrieation is gone.
The moment they stuck the cuffs on me I felt like there would be some more issues in my immediate future. Thats when they take the kid gloves off and get stern with you.
I quit for like a year after that on my own and then picked up (times a billion) for 9 years after that. No idea how I didnt get more. Cops have let me go numerous times.
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Nope. I got my first when I was 17, second when I was 19, and then third when I was 22. I’ve been without it for 7 years now. Finally trying to get it back, one or the dwi I almost ran a cop over. They all woke me up a lil, but I was young dumb and blamed everyone else for my addiction. I would try to control it for a lil bit. But yeah when I went on a 7 year fuck my life completely up relapse. Finally I’m 249 days sober and slowly I mean god damn slowly getting my life back.
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Kind of sounds like me, especially with the duis
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Hey bud. Well you’re here now and working on it. That’s what matters now. Welcome to the community
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“Retired from alcohol” - I like that phrase! 
I managed to crash my car at 4mph so the police were called. I was recovering from a brain injury at the time (parietal subdural haematoma) and I couldn’t remember that I had a drink that morning (I was 4 months sober before, I think). I was also warned by the hospital that it was cause lack of judgement and confusion as well as amnesia. I was wandering around with concussion for two days before I had a routine appointment with my doctor and he sent me straight to hospital as I looked as though I had already been in a car cash. I had lack of judgement then and insisted I drove the 2 miles home to wait for the ambulance. When I got in the phone rang and it was the practice checking I had got home safely.
I’d like to think that was the only time I drank and drove but I was breathalysed at a recovery meeting the afternoon after I had been drinking once and I was still over the limit so I don’t know how many times I had driven over the limit.
I got 28 months ban, a year’s probation, 80 hours of community payback and ordered to attend an alcohol recovery service.
Still I am grateful as it could have been a lot worse, most people either die or are permanently brain damaged.
It did not stop me drinking for long. I had to hit more of a low before that. I live by the sea and take public transport which is less stress stressful, but my employment prospects are affected as I would need a car for most suitable jobs.
EDIT. Their threshold for a jail sentence was 120. I blew 119. I could have had a reduction in my ban by 28 weeks if I went on a drink drive awareness course because I pleaded guilty. I turned down the offer of a solicitor. Lockdown put paid to the driving course. The judges thought they were being lenient because I had pleaded guilty and had mental impairment at the time! I enjoyed the community service anyway.
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It was a kick in the balls for sure lost my license for a year 7months of classes pissing in a cup everyday and paying 3100$ in fines.mine was for prescription drugs I learned my lesson after the first came off all those prescriptions so maybe it was a good thing…
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Lucky for you… when i finally went to turn myself in for warrants. I thought they ROR me…nooope she looked at me and asked if i had 500 dollars or that they were gonna lock me up. I was like are you fricken serious! im about to run out this court house u can come chase and find me. We reasoned on 250 
…they didnt end up dissmissing shyt in the end just a bunch of fines.
States always want thier money. Imm glad its all over now…
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