Neptuno

Sounds like a good idea!

kimilseung

This has not been my experience. Far from it.

I should probably add that there is a big difference between alcoholics who are open and self aware of their issue and those that attempt to hide it.

bobd22

yes I would agree with that re alcoholics, there are numerous versions of alcoholic. Obviously they all need alcohol to get by but some are what are referred to as functioning alcoholics they don't go over the top or on first sight seem to drink to excess. However they need the alcohol and are basically topping up to a level that they need to function and not fall into withdrawal. These people generally are the ones with bottles secreted all over home work wherever even glove box of car. To some extent what Stuboy mentioned re tollerance comes into play as well with this type, as the more one does something the less the effects tend to show, forget alcohol for a second think physical excercise. You do it now and again with lapses between, the body shows this with muscle pain etc. You excercise on a daily basis after a few days or a week the body gets used to it and the pains are not there, the body has adapted and tolerates the level of excercise. Not exactly the same I know but an example. So generally speaking more regular someone drinks alcohol the more tolerant they become. Hence the need for the alcohol standard to be defined by quantity in blood, breath or urine. Yes HBG I appreciate this is Spain but the basic method is the same just the limit is lower in Spain.

stuboy

I of course disagree.

In my experience and I have plenty there are two types drinkers.

There are those like me who drink when they go out, occasionally too much and regret it the next morning. All they want is a lie in and a coffee.

Far worse are the thousands of people buying cheap wine and beer from supermarkets and sitting at home getting legless.

How many couples open a bottle of wine in the evening and maybe another and believe themselves to be 'sociable drinkers'

Perhaps you would welcome an orange sticker on your car after visiting a restaurant or even the supermarket.

All the orange sticker does is tell the police you have been parked where alcohol is served.

HBG

Perhaps it’s because I’m an occasional Guardian reader, but I can sometimes find reasons to excuse lawbreakers for certain digressions. I have a friend who came home and found his wife in bed with the coalman. While ejecting them both from his premises he must have bumped into the coalman several times because my friend nearly went to prison for assault.

I know a number of Spanish people who cheat the taxman because they can only support their families by working black.

I can find good reasons to defend those lawbreakers, but I can’t think of any reason I could defend a drunken driver.

(Nevertheless, the orange sticker stories can’t be true, surely? They weren’t in the shape of a star?).

EMR

Unless of course the orange sticker was simply giving senisble advice like Do Not Drink and Drive !!

rugbymatt

The Orange sticker must be Sussex police. They got caught doing that at Chris Evans old pub.... They did it to a prominent solicitor and came off worse.

bobd22

I would think it would be a flyer type sheet warning of risks of drink driving as I seem to remember hearing of similar on Christmas drink driver campaign.

stuboy

I kid you not. They were tiny round orange stickers easily available on large sheets from stationers.

They are a sort of day-glow thingy which at night is clearly visible in the headlights of the police car behind it.

And yes Matt, it was Sussex Police.

bobd22

Sounds bizzare but nothing surprises me it must have stayed in Sussex. I would love to have seen a cop stand in court and when asked why he stopped a particular vehicle he replied because it had an orange dot on the back??

stuboy

That's exactly what happened.

EMR

It is no different from road side checks when all vehicles are stopped and drivers are asked if they have been drinking alcohol.
Any suggestion or admission is enough to justify a breath test.

bobd22

I am not denying what you say just as I say bizzare, I mean why not just note registration in your pocket book. In the UK generally speaking the random stop is not allowed just because someone is driving, hence why I say would have been interesting in court to hear why the car was stopped? that alone could get a case thrown out. However although random stop is not allowed any cop in a marked car can stop a car to do a routine check of driving documents, may amount to same but that is legal because car has a red spot isn't. Once stopped for documentation you may form the opinion person has drank alcohol by beer breath etc and roadside test to ensure within limit.All legal but just because someone has been in a pub is not sufficient grounds legally. There are times when authorised random stops can be allowed i.e. Christmas Campaigns etc where buy they could check every car leaving a pub but as I say thing there is authorised, it is not routine. Spain may be totally different I have no idea,mind checking every car leaving a pub car park to carry out a breath test is a bit like making the assumption that every Guardia Officer having a coffe in a bar which they are allowed to do I believe is having a brandy with it!

Lion in Winter

Why is getting drunk at home worse? Surely if you want to sit in your own home and drink yourself silly while doing no harm to anyone, it really doesn't do any damage? If it is preventing you from carrying on a normal life, then yes, there is probably harm, but other than that I'm not sure why this is so awful.

bobd22

I believe one UK force was criticised for some cops playing a game of stopping every second or so red car they saw, the colour was changed as part of the silly game, I don't know which area but the cops were disciplined and the stops illegal with no doubt compensation paid. Good and bad in all walks of life cops included and in all countries fact of life.