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Post Info TOPIC: Drunk driving


Veteran Member

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Date:
Drunk driving


Curious if anyone has turned in their A for drunk driving? Mine has been cuaght twice and got away with a huge wreck cuz dad covered for him. He continues to drive black out drunk weekly.

I feel an obligation if I know he's drinking in driving to call the police, but sadly I am afraid this will create extreme scary drama in my life if anyone where to find out it was me. I worry more about guilt tho if he were to hurt himself or others.

What is everyone's experience with this topic?



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~*Service Worker*~

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Posts: 13696
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Ask for anonymity when you call.   I once dispatched a CHiP on a drunk call and it was my alcoholic/addict wife.  Told him the stop was known to me and saved him sometime doing his rightful work.  Took her car and got her a ride home...probably save someone's life.   Ask for anonymity.  (((((hugs))))) smile



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Veteran Member

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Never turned mine in, but I was in the car with him praying to get pulled over and scared for my life. I was never so relieved to see those flashing lights behind me in my life. Needless to say he was carted off to jail, towed his car and left me on the side of the road! Got another DUI 3 months later and now another 5 years later. I know if he ever thought I called the police on him, there would be hell to pay!!




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Moving on to happier days...



~*Service Worker*~

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The night my AH got his DUI back in February, I was sitting on the fence about whether I should call it in. He was beyond plastered, probably in black out mode, as well. I literally had the phone in my hand getting ready to call in an anonymous call and he called me to tell me he was in the back of a squad car. Well, that solved that problem. He is supposed to be getting an ignition interlock device for his car soon and I'm really hoping that that prevents him from driving drunk. It was really becoming a problem as he is a binge drinker. Now, as to how he would feel about it, that's another story.

We recently had an argument about his driving on a suspended license and he said this, "What? Are you going to rat me out like you almost did the night I got the DUI?" LOL, I was kinda ticked off about that one. He knows full well that he was lucky he didn't get into an accident or hurt someone else but he is so defensive about what his transgressions so there's really no arguing with him about it.

Anyway, it's your personal decision. Some folks will tell you that you should call it in no matter what because they're innocent people on the road, too. While other folks will tell you to mind your own business and see how it plays out. Personally, if he does it again, I'm going to be on the phone as soon as he's in that car!

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Struggling to find me......


Veteran Member

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Posts: 28
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Thanks for your answer. I am torn as well. On one hand I should stay out of it and let nature takes its course, but then I get that eery thought what if I stay out of it and someone gets hurt, how will I feel then? I swear I don't know how he's gone the last few years without getting caught again. He even drove wasted at 2:30AM with an open container through town on the 4th of July.
A friend of mine just lost an AS driving this weekend and it made me reconsider my stance.

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Senior Member

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Posts: 323
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Thankfully my A son doesn't drive when drinking -- just locks himself in his room while drinking. But I do keep in mind that if he did and caused an accident, I will be held financially responsible if he's driving one of my vehicles so at that point it does become '''my personal business'''.

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~*Service Worker*~

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My A is my son who was on probation for possession. He lived at home, would go to the required meetings ect but continued to get high. And yes if he came home high (and in a sober time we sat down with him to tell him our intentions) I called the probation office, even after hours there is always an officer on call and they would come to our home and take him to jail for a day or two. I had no reservations what so ever about turning him in.
I was done lying, covering up and looking the other way. That's simply what it came down to for us. Thankfully he doesn't drive
Agree for if you do it to make it an anonymous call, you may very well be saving lives
Wish you the best
Blessings

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~*Service Worker*~

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I used to be on the fence about this issue. But not any longer. I asked myself if I would report a drunk driver that I do not know. My answer was "yes." Next question to myself was "then why not report AH?" I had not good answer to not report him. So for me, from now on when or if I see a drunk driver, I will report it. I called the highway patrol last summer I some nut driving in front of me.

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You have to go through the darkness to truly know the light.  Lama Surya Das

Resentment is like taking poison & waiting for the other person to die.  Malachy McCourt



Veteran Member

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Posts: 41
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When I struggle with these hard decisions, what usually sways me is "is the behavior life threatening, and could cause him or someone else serious injury." In this case, the answer is yes. He could KILL someone. It takes guts, but you don't have to identify yourself.

Food for thought.....think it through to the next step. IF you call him in, will you tell him afterwards? If he asks you, would you come clean?

I did report AH for driving, only after he'd done it 100+ times. I never admitted it to him, because he would twist it up and make it about me (not him). Good news, is he doesn't drink and drive anymore.



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