Quote:
Originally Posted by Zuts
We live in a democratic society where over time peoples views can change and over time laws can change to support those views if they are in the majority.
I worked for a year in Eungella QLD, early 90's. This is a small town over 100km West of Mackay and around 1000m up a winding rd at the top of a plateau. The first building you reach is the pub which has views over the valley and sits right at the edge of a cliff. During the tourist season many people come to enjoy the pub and rain forest up there. There are two exits from the pub. One goes directly back down the mountain and the other (The Crediton Loop) leads into the hinterland. This rd meanders for around 30 km through the forest and many locals live around it.
In summer the police put an RBT on the rd going down the mountain, never on the other rd. After the pub shuts, the doors are closed but any locals can if they wish hang around drinking until the publican decides he has had enough. He then kicks them out (maybe 2am) and they all get in their cars and drive to their homes scattered around the 30km Crediton Loop (there are no taxis and no public transport).
The police know this, but since they are locals as well and need to exist in the community do nothing.
My point is that what was 'acceptable' behaviour then is not now. Currently the limit is 0.05, in the future it may be 0.02, 0.01 or even zero. Regardless of how many people like to have one or two beers with dinner and then drive (I am one of them and would never drive over the limit) if views change then so will the laws.
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That's a funny anectode. So true times change. I remember in the 70s the French Gendarmes would park you on the side of the road for an hour before letting you go again if you were really incapable of driving your car. That was standard procedure. People are probably horrified to hear that nowadays. Doesn't make it right but that's how it was back then. I even heard a story around the north of Marseilles where a cop breathalizing a motorist needed help from the bloke he was checking because he himself had one too many and couldn't put the straw in the device. Another time in the same area a motorist actually stole the speed radar on the side of the road. Got flashed, back tracked, took it in his boot and took off. The cops were nearby in their cruiser having a nap. Embarrassing article in the local newspaper the day after