Well,I know I am going to get alot of frowns with this post but if it helps one person then it is worth it.Last year I had the brilliant idea to go out and have afew drinks and ride my bike.Don't worry thou my seca is ok.I took out my 86 gsxr instead.I hit the local boobie bar and started drinking thinking that I could handle it.After looking at afew dozen nice sets of hooters after about 4 hours of drinking I decided to head home.Well I made it about half way when I rearended a car(a police car to boot).I ended up sliding about 50ft going about 50mph or so landing on my head and shoulder,breaking a bone in my neck and slicing open my head in a few spots,and getting a bit of road rash on various parts on my body.I was in the icu/burn unit for 7 days.I recoverd thou really well.Almost fully recovered except for a big ol scar on my shoulder which is about wallet size and looks kinda nasty when I take my shirt off.The total for the hospital stay is $186,000.I ended up getting a dui.This was back in september.I just went to court and have togo to jail for 30 days and house arrest for another 60 days,followed by 3 years of probation.I had to pay for a lawyer,a fine,and court costs,plus a 20$ fee per day for the jail time I serve and the house arrest.I have to take alcohol class,and safe driving classes as well.I jsut learned monday that I got fired from work due to the fact I have no drivers license.

I just lost a job earning about $60,000 a year.It really sucks as I don't have any real skills that will allow me to earn that kind of money right now.Thank god I had my insurance from work to cover the hospital charges other wise I would really be screwed.I am jsut really happy to be alive,it sucks to lose my job and the money can be replaced but I am alive and greatful for that.

I don't really know what to say.
It takes some people longer to get the message, myself included.
This obviously wasn't your first DUI, judging by the sentence.
After my third in ten years, I never drink and drive, ever.
I have no social life but, if you want to come over on a Friday night and watch my 100" Screen and have a couple you're more then welcome.
Cheers!

You guys aren't alone. I had 3 in 12 years. I did get fairly 'lucky' on the last one. It came 2 months after my first went off the record and 2 days before the new laws kicked in. My sentence was only 5 days jail, 3 years probation, counseling, $3000 fine + costs and $4500 for the lawyer. Kinda makes the $30 cab ride seem reasonable, wouldn't you say.

With the new laws here in Nebraska, I would have had a felony due to being over twice the limit. I blew a .288. I am grateful to God that I never hurt anyone, and, like Hound, I DO NOT drink and drive ever!!

If I get a third, it is an automatic 15 year revocation. Not gonna happen. I call a cab, have a driver, get a ride, walk (stumbel) home, anything but get behind the wheel.

One thing I have never done, though, is ride after a beer. Not even one. There are way too many idiots in cages here.

Thanks guys for sharing these tough experiences. It just might get the wod out to someone and save a life!

Alkasmeltzer you made the most poignant statement so far in this thread:

One thing I have never done, though, is ride after a beer. Not even one. There are way too many idiots in cages here."

There was a thread a few months ago something along the lines of running from the law. There seemed to be a common thread about drinking and riding that just didn't make sense.

Fact: one beer causes some level of cognitive impairment (more for some less for others but some none the less)

Fact: it takes all of our skills all of the time to keep the bike upright, between the stripes, and out of the gunsights of the blind/too busy shaving/ applying makeup,/reading the paper/ lighting a smoke/ adjusting the radio etc cage driver

Fact: they're all out to get us, or at least it seems they are. We gotta watch every one of them!

If you accept the above 3 facts as true then why would would you have even one and then ride?

Iced tea, ice water, soda all taste good when you're thirsty!

Signed,

Aunt Bea

Andy of Mayberry
US television early 1960's

+1 on the idiots in cages comment.... i am glad yall are all still alive .... i drank and drive a couple times.... one time i scared the crap out of my self and never did it again. but never on a bike. i very seldomly drink even now 10yrs later.

Dude I know was out drinking and then headed home on his VTX1800. Well, about two minutes from the bar he got T-boned at an intersection. He now is half human / half frankenstien. Walks with a cane forever. lost his license for 10 years (3rd dui). Now he wants to rebuild the bike so he can ride it with his twin brothers license. What a dummy!

I never drink and drive, my better half is there to bring me home safely. When I ride 0% alcohol. Why take a chance ?

Beanflicker; Thanks for telling your story.. I am a new rider, and I enjoy my beers. I know the 2 don't mix but reading about it really hits home!! So bike and NO BEER!!!! Galamb you are right.. Why take a chance??

