Seems that one of yesterday's entries sparked a slight controversy…:
Lockergnomie Ben Oddo:

Honestly, do you really think that having a consumer breathalyzer would really curb alcohol related vehicular collisions? Not really. Anyone who has been drinking and is aware of their own sobriety and tolerance to alcohol knows when to stop drinking, and those who are obviously drunk don' t need a breathalyzer. Having such technology installed in restaurants and bars is pointless since its use would be voluntary. Even if it were to be used by someone legally drunk, what is to prevent that same person from driving? Only a person's sense of responsibility and community would stop him or her from driving, and a breathalyzer is not needed for that.
Technology won't solve the problem of drunk driving and it's about time that we stop prostituting technology for our own common sense. The human brain is like any other organ in the body, the less it is used the more it will atrophy.
As far as the Tracey Gold is concerned, all we know is that the behemoth she drove rolled over. Do we know why? Maybe alcohol wasn't a factor in the mishap. It could be that she took a turn too fast for the SUV she drove (which by the way happens to many sober drivers as well). Perhaps had she been driving a conventional car rather than an unstable SUV she wouldn't have rolled over, no one would have been injured and her driving record would be clean.
The point is, her choice of vehicle probably had more to do with the crash and injuries than alcohol. State governments have too long turned a blind eye to the hazards of placing unqualified drivers behind the wheel of large, unstable SUVs. This is just another case of shifting the blame away from deficiencies in licensing drivers for the vehicles they drive. Such a licensing model would not be in the interests of the carmakers, would it?

Lockergnomie Bruce Davey:

I read with interest your story on Tracey Gold and her DUI ( We call it OUIL in Michigan) I agree with your assesment that placing some breathlizers in commercial establishments might be a good idea.
But, my primary reason for writing is that I must disagree with a portion of your story regarding the 2 glasses of wine. Having recently retired from 25 years in law enforcement, I have heard at least a thousand times from drunk drivers how they only had 2 drinks. This is a big misconception on the part of the public. A person is not going to blow impaired on 2 glasses of wine unless maybe the glasses hold about 2 or 3 pints each.
Granted, each scenerio for reaching a BAC is different depending on time spent drinking, the body weight of the individual involved, when you ate last, etc. But truth be known, it takes a fair amount of alcohol to make someone impaired or legally intoxicated. In fact, in theory you could drink one glass of wine an hour and barely register on a breathtest. This is due to fact that alcohol metabolizes ( Spelled that wrong for sure) at about a rate of 1 ounce an hour which would be the equivilent of a shot of booze, a glass of wine or can of beer. So basicly, using that formula, if you drank only 2 glasses of wine during a 2 hour party, the alcohol should barely register at all. Although food in the stomach can delay the entry of alcohol into the blood stream depending on when you last ate.
Having observed many breathalizer tests in 25 years as well as giving hundreds of PBTs to various people, it irks me when people try to claim they only had 2 drinks but yet blow .08 or higher on a test. ( I have actually seen practiced drunks blow as high as .36 and .40 which for most people is alcohol poisoning)
Just for the record, I do consume intoxicants myself from time to time. Back around 10 years ago, I decided to do a little test on myself. My wife and I had gone out and in the course of about 2 1/2 hours, I drank about 15 mixed drinks (whiskey) and after that my wife drove me to my department where I took a breathtest. Granted I am 6-6 and in those days weighed in around 260 lbs so my system can handle more than lets say a woman who weighs in around 120. But when I took my breathtest approx 20 mins after my last drink, I didn't even blow half way to impaired.
Living in an area where drunk driving is a major problem and having dealt with it for so many years, I commend you on taking on this issue that is become a national problem. I also don't want this to sound like I am promoting drinking and driving. But, I just wanted to write to you to mention that if you hear someone claim to have been arrested for 2 drinks, to take this with a grain of salt as this is one of the oldest stories in the book for drunks who get arrested and in reality it doesn't happen that way. I just wanted to set the record straight for you as the 2 drink story has been around a long time and most of the public believe it as gospel.
Thanks for taking the time to read my long winded letter and keep up the great articles.

I don't drink often, but even when I do – I always pass the keys to someone else.