Should I have called 911?

"Rainbow" (rainbeaux)
10/15/2015 at 11:15 • Filed to: None

I was following this obviously drunk driver a while back, but I didn’t report it because I didn’t feel like it was important enough for 911 and I didn’t know the local non-emergency number. Was it worthy of a 911 call?

(Side note: when my date says “Maybe he’s just doing what you’re doing,” that’s referring to me passing invisible cars earlier, in proper passing areas, just because. Not cutting corners or crossing against the solid line or anything)

DISCUSSION (29)

Ash78, voting early and often > Rainbow
10/15/2015 at 11:20

Yes — I call 911 about once every few months for unusually bad drivers. The latest was a kid sitting on a lady’s lap in the front seat of a car at highway speeds. On one hand, you could say it’s none of my business, but when we’re dealing with minors, there’s a degree of acceptance of a broader social responsibility there. I don’t care if they get a ticket, the kid needs to be restrained somehow.

Jcarr > Rainbow
10/15/2015 at 11:20

Yes. Always. Never know what they might do or who they might come into contact with.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Rainbow
10/15/2015 at 11:21

Yes, I've had mixed luck strangely sometimes the cops don't seem to care.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Rainbow
10/15/2015 at 11:22

Snitches get stiches.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
10/15/2015 at 11:25

and drunk drives kill people.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Rainbow
10/15/2015 at 11:27

Dialing *HP for the Highway Patrol used to be a thing. Is that not a thing anymore?

$kaycog > Rainbow
10/15/2015 at 11:27

Absolutely yes!

Rainbow > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
10/15/2015 at 11:28

This is the first I’ve heard of it, so probably not.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/15/2015 at 11:29

Texters kill more, but we don’t call the police on them.

Ash78, voting early and often > Rainbow
10/15/2015 at 11:30

One more thing: As “car people” I feel like we almost have a greater duty to call things in because we can give better descriptions.

Example — average person: “Yeah, uh, there’s a brown sedan acting really weird, he might be drunk. Highway 7 going towards, um, East Buddhafreak.”

Example — Ash78 (channeling Dwight Shrute): “Hi, I’m behind an early 2000s Chevy Impala, dark green, license plate Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo Echo Romeo Seven, weaving erratically, eastbound on Highway 7, just past mile marker 69, that’s six niner.”

Svend > Rainbow
10/15/2015 at 11:33

YES. If you believe the driver is impaired for whatever reason, phone the police. If you can keep track of them and follow with hazard lights on do so, keep the operator on the phone and try to keep a commentary of what is happening till the police arrive. If you are unable to follow the vehicle at the very least phone the emergency operator and give as much detail as possible before going on your way.

If the driver wasn’t drunk or impaired then at worst the driver in inconvenienced for a few minutes. I don’t know about U.S. police but U.K. police are thankful to deal with the driver before they create a situation and have to deal with the aftermath.

After watching the video you posted it looks more distracted driving as they are not so much wondering and then correcting but not paying attention to the road either by texting or similar.

CounterTorqueSteer > Rainbow
10/15/2015 at 11:35

Yes. I always call when I'm fairly certain that a driver is drunk. I'd rather inconvenience a dispatcher than have the driver kill an innocent person.

Jonathan Harper > Ash78, voting early and often
10/15/2015 at 11:35

Same. I make a call every few months, usually heading north from NYC on the narrow parkways like the Sawmill or Taconic when folks are weaving or just generally driving erratic.

Milky > Rainbow
10/15/2015 at 11:35

“Whats your favorite holiday?

How’d the rest of your first date with her go?

CB > Rainbow
10/15/2015 at 11:36

Absolutely. In Ontario, we’re actually encouraged to do so.

ArmadaExpress drives a turbo outback > Rainbow
10/15/2015 at 11:36

I call when I see this sort of driving also. You never know what’s going on in that driver’s seat and you very well might be saving their life. I always jump to the damage this person could cause to their own life or anothers’. Even if it’s only an injury they cause, it’s an injury that someone may have chronic pain from for the rest of their life.

If I think an officer would pull them over, I call it in.

Rainbow > Milky
10/15/2015 at 11:39

Very well! We had our 5th or 6th yesterday, so I think things are definitely going well. :D

Brian, The Life of > Rainbow
10/15/2015 at 11:44

Just adding my HELL YES to the chorus of yeses you’ve already received.

Milky > Rainbow
10/15/2015 at 11:46

Ha, nice! New that was first material.

Sam > Ash78, voting early and often
10/15/2015 at 12:11

That sounds like something that would prompt the response - “Why aren’t you using radio, officer?”

Ash78, voting early and often > Sam
10/15/2015 at 12:20

It’s funny — the dispatchers usually say something like “thanks for the extra detail” or “wow, you just made my description easier.”

It’s hard to get smalltalk out of those people :D

I’m a nerd, I grew up as a kid flying with my dad a lot, where radio brevity and detail are required. I had the phonetic alphabet memorized almost as early as the regular one.

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > Rainbow
10/15/2015 at 12:20

I've never called on a impaired driver before, but honestly it wouldn't surprise me to know this guy was just playing with his phone. It's amazing to me how oblivious people can be while behind the wheel. They're usually pretty easy to spot for me. A big thing is their speed will fluctuate somewhere between 45-80 on the interstate, while they're parked in the left lane.

Wacko > Svend
10/15/2015 at 12:27

thats what i see too. he/she seems to be driving just fine for the first 3-4 minutes. no sudden movements, or over corrections. Looks like they are texting, or dialing or just talking to the passenger if one is there.

Rico > Rainbow
10/15/2015 at 12:39

Good luck!

Rico > Svend
10/15/2015 at 12:40

Definitely looks like someone on the phone.

deekster_caddy > Rainbow
10/15/2015 at 13:05

Maybe I’m not seeing what you are seeing, but for 5 minutes of video I saw a couple of minor line infractions and one major. I am not seeing the typical ‘drunk driver’ with quick jerks and late corrections, or late/heavy braking etc.

Side note, what the hell is with the 15MPH speed humps coming at the end of a 55mph road? BS I say! B. S. !

shop-teacher > Rainbow
10/15/2015 at 13:25

Absolutely call 911. I just did it a couple months ago.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > Rainbow
10/15/2015 at 14:16

Would you rather call in a suspected drunk driver who is weaving all over the place, or would you rather hear about a drunk driver in a white truck who just ran over a bus stop full of kids the next day?

Rainbow > deekster_caddy
10/15/2015 at 14:35

It’s a bit hard to see, but I think he spent at least 40% of the time with no less than two wheels in oncoming traffic. Granted, he’s pretty far off in the video so it probably doesn’t quite show everything.