I'll echo wamaxim's thanks for sharing - you may convince some others.

I never got a DUI but in my much younger days I can tell you I wound up at home behind the wheel with no recollection of how I got there several times. I remember starting out and getting there. That convinced me I was too stupid to drink responsibly so I quit completely over 28 years ago. Can't say I miss it.

Be safe folks - a bike is dangerous enough stone sober on the roads these days.

I made a promise to my mom never to drink and ride but I got caught up in the moment of bad decision making.I was taken to the er at about 2 at nite.I don't really remeber to much of the accident due to not having a helmet on.I do remeber the ambulance that came to pick me up and them kinda being a ass to me by saying "do you know what we call people like you?" and not being the 1st time I wrecked answered oyeah I know "organ donor".The guy was a real smart ass and said no"we call you guys road kill".So the next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital to a teary eyed mother thinking the worse.Later that day I got to have my wounds scrubbed out of all the dirt and debrie.Talk about gettin burned twice.Thank god I have work insurance,disability,and not alot of regular steady bills.I was really good about drinking and driving as this is my 2nd dui.I made it just shy of 10 years when this happened.I was real strict about drinking and gettin near a auto but just started hanging with a crowd that were abit more accustomed to drinking.But like I said I am greatful to be alive,and thank god I didn't hurt anyone else.

That's a heart warming story and hopefully there was a lesson learned by it.
I too have friends that drink and ride their bikes, which I don't quite comprehend. They wonder why I never joined them in any of their rides? It seems that when they ride, it always involves backing their bikes in front of some bar and spending the better part of the afternoon inside. WOO HOO, that sounds like fun. Then get on their bikes (if they can get them off the kickstand) and try to ride home....in the dark...after hours....on a bike...with alcohol in them!!! No thanks. I'll pass.
I guess I've learned from others mistakes. I don't drink while riding my bikes or driving my other vehicles. It's just asking for problems.
I see now that the weather is warming up, the bar across the highway from me is getting it's collection of bar bikes parked in front, on display and the owners are inside for most of the day. Then at a late hour, they are all back out, reving their engines and going balls-to-the-walls with open headers (or atleast loud exhaust of some kind) down the highway on their way home (or to one of the other local establishments that serve alcohol)
It's no wonder us bikers have a bad name among some groups. It only takes a few to screw it up for the rest of us.
Do us a favor and just DON'T DRINK and RIDE!

I have done some really stupid things in my life, drinking and driving was never one of them. If we go out and drink, we have a DD, or we use public transportation. If we go to a friend's house, we plan on staying the night.

When my boyfriend first got his bike he swore on a stack of bibles he would never ever drink and ride.

He had a friend that was at a bar, drank, picked up a girl. Both of them drunk, got on his bike and hit a concrete barrier head on at 120 km/h, roughly 75 mp/h

They are both lucky to be alive. They both had tears in their aorta which required open heart surgery to reattach, and numerous broken bones. She required skin grafts on her legs. The bike was in pieces. What was left of it when we picked it up, could stand straight up on the front forks.

He was charged with impaired driving. I'm not sure of his sentence, but he is still under house arrest.

Some learn from the trials of others. Some learn from experience.

I chose the former.

I made my mistake and lesson learned at the same time. I just had my 89 EX500 repainted by my brother and decided to take a 6-pack with me to drink while I put it back together. When I finished the bike looked so good I just had to take it for a ride. I jumped on the bike and took off, my brother was watching me so I decided to show off a little. I did a donut then a burnout and took off down the road. Turned around and did it again but did not back off as I passed him going into a 45mph rated curve doing 125mph. I could barely keep the bike out of the grass on the shoulder but could not get it back on the other side of the white line all the way thru the curve. When I came out of the curve I slowed down and did not go gover 35mph the rest of the way home. I sobbered up on that curve and almost lost my nerve to ride again. I quit ridding that year and now 10 years later I have a bike again and will never make that mistake again. Now that I have kids I don't really drink anymore any way.

That was the first and last time I have had a beer and got on a bike.

Lesson learned the hard way that beer and judgement don't go together.

My buddy bailed himself out last sunday morning. Blew a .14, layed his venture down while looking for his girlfriend. 2nd in 4 years.... I promised him I WOULDN'T vist while he's in jail. He got lucky. Didn't hurt anyone, including himself, only got the DUI not the Metabolite/THC double DUI, and they waived the no insurance ticket.
I hope they throw the book at him, I don't really feel like going to anymore funerals